The deadline is approaching for MAR’s Outreach Evaluation Conference Award. Please see the following posting for details on this funding opportunity.

Deadline for submission is December 11, 2009

Outreach Evaluation Conference Award – Currently Available
The purpose of the Outreach and Evaluation Conference Award is to allow full and affiliate members to host a conference to highlight outreach projects and programs conducted in the Middle Atlantic Region (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and the results of these outreach activities. Deadline for applications is December 11, 2009.

The training in the use of the Medications List software proved to enhance the library’s health literacy programming.  The trainings, which took place at the library’s Central/headquarters, five adult learning centers (Astoria, Central, Peninsula, Rochdale, Long Island City) and the Queens Village Community Library (which has a large Senior Citizen population and where the Community Library Manager coordinates outreach to senior citizen centers throughout Queens), was held during the month’s of September 2008 through February 2009.

Queens Borough Public Library’s Adult Learning Staff (teachers) and Branch Managers that have a large senior citizen population have incorporated  the project “My Medication List” into their workshops on health literacy.  Ensuring that individuals understand the importance of listing the medications prescribed to them and their family members.  Software that makes it easy to access a database of information, and a combined workshop that includes a medical librarian is of immeasurable value to a community.

As the debate over healthcare reform continues to take place, individuals need to have credible information to make informed decisions when speaking with medical professionals.  It is not always easy and can be intimidating for immigrants/non-English Speakers and senior citizens.  There are language barriers, time constraints (especially when the doctor is the local health clinic or hospital emergency room).  The ability to provide comprehensive information and have a detailed discussion can be one of the keys to reducing health costs.  When understanding why a medication is given for a particular illness and what other medications may contraindicate another, can cut down on the costs to a hospital and empowers individuals to take greater control over their own health and ensure the health of their family members.

Queens Library- Jamaica, NY

The Library of the Health Sciences at Princeton HealthCare System received a Small Project Award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region in October 2008 for the purpose of purchasing “Health Information for Patients and Families” posters and placing them in strategic areas of our service area.

Our Library Committee felt that the library had much to offer and that we should reach out more to the community, the patients and their families and make them more aware of our services.  We decided that we would hang the posters in both English and Spanish in strategic areas of all our hospital units, our outpatient clinics and patient/family waiting rooms.  We hoped that we would give out patients and their families the assistance they might need in finding relevant information either through library resources or by sending them to MEDLINE Plus as well as other legitimate health sources.  The librarian would be available for mediated searches and document delivery and library resources would be at their disposal.  The signs also direct people to our library website where we have links to MEDLINE Plus as well as other patient education sites.  We also have a MEDLINE Plus slide presentation on the library resources page as well as a tutorial from NLM on evaluating health information sites.

We produced the posters with the help of our outside printer and had the posters translated into Spanish since most of our clinic attendees are Spanish speaking and in keeping with all other posted signs in our institution,  we had them framed.

Gradually, we have seen an increase of requests from patients and their families and we have been able to assist them.  We can only measure direct requests or visits.  There is no way to note how many times the web site has been used for our resources because of the posters.  The project is ongoing and we feel that, with the funds from the grant, we have done a great service to our patients and their families by making sure they know where to come for the information they need.

Louise Yorke- Princeton HealthCare System- Princeton, NJ

The NLM Associate Fellowship Program includes an optional second year at a library or information center in an academic health sciences center, hospital, or other health-related organization. The additional year provides an opportunity to develop skills and gain experience in working with administrators, librarians, health professionals, system developers, and educators to design and implement information services that are integrated with clinical and/or educational programs and contribute directly to accomplishing the parent institution’s mission. NLM requests proposals for 2^nd year Associate Fellow host institutions.

NEW THIS YEAR: The RFP this year asks that potential host institutions focus their offer on 1-2 specific areas of expertise:

•       Clinical informatics

•       Outreach to underserved or previously unreached populations

•       Management and curation of e-only health sciences collections

•       Digitization

•       E-science

•       Specialized library experience (veterinary, public health, science, etc.)

New proposals are required for any potential second year host to conform with the areas of expertise and revised scoring format.

NLM invites proposals from potential host institutions for the 2nd year of the NLM Associate Fellowship program.  The NLM Associate Fellowship Program includes an optional 2nd year at a library or information center in an academic health sciences center, hospital, or other health-related organization.  The additional year provides an opportunity to develop skills and gain experience in working with teams that include administrators, librarians, health professionals, system developers, and educators.  The program year will run from Sept. 1, 2010-August 31, 2011.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is posted on the Associate Fellowship Program web site (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/associate/2yrinfo.html). The web site includes a description of the program and a link to the Request for Proposals, which specifies the information to be included in the proposal and the evaluation criteria. The deadline for receipt of proposals is February 5, 2010.

Reminder:  Institutions currently hosting a 2nd year Fellow are not eligible to host a 2nd year Fellow in 2010-2011. A one-year waiting period between Fellows is now required.

Thank you for your continued support of the NLM Associate Fellowship Program.  Questions can be directed to Kathel Dunn, the Associate Program coordinator, at dunnk(at)mail.nih.gov or at 301-435-4083.

