The City College of New York’s (CCNY) Cohen Library will host Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians,” October 10 through November 30. The traveling exhibit, to be on display in the library atrium, was developed by the Exhibition Program of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. This will be its only showing in the New York metropolitan area.

Several events will be held at CCNY in connection with the exhibit:

Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, President of the New York Academy of Medicine, featured in the exhibit, and an authority on global health, will be keynote speaker for an opening reception Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 6:00 PM in the Archives Reading Room. She will speak on “Women and Medicine: Leaders in Public Health and Health Policy.” Dr. Marthe R. Gold of the Sophie Davie School of Biomedical Education at The City College will offer opening remarks.

“A Lady Alone,” a one-act play about Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to obtain formal medical education in the United States, will be performed by actress Linda Kelley 4:30 p.m. Monday, October 22, in the Archives Reading Room. Prior to 1847, women did not have access to becoming doctors in the United States. An ardent medical and social reformer, Dr. Blackwell founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children in 1857, which still exists today as the New York Downtown Hospital. Dr. Bruce Logan, Chair of the Department of Medicine at the New York Downtown Hospital, will reflect upon the early days when poor women received care, women physicians could practice medicine, and female medical students could study and practice clinically.

Demographic changes in the U.S. population require a diverse physician workforce in terms of gender and ethnicity. Dr. Nereida Correa and Dr. Elizabeth Theresa Lee-Ray, both featured in the exhibit, are leaders in promoting cultural and linguistic competency in dealing with the Latino-Hispanic population. The program on “Women in Leadership positions in Medicine: Shattering the Glass Ceiling” to be presented in the Archives Reading Room on Monday, October 29, at 6:00PM will showcase their achievements. Dr. Erica I. Lubetkin of the Sophie Davie School of Biomedical Education at The City College will offer opening remarks.

CCNY is very pleased and very proud that the program on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 6:00PM covers the accomplishments of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education alumnae: Dr. Traci Burgess (1989), Dr. Nicola Davis (1994), and Dr. Suzette Oyeku, (1997). They will discuss their experiences and strategies for “Breaking down Barriers of Racism and Sexism in Medicine” in the Archives Reading Room.

For details and a complete list of events please visit the City College Libraries exhibit web page at http://origin.admin.ccny.cuny.edu/library/events.html

This traveling exhibition has been made possible by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health. The American Medical Women’s Association provided additional support.

For more information on the Changing the Face of Medicine exhibition at City College, please call the Exhibition Coordinator at (212) 650-6826. Visit the exhibition web site at the National Library of Medicine to learn about the 330 woman physicians, selected from women in medicine throughout U.S. history, to be featured in this exhibit. Learn about their sources of inspiration, the challenges they faced, and their accomplishments at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/index.html

The Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week grant will award $5,000 to a single U.S. library for the best public awareness campaign during American Library Association’s National Library Week 2008. All types of libraries and library organizations are welcome to apply.

This year’s grant focuses on the National Library Week theme, “Join the circle of knowledge @ your library®.” All proposals must use this theme.

Funds are to be used to support the winner’s National Library Week promotional activities as outlined in the application and cannot be used for capital expenses, such as books or equipment.

DEADLINE:
Applications must be postmarked by October 1, 2007

Application materials are available at ALA’s web site.

Now Available on MAR’s Training & Educational Opportunities Web Page: Full Text and PubMed Trifold

This handy new guide summarizes the different full text options available in PubMed, including PubMed Central, publisher links, Loansome Doc, and of course, your own library’s collections. NEW: You can customize the trifold brochure by adding own local library information in the space provided!

How to access the new trifold brochure:

1. Go to MAR’s Training & Educational Opportunities.

2. Go to the topic called Find NN/LM Produced Training Materials.

3. Select Full Text and PubMed. The document will open as an Adobe PDF.

4. Save the document to your computer.

5. Open the document in Adobe Reader. You will see a Typewriter tool that will let you add your own content within the blank space provided.

You can find other handy trifold brochures in Find NN/LM Produced Training Materials, including PubMed Basics and MedlinePlus Basics in English and in Spanish.

The RML is pleased to announce the newest addition to our website: our new AV Lending Library.

You can now borrow from our collection of videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs in order to keep up on everything from MLA’s last webcast or to learn more from “Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians!”

Just follow this link to the online order form http://nnlm.gov/mar/services/lendrequest.html

We look forward to sharing these items with you!

