PNR Outreach Awards 2006-2007 Funded

Outreach to Underserved Health Professionals:

Expanding Digital Library Services to Public Health Professionals in Western Washington

Public Health - Seattle & King County
Seattle, WA
Period of Performance: January 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008

With funding from the Sewell Memorial Fund, Public Health -Seattle & King County established a Public Health Digital Library for its workforce (PHSKC Digital Library). This library consists of both free and fee-based online public health information resources, including:

• Reviewed and annotated public health oriented websites
• Links to open access and public library electronic journals
• Links to institution owned electronic journal subscriptions
• Access to reference and document delivery information services
• Training in information access and knowledge management

In this project, Public Health - Seattle & King County will extend and expand these services, both free and fee-based, to underserved public health professionals in Western Washington. They will survey information needs in selected regions of Washington State and identify appropriate local health jurisdictions with which to collaborate. They will plan and develop library resources tailored to these groups, and expand the PHSKC Digital Library to reflect the needs of that extended public health workforce.

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Web-Based Immunization Information Resource Library Project

Healthy Roads Media
Bozeman, MT
Period of Performance: January 1, 2007 - March 31, 2008

This project will involve the development of English and Spanish written vaccine information statements (VIS) that cover most of the common children and adult immunizations (Chickenpox, DPaT, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hib, MMR, Inactivated Influenza, Pneumococcal polysaccharide, Td, and Polio) into enhanced formats. These enhanced formats include audio, multimedia, and web-based video. In addition to the full content versions of the VIS materials, shortened versions that cover key concepts about each vaccine will be developed. These shortened versions are anticipated to be particularly useful in busy clinical settings where a short patient education presentation (less than 5 minutes) is more practical than the 10-15 minutes that the full versions will typically run. All materials (in addition to the written format) will be made available on the web. Formal evaluation of the materials will be done in immunization clinics at the local public health department (Gallatin City-County Health Department, MT). Training of staff will be carried out in the clinical evaluation site(s). Evaluation of the effectiveness of the web dissemination will also be carried out.

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Community Outreach Project:

Information Rx for Cascade County Project

Great Falls Public Library
Great Falls, MT
Period of Performance: January 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008

Great Falls Public Library will partner with community-based health organizations, the Great Falls Clinic, and the local public health jurisdiction to help citizens of Cascade County make more informed health care decisions. The project will focus on health literacy improvement and will utilize the National Library of Medicine/American College of Physicians Information RX program materials. Health literacy and information skills development trainings will be offered and a Cascade County Health Commons Website will be developed.

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Express Outreach Projects:

Dialogo Informativo - A Spanish Radio Network Program Focused on Health Education and Outreach

Community Choice PHCO
Cashmere, WA
Period of Performance: October 15, 2007 - October 15, 2008

Radio is the leading community information source for Spanish speakers in the North Central Washington Region. Community Choice PHCO, Physician-Hospital-Community healthcare Organization proposes a culturally appropriate, efficient and effective venue to reach the Spanish speaking community with health and emergency preparedness information and resources. The goal is a one year Radio Health Education Initiative targeting listeners of Spanish language radio in the 5 county North Central Region of Washington State. Community Choice PHCO, Amezola Productions & Services and North Central Regional Library (NCRL) will partner to promote health resources and information through Spanish language Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on radio stations in the 5 county North Central Region of the state. The PSAs will focus on the leading health conditions Hispanics face, navigating the complex health system and fraud prevention. Listeners will be directed to a local hotline supported by trained volunteers to provide answers and guidance to calls generated as a result of the outreach and education through this informative radio network. The PSAs will also refer listeners to MedlinePlus Espanol and will promote the NCR libraries (or appropriate libraries within the catchment area of the broadcasting radio stations) as a community resource for public access computer use and relevant health resources. NCRL and Community Choice PHCO will develop a Spanish/English health resources bookmark (promoting www.medlineplus.gov in Spanish and English), that will be inserted in the NCR libraries "Mail a Book" service. Community Choice PHCO will be responsible for planning, finances, monitoring and evaluation of the project.