Head, Reference and Web Services Section, National Library of Medicine ($102,721-133,543)

Join the management team at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in Bethesda, Maryland.  We’re part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and located just outside Washington, D.C.

We are looking for a manager with experience managing library web and information services providing health information to a variety of clients to serve as the Head of the Reference and Web Services Section.

The Head of Reference and Web Services directs a staff of 20, as well as contract staff, responsible for 1) Managing and implementing improvements for MedlinePlus.gov, a national health information resource for the public, patients, families and professionals; 2) Providing centralized reference, customer service, and referrals for all of NLM’s products; 3) Supporting and improving NLM websites and related technologies; 4) Providing and managing electronic and print reading room collections; and 5) Carrying out these programs in coordination with other government agencies, national organizations, libraries, and international organizations.

Join the federal government and receive great benefits while contributing to NLM’s mission, to provide biomedical information to users throughout the United States and the world.

If you have never worked for the U.S. government, follow the instructions and use USAJobs to apply to announcement number HHS/NIH-2010-0301.  If you currently or have previously worked for the government, you can apply to announcement number HHS/NIH-2010-0303.   Salary range is $102,721-$133,543 USD per year and you must be a US citizen to apply.  Posting closes at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

Questions?  Contact Susan Burns at burnss(at)mail.nih.gov or 301-496-3661

Opportunity for public comment on draft Healthy People 2020 objectives

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services invites you to comment on the DRAFT set of objectives for Healthy People 2020. For three decades, Healthy People has provided a set of national 10-year health promotion and disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the health of all Americans.

Visit www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020 to

·        View proposed draft objectives for Healthy People 2020

·        Comment on the proposed objectives

·        Comment on the topic areas

·        Suggest additional objectives

·        Suggest topic areas you feel are missing from the draft set

Your comments will help ensure issues important to you are included in Healthy People. Establishing objectives and providing benchmarks to track progress motivates, guides, and focuses action.  Be part of the change. Comments will be accepted through December 31, 2009.

Visit www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020 today. Your feedback will help define the vision and strategy for building a healthier Nation.

Call for Applications

The NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), as part of its outreach and library improvement programs and its Strategic Program Plan for Network Members, is accepting applications from MAR full and affiliate network members for Outreach to Unaffiliated Health Professionals Awards, which will encourage development of local programs linking targeted unaffiliated health professional groups to health information.

More information on the award and how to apply can be found below and on http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/outreachhealthpro.html

Purpose

MAR continues its commitment to serve unaffiliated health professionals with these awards, which will encourage development of local programs linking targeted unaffiliated health professional groups to health information. Members may support unaffiliated health professionals with reference service, training in the effective use of resources (such as PubMed or MedlinePlus), document delivery, Loansome Doc, direct access to electronic resources, or other services.

Priority will be given to projects which support MAR’s outreach priorities of the following unaffiliated health professionals:

• Nursing home/long term care professionals
• Private practice physicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Public health departments
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (health clinics for the underserved)

In addition, priority will be given to projects which support MAR’s additional outreach priorities:

• Target groups: seniors, Hispanic populations, faith-based organizations, low-income/literacy populations.
• Partner priorities: senior centers, nonprofit organizations, schools, and public health departments
• Health disparities such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, STDs/HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, asthma and uninsured individuals

Partnerships between MAR network members and other community, health, senior, and diversity organizations are strongly encouraged.

Three awards up to $30,000 each are available. Each award will be funded on a cost reimbursement basis as a formal subcontract.

If you have questions or require assistance, contact Arpita Bose, MAR Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 212-263-4176 or arpita.bose@med.nyu.edu. Awards will be announced on the MAR discussion list, MARL as well as the MARquee.

Period of Performance

Projects must be completed by April 30, 2011.

We look forward to your applications!

Best wishes,

Kate Oliver

Kathleen Burr Oliver,  MSLS, MPH, Associate Director

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region, New York University Langone Medical Center, 423 East 23rd Street, Floor 15 South (23rd & First Avenue), New York, NY 10010; 212 263 4197 (voice); 212 263 4258 (fax); kate.oliver@med.nyu.edu; General Phone: 212-263-2030; Toll-Free-Phone within DE, NJ, NY, PA: 800-338-7657; FAX: 212-263-4258: http/nnlm.gov/mar

“Creating a Health Information Community Serving Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania”

Posted on behalf of National Institutes of Health Office of the Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison:

Check out the November issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research. In this edition:
Coping with Grief
When a Loved One Dies
When someone you love dies, your world changes. You may feel numb, shocked, frightened and a host of other feelings. All of that is normal. There’s no right or wrong way to mourn.

Breathing Problems?
Learn to Recognize the Symptoms of COPD
While more than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, doctors believe another 12 million don’t even know they have it. Learn to recognize the signs now so you’re not in the dark.

Health Capsules:

• Cocaine Vaccine Shows Promise
• Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease
• Featured Web Site: Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms

Click here to download a PDF version for printing.

Visit our Facebook wall to suggest topics you’d like us to cover, or start a discussion about how you use the newsletter. We want to hear what you think! Also check out the NIH Health & Science Gifts and send some to your Facebook friends.