Three New Sections Debut on MAR Website

Two new sections debuted on the Resource Sharing & Document Delivery section. Copyright and ILL (http://nnlm.gov/mar/rsdd/copyright.html) will help members navigate the ins and outs of copyright and ILL, including copyright guidelines, the Copyright Clearance Center, and general copyright information. DOCLINE Stats (http://nnlm.gov/mar/rsdd/docstats.html) provides some enlightening numbers for DOCLINE both nationally and regionally. Under About MAR, The Value of Libraries Planning Study page (http://nnlm.gov/mar/about/value.html) keeps members current on one of the exciting projects being conducted by the Regional Advisory Committee. An outline of the project, core group members, and reports from meetings are available. If you have comments or suggestions for improvements or new additions to our Website, please contact us at rml@library.med.nyu.edu.

New Course: PubMed MyNCBI

Arpita Bose and Miguel Figueroa introduced a new course for the Middle Atlantic Region, PubMed MyNCBI. Several attendees learned the unique features of MyNCBI that librarians can utilize for their own work or for enhancing their users’ experiences with PubMed. In addition to filters, saved searches, and automatic updates, attendees learned how to establish shared institutional filters and activate LinkOut holdings with MyNCBI.

RML Reaches out to HUD Neighborhood Networks

Arpita Bose taught a workshop on consumer health information and grant writing to eight members of the Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Networks group in New York City. She was joined by Ms. Fu Mei Yang, who works at the Health Information Center (http://www.nypl.org/health/) of the Mid-Manhattan branch of New York Public Library. Ms. Yang presented local health information web sites to the participants. The class participants, who work at senior centers in New York City, learned about MedlinePlus and NIH Senior Health as well as awards (http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/) from the RML. Many participants had not heard of MedlinePlus before, and they were excited to learn about this authoritative, reliable consumer health resource.

The RML offers free training on NLM’s consumer health resources, including MedlinePlus, NIH Senior Health, and more. If you represent a community-based organization or faith-based organization in DE, NJ, NY, or PA, please contact Arpita Bose (arpita.bose@library.med.nyu.edu), Outreach and Communications Coordinator, for more information about our training opportunities.

The New York Medical College conference entitled, “Health Literacy: Tools for Improving Health Communications,” was held on May 30, 2007 with 194 attendees from a wide array of community or health-related advocacy organizations, hospitals, local health departments, public libraries, and/or academic institutions.

The conference was co-sponsored by the New York Medical College (NYMC) Health Sciences Library (HSL) and School of Public Health (SPH) along with the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association (NorMet). It was jointly funded by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) and the New York State Department of Health. The conference goal was to provide health professionals and hospital staff with an educational opportunity to develop awareness of health literacy issues and improve communication skills with individuals throughout the Hudson Valley Region of New York. In fact, the relevant issues and communication skills needed are basic to all health professionals. NN/LM network members, regional health professionals, and individuals from community agencies were encouraged to attend.

The keynote speakers were widely acknowledged experts on health literacy issues: Rima E. Rudd, MSPH, ScD, Harvard School of Public Health and Shelby Dunster, Associate Director, Department of Standards, The Joint Commission. Rima Rudd has served on the Institute of Medicine’s expert panel on health literacy. Shelby Dunster is responsible for developing and promoting the new cultural and health literacy standards for The Joint Commission. The complete program and agenda are available on the web site: http://library.nymc.edu/PHInformatics/index.cfm.

One outcome was the creation of a health literacy tool kit, which was soon followed by a virtual version. The conference tool kit, with new links added as needed, is available at: http://library.nymc.edu/PHInformatics/hltoolkit.cfm. When the so-called “dancing nurses” video shown by one of the speakers was requested more than 14 times, the link was immediately added to the site: http://www.ahrq.gov/QuestionsAreTheAnswer//. As of July 19, over 1,000 hits have been made to the conference web pages.

All NN/LM members, and others, are encouraged to make use of the conference tool kit. Feedback is welcome and should be sent to Diana Cunningham (Diana_cunningham@nymc.edu). The conference planners are working to continue the dynamic collaborations begun with this event. View photos at: http://library.nymc.edu/PHInformatics/images/hlcphotos/index.htm

NYMC Health Literacy Conference Participants (left to right): Frank Baker, Penny Liberatos, Diana Cunningham, Amy Ansehl, Padmini Murthy, Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi. Not pictured: Shelby Dunster, Rima Rudd, and Sarah Kowalski

The Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) announces the availability of awards that support access to health information for libraries, consumers, health professionals and in particular reaching underserved populations; enhance the capacity of libraries to share resources, strengthen network member librarians’ skills in the use of NLM databases and increase the visibility of the NN/LM and NLM products and services.

