The Dear Abby Friends and Family Health Kit is a collection of 20 quick to read, easy to understand publications from the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health and the General Services Administration’s Federal Citizen Information Center.

Health topics include:

• Asthma
• Glucose Meters
  
• Heart Disease
• Menopause
• Sleep Problems
• Tattoos and Permanent Makeup
• And More!

Order a FREE kit for yourself and more to share with friends and family. You can also read the publications electronically.

Congratulations to Susan Bloomfield, Deborah Clark, Dina McKelvy and Lucinda White on their excellent article, Health Sciences Libraries, featured in the Maine Policy Review. The article highlights ways health sciences libraries support clinicians, work with patients and consumers, keep administrators informed of changing industry trends, health care regulations and the latest research, and support technology including mobile devices and EMRs. Read the article at: http://bit.ly/10VzkmI.

The Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet (JCHI) has a New Column, “Patient/Patron Perspectives”. This is a brand-new column and Amy Knehans, my co-editor, and I are looking for any information professionals in any type of library (public, academic, hospital) who would be interested in writing for this new column.

Amy and I have developed the scope so far- this is not binding- and any feedback or ideas are welcome! If you are interested, please reply to Amy and me at our emails address, within the scope. We will send you the authors’ guidelines, schedule (the column first publishes in the Vol 17, No 4 issues, with an August 2013 deadline) asap. Scope is below:

“This column is intended to illustrate the perspectives of consumers of health information found on the Internet.  The column provides an arena for consumer and health-sciences information professionals to share their use, attitudes, beliefs and understanding of health-related information found on the Internet.  Consumer use of the Internet for health information is large and growing.  According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, specific diseases and treatment continue to dominate people’s online queries and, for one-third of U.S.adults, the Internet is a diagnostic tool. (report: Health Online 2013)

The emerging consumer role can have implications for health care relationships. There are benefits and dangers associated with health advice on the Internet.  Each article in the Consumer/Patient Perspectives’ column will focus on consumers of health and their perspectives on consumer-health found on the Internet.  Any librarians interested in submitting comments or material for publication should contact Mary Ellen Nolan, MLS, AHIP and Amy Knehans, MLIS, AHIP.  Ms. Nolan’s e-mail address is hospitallibrarian@yahoo.com and Ms. Knehans’ e-mail is aknehans@hmc.psu.edu, respectively.  Please enter the e-mail subject line, PROPOSAL FOR JCHI ARTICLE.

Column Co-Editors:

Mary Ellen Nolan, MLS, AHIP

Consumer Health Librarian

New Hanover County Public Library

201 Chestnut Street

Wilmington, NC 28401

Amy Knehans, MLIS, AHIP

The George T. Harrell Library

M.S. Hershey Medical Center

Penn State University

P. O. Box 850

Hershey,  PA 17033″

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, or anything, let Amy and me know.  This is an exciting opportunity for any librarians who are interested in consumer health to become published authors, and to share your great ideas or insights with other librarians who deal with consumer health.

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Regards,

Mary Ellen Nolan and Amy Knehans

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the US Government branch of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for providing immigration services and benefits. I am a community relations officer in our Northeast Regional office in South Burlington Vermont. My jurisdiction includes New England, NY, and south to VA and WV.

USCIS works with local governments, libraries and qualified immigration service providers to ensure immigrants receive accurate information about immigration benefits. To ensure health information providers are aware of USCIS and our resources, in addition to the attached I have prepared the following snapshot:

1) Need help with your USCIS forms?

You can file USCIS forms yourself, but many people choose to have help. You may need help writing in the answers to questions on USCIS forms or translating documents into English. You can get this type of limited help from anyone. This person should only charge you a small fee and not claim to have special knowledge of immigration law and procedure. Not sure what immigration benefit to apply for or which USCIS forms you need to file? Then you may need immigration legal advice. Only attorneys or accredited representatives can:

• Give you legal advice about which forms to submit
• Explain immigration options you may have
• Communicate with USCIS about your case

See: http://www.uscis.gov/legaladvice

2) Are you getting the right immigration help?

Many people offer help with immigration services. Unfortunately, not all are authorized to do so. While many of these unauthorized practitioners mean well, all too many of them are out to rip you off. This is against the law and may be considered an immigration services scam. If you need help filing an application or petition with USCIS, be sure to seek assistance from the right place, and from people that are authorized to help. Going to the wrong place can:

• Delay your application or petition
• Cost you unnecessary fees
• Possibly lead to removal proceedings

See:
http://www.uscis.gov/avoidscams
http://www.uscis.gov/eviteestafas

The attached “UPIL Brochure…” is available in several languages here.

In addition to reporting an immigration scam to your State Attorney General or Consumer Protection office anyone (including those reporting a complaint on behalf of someone else) can and should report immigration scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). See:https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

More information on immigration is provided by the FTC here:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0142-immigration-help

Submitted by Ted Albers, USCIS Northeast Regional Community Relations Officer,
South Burlington, VT 802-660-5007 william.e.albers@uscis.dhs.gov