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Web Tools Training for Rural Oregon Health and Social Service Professionals

211info
Portland, OR
Period of Performance: October 15, 2007 - October 15, 2008

Oregon SafeNet, a statewide toll-free helpline, connects more than 30,000 women and children a year to information about local health and human services. This project will expand on a partnership that began in January, 2007 with the Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), an agency that provides family-focused, comprehensive child development services to over 3500 children in Oregon. By partnering with OCDC, this project will provide training at established meetings of health, education and social service professionals who work with low income, primarily Spanish speaking individuals and families in specific rural areas of Oregon. The trainings will focus on four web tools - Oregon SafeNet, MedlinePlus, Oregon Helps and the Beehive - that combined provide a wealth of health and human service information. Currently the 211info website has a comprehensive statewide online directory of health and social service organizations. By December, 2007, through funding from the Office of Women's Health Region X, a new Oregon SafeNet website will not only present information on maternal and child health programs but will also include the online directory. Funds are being requested from NNLM PNR to conduct the web tools workshops and to update Oregon SafeNet outreach materials.

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Connecting Verbena's TRANSform Health Project & Cultural Competency

Verbena
Seattle, WA
Period of Performance: October 15, 2007 - October 15, 2008

Verbena's TRANSform Health Project works with transgender individuals and connects them to health resources. Verbena's Cultural Competency Trainings educate health and human services providers on LGBTQ health and provide resources to them. This project will connect individuals with NLM resources within these two programs. First, transgender individuals will receive accurate information in two workshops about NLM library resources and how to effectively find accurate research and information on the internet. Second, a booth about internet resources and research will be included at a Transgender Health Fair as well as a workshop about how to utilize NLM research libraries in October, 2007. Third, more than 200 health care and human service providers will receive research and resources made available using NLM resources. Fourth, at least one cultural competency training will be offered to librarians within King County. Fifth, an accurate transgender health website with NLM resources and links to MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PubMed will be set up through the Verbena website.

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Outreach Program to Underserved Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists in Southeastern Idaho

Idaho Health Sciences Library - Idaho State University
Pocatello, ID
Period of Performance: January 8, 2007 - January 31, 2008

The purpose of this outreach project is to provide a training program to the underserved speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists in the southeast region of Idaho. Partners will be school districts, medical centers and libraries. SLPs and audiologists in this area will be taught basic principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) and procedures and methods of searching for the best evidence in PubMed and other related online resources. These skills and knowledge will ultimately lead to more efficient and better patient care for the Southeastern Idaho citizens with communication disorders. Free workshops will be offered to SLPs and audiologists to gain knowledge of EBP, improve searching skills and increase confidence in using the National Library of Medicine and other related information resources. Follow-up support to implement EBP will be provided. Follow-up evaluation will be conducted following the training. In addition, this outreach project will provide the investigators with experience and insights to go statewide for future research on EBP implementation and information searching in the field of speech language pathology and audiology.

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Building Capacity for Quality Nutrition Information in Seattle Public Schools

Center for Public Health Nutrition -University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Period of Performance: January 8, 2007 - January 31, 2008

Schools play an important role in promoting awareness about the link between nutrition, lifelong health, and student learning. This requires key school staff to have information about and access to high quality and accurate information. The purpose of this project is to provide targeted training on access to quality nutrition information for health professionals, librarians, and health educators in the Seattle Public Schools (SPS). The Center for Public Health Nutrition (CPHN) at the UW will work closely with the school district staff to assess needs and to design and deliver workshops that will increase the capacity and capability of staff to access resources from the National Library of Medicine. The trainings will focus on competency in the evaluation of quality nutrition information, accessing downloadable information for student clinics, libraries, and classrooms, and methods for dissemination of skills to students, teachers, and staff.

