Hello, Network Members! How about working with community agencies to improve health literacy of senior citizens? Training emergency responders to use NLM tools? Sharing hospital library expertise and resources with free clinics? Implementing a program to strengthen partnerships in support of school health goals? The possibilities for health information outreach are endless, and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region is happy to be able to offer once again Express Outreach Awards to help fund your efforts. Applications for the 2009-2010 Express Outreach Awards must be submitted by September 4, 2009. Maximum award is $12,000.

Read the full announcement at http://nnlm.gov/pnr/funding/Express_Outreach_July_2009.html. Any network member is eligible to apply, though project personnel must have demonstrated experience using MedlinePlus or other applicable NLM resources, or identify a project partner with this expertise. Examples of current or previously funded express outreach projects are online at http://nnlm.gov/pnr/funding/OutreachAwards2006-2011.html#A3. If you have questions or would like to discuss potential project ideas, contact Linda Milgrom or other PNR staff.

HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is seeking comments on the preliminary definition of “Meaningful Use” of electronic health records (EHRs) as presented to the HIT Policy Committee on June 16. The meaningful use preamble and matrix give more details.

Comments on the draft description of “Meaningful Use” are due by Friday, June 26, 2 p.m. Pacific Time (1 Alaska, 3 Mountain), and should be no more than 2,000 words in length. Please click the link to access instructions for submitting comments.

Wolfram|Alpha is a new search engine. Scratch that — it”s a “computational knowledge engine,” and also “the first step in an ambitious, long-term project to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone.” W|A has generated a lot of buzz since it launched on May 15.

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NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region is pleased to announce that Oregon Health Go Local is now live! This is the second live Go Local project in our region, following Montana which was released in January. Oregon Health Go Local is a project of Oregon Health and Science University Library (OHSU) with a host of community collaborators, linked from the “About” page on the site. The project team includes Todd Hannon, Emily Ford and Anne Hepburn, all at OHSU.

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NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region is pleased to announce that Go Local Montana is now live! This is the first live Go Local project in our region and we couldn’t be more pleased. Montana Go Local is a project of the Voices of Hope with partners 2-1-1/First Call for Help District XI Human Resources Council, 2-1-1/First Call for Help United Way, Montana State Library, and The Help Center. The site is possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of Jackie Fitzgerald.  Voices of Hope would like to send a special thanks to Susie McIntyre for initiating the project. More promotion of the site will follow in the coming months, but you can take a peek at: http://medlineplus.gov/montana.  Congratulations to the entire Go Local Montana team!

Consider just a few of the ways public health workers contribute to the well-being of our communities. Sanitarians and environmental health engineers make sure we have safe food to eat, clean water to drink, and fresh air to breathe. Emergency preparedness experts develop plans to keep us secure in the event of a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or other unthinkable situation. Public health physicians and nurses provide medical care to those without insurance. Health educators work to stem the tide of increasing health care costs by teaching the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Librarians and other information professionals put quality health information in the hands of those who need it.

We at the RML would like to thank you, our Network members, for all you do in support of public health. We encourage you get connected with other public health workers in your community. Find out what you can do to help meet their information needs.

Resources:

• State Departments of Health in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington
• State Public Health Associations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington
• Pacific Northwest Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE)
• Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce
• Articles from Journal of the Medical Library Association about outreach to the public health workforce