Awards are for network members to conduct or obtain training, host conferences, and conduct outreach that raises the awareness of health information resources available to health professionals, consumers and librarians.

Rolling deadline for applications. Applicants will be notified within 10 days of receipt of application.

Exhibit Awards

For members’ participation at venues that promote health information resources. Funds support registration and fees, travel, and related expenses. Members can promote their local library resources while promoting the National Library of Medicine.

MicroAwards

For Full Network members to enhance their services as well as promote NLM products and services; and provide seed money for ongoing or one-time projects through the purchase of displays, brochures, presentations, materials, equipment, supplies or presentation of small programs.

For more information, or to apply for an award go to: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/

HHS Launches Initiative to Improve the Health of Hispanic Elders

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced an initiative to improve the health and quality of life of Hispanic elders. The HHS initiative “Improving Hispanic Elders’ Health: Community Partnerships for Evidence-Based Solutions” is designed to encourage Hispanic elders and their families to take advantage of new Medicare benefits, including prescription drug coverage, flu shots, diabetes screening and self-management, cardiovascular screening, cancer screening services and smoking cessation programs. AHRQ, AoA, CDC, CMS, and HRSA are teaming up to assist local communities in developing more coordinated strategies for improving the health and well-being of Hispanic elders. HHS will start by convening a workshop where teams from the invited areas will learn about state-of-the-art strategies and tactics they can deploy to address disparities among their Hispanic elder populations. The communities invited to apply for this pilot project are: New York, NY; Chicago, IL, El Paso, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; McAllen, TX; Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA.

Read the HHS press release:
http://www.aoa.gov/PRESS/pr/2007/June/6_13_07.asp

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), is pleased to announce the following award recipient for the Training and Online Training Development Awards.

The purpose of the training award program is to improve health professionals’, librarians’ and the public’s skills in accessing electronic health information and to foster partnerships between health sciences librarians and health professionals, the public and other librarians.Congratulations all!

Training Award Recipients

• MedlinePlus, PubMed, TOXNET and Clinical Trials.gov “Summer School” classes
  Rochester Regional Library Council, Fairport, NY
  Barbara Ciambor
• What can the 21^st Century Library Offer to Mental Health Practitioners in Rural Areas?
  SUNY Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library, Syracuse, NY
  Diane Luft
• What can the 21^st Century Library Offer to Mental Health Practitioners in Rural Areas? (two awards)
  SUNY Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library, Syracuse, NY
  Brad Long
• How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet
  Northland Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
  Susan Shea

Online Training Development Award

• Using Wikis in Education
  The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
  Mary Jo Dorsey

And with thanks to the Outreach Committee* who served as reviewers for the awards:

Chair: Valerie Gross, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Pennsylvania

• Marie Ascher, New York Medical College
• Christine DeGoyler, University of Rochester
• Jeff Garvey, Samaritan Medical Center
• PJ Grier, Delaware Academy of Medicine
• Linda Hasman, SUNY Buffalo
• Nancy Henry, Pennsylvania State University
• Diane Luft, SUNY Upstate
• Michelle McIntyre, Roaring Spring Community Library
• Jennifer Melinn, Mental Health Association of SE PA
• Maureen O’Connor, Queens Borough Public Library
• Eileen Smith, Frankford School of Nursing

[*Applications by committee members were reviewed by a subset of the committee and scored using a standard review sheet.]

The Health Literacy Virtual Tool Kit debuted at the conference, Health Literacy: Tools for Improving Health Communications on May 30, 2007 at New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York. Organized by New York Medical College (NYMC), School of Public Health and Health Sciences Library and the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association (NorMet) the conference saw close to 200 attendees from all types of organizations and groups interested in health literacy. Attendees came from public and health sciences libraries, hospitals, community-based organizations and public health departments.

The Health Literacy Virtual Tool Kit is an outgrowth of the well-received toolkit given to attendees. The Virtual Tool Kit includes links to the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus, Info Rx program, Medical Library Association health literacy information and a Health Literacy video from the American Medical Association, amongst other resources.

The Health Sciences Library of New York Medical College was a recipient of an NN/LM MAR Outreach Conference Award.