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Tacoma Hilltop Health Outreach 2007

Allen Renaissance, Inc.
Tacoma, WA
Period of Performance: January 8, 2007 - January 31, 2008

This project will provide community outreach health education for residents of the Hilltop community in Tacoma, Washington, a predominately African American Community with many underserved, low income and senior residents. The Health Coalition for Communities of Color (HC3) has provided health education programs in the Hilltop since 2004. Allen Renaissance, Inc. (ARI), a 501 (c ) (3) arm of Allen AME church offers community outreach services on the Hilltop and has a history of collaboration with HC3 in delivering these community health education programs. The partnership, between ARI and HC3, will continue to expand and will begin to offer services on a monthly basis, to include training session health education that covers from birth to death issues and training to community leaders for ongoing health prevention models. These services will improve the health and quality of life for residents of the Tacoma Hilltop.

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MedlinePlus Go Local:

Montana MedlinePlus Go Local

Voices of Hope
Great Falls, MT
Period of Performance: May 1, 2007 - April 20, 2008

This project will provide the citizens of the state of Montana access to health services information through MedlinePlus Go Local. The Go Local Montana project will be a locally-hosted system based on the already-existing Montana 211 database (Missouri model). The geographic area of the project will be the entire state of Montana. Voices of Hope will serve as the lead agency for Go Local Montana. The end goal of the project is to link from MedlinePlus Go Local to health services information that is currently housed in the Montana 211 database.

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Assessment and Planning:

Montana Baby Boomers Get Fit at the Library

Montana State Library
Helena, MT
Period of Performance: April 1, 2007 - March 30, 2008

The Montana State Library will plan and evaluate programming to promote public libraries as sources of health information for baby boomers. The state library will partner with Montana's hospital libraries and their corresponding hospitals, as well as with Montana public libraries, to produce a health fair and to provide trainings to both librarians and to the public. The Montana AARP will distribute information on the health fair and trainings to their 100,000+ Montana members. A TV and radio PSA will be distributed to TV and radio stations statewide. The Montana Medical Association will promote the health fair and NLM resources to their members.

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Healthy Eating Every Day: Planning for a Community Based Nutrition Literacy Program

Port Townsend Public Library
Port Townsend, WA
Period of Performance: September 1, 2007 - November 30, 2007

The library will use this award to plan for implementation of a community-wide initiative that encourages healthy eating: at home, at school and out and about in the community. Specifically they will: 1) Document community needs and community assets, including library resources. 2) Determine opportunities for outreach. 3) Identify potential partners. 4) Develop specific program components. 5) Create an evaluation plan, with specific outcomes and desired impact. 6)Identify sources of funding for program support and begin to develop grant proposals.

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Assessment of the Current State of Awareness of Medical Literature Search and Document Delivery Services in Benton County

Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center
Corvallis, OR
Period of Performance: October 15, 2007 - January 15, 2008

Librarians at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center will gauge the current state of awareness among a cross section of the general public in Corvallis, Oregon and its near environs of the medical literature search and document delivery services of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and of Murray Memorial Library of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Data generated by this survey will be utilized to enhance services already offered and to look into offering other services that the data indicate would be welcomed by the public.

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Planning Project to Assess the Health Information Needs of Upper Kittitas County, Washington

Kittitas Valley Community Hospital
Ellensburg, WA
Period of Performance: January 8, 2007 - January 31, 2008

The KVCH Community Health Library hopes to accomplish two main objectives in the Upper Kittitas County assessment and planning:

1. A Community Assessment of the health information needs of Upper Kittitas County including assessing the target audience, target demographics, priorities of health information needed, cooperation of local healthcare professionals, and potential community partners.

2. A Location Assessment/Planning of the type of facility, building, or kiosk that would be the most efficient in providing health information to the target community, the location of the new health information center, and the cost of implementing a new Upper County Community Health Library satellite location.

The community assessment will provide imperative background information; establishing the level of need for health information expansion into Upper County and also provide the Library with critical information on the type of facility/kiosk that will work best to fulfill that need. The assessment will accomplish the above by collecting data on community demographics, health status of population, barriers to obtaining health information, cooperation level with local medical staff, and by identifying potential partners.

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