Four outstanding projects were funded in response to the 2013/14 Request for Proposals: Express Outreach/Training/Technology Awards. These projects will be funded for approximately $9,000 each, for a period of 12 months, beginning May 1, 2013. The projects strive to improve access to health information for health professionals and health consumers, and to promote the awareness and use of products and services available from the NLM and the NN/LM. Target groups include K-12 students, faith-based organizations, and ethnically and culturally diverse populations in the region. (more…)

by Yamila El-Khayat, MALS
Outreach Services Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

The Eighth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations: Achieving Equity in an Era of Innovation and Health System Transformation, which took place at the Oakland Marriott City Center March 11-14, 2013, was a spectacular event! I attended the meeting, along with Kay Deeney and Lori Tagawa from NN/LM PSR. Cheryl Rowan, MSLS, Consumer Health Coordinator from the NN/LM South Central Region, kicked off the event with a pre-conference session called From Beyond our Borders: Providing Health Information to Foreign-Born Populations. She covered the importance of quality health information for refugee and immigrant communities, not only in their language, but in ways that are easier to understand culturally. Her session included demonstrations of resources that are designed to fulfill the need for this kind of information. (more…)

The Medical Library Association’s educational webcast, “Partnering to Prevent Diagnostic Error: Librarians on the Inside Track,” held on March 13, 2013, was a success!

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region (NN/LM PSR), sponsored nine (9) regional sites for the broadcast of MLA’s Educational Webcast. There were a total of 97 people who viewed the webcast. (more…)

Introduction
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has a long, respected history of providing resources for health professionals, scientists, and researchers, but it may come as a surprise that it also offers quality, unique materials for K-12 science educators. NLM’s Specialized Information Services (SIS) division is working diligently towards creating resources that are fully vetted and tied to national education standards. A recent webinar presented to NN/LM staff by Andrew Plumer of SIS highlighted numerous resources that include lesson plans for middle and high school students. These freely available educator resources help students make the connection between scientific concepts and community health, environmental quality, natural and human-caused hazards, and other issues. While these resources are geared towards educators, school and public librarians will also benefit from knowing the breadth and depth of what is available. (more…)

PSR was invited to participate at the California School Nurses Organization Conference in early February in San Diego. Kay Deeney taught an extensive workshop focusing on MedlinePlus and other NLM resources. She covered the NLM Drug Portal, the Pillbox, DailyMed and Genetics Home Reference. Topics on evaluating health websites and writing easy to read materials were also covered. The school nurses who attended appreciated learning about these resources. (more…)

by Connie Schardt
Associate Director for Research & Education
Medical Center Library
Duke University

Evidence-Based Practice is all about information management for providing quality patient care. Understanding the principles and concepts behind Evidence-Based Practice can help us enhance the services and resources we provide to our health care workers. There are lots of ways to do this within the constraints of budgets and staffing. (more…)

by Nancy Crossfield
Library Services Manager, William O. Owen Medical Library
Saint Agnes Medical Center
Fresno, CA

A five-week online class titled “Patient Safety Resource Seminar: Librarians on the Front Line” was taught in November-December 2012, with instructor Holly Burt, NN/LM Greater Midwest Region Outreach & Exhibits Coordinator. The course is based on a variety of materials freely available from the National Library of Medicine. I participated with librarians from around the country, including several from our region; Heidi Mortensen, Peggy Makie, Beverly McLeod, Lisa Olson, Carol Attwood, and Billie White. Following is a brief overview of the class content, including some useful links. (more…)

by Yamila El-Khayat, MALS
Outreach Services Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

Kay Deeney and I recently had the opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Promotoras and Community Health Workers Conference, held December 7-8, 2012, in Los Angeles. This annual meeting is sponsored by the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED). (more…)

by Erica Bass, BS, MLS, Library Director
Jerry L. Pettis VA Memorial Medical Center
Loma Linda, CA

On November 15, I attended the six-hour Medical Library Association Continuing Education class Diagnostic Error: Team Up and Tackle It! The course was offered in conjunction with the Diagnostic Error in Medicine: 5th International Conference held in Baltimore, MD, November 12-14, and sponosored by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Instructors for the course were Lorri Zipperer, Elaine Alligood, Linda Williams, and NN/LM MidContinental Region Library Advocacy Coordinator, Barb Jones. The overall goal of the course is to cover how multidisciplinary teams contribute to the reduction of diagnostic error, with a focus on evidence-based processes, and the impact of librarians. The course breaks down the diagnostic process into components, to reveal how medical misdiagnosis occurs. (more…)

by Yamila El-Khayat, Outreach Services Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona and
Lori Tagawa, Community Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region

Having the opportunity to attend the 2nd National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) in Kansas City, MO, was an amazing experience. It was different; we were surrounded by a large diverse group, but with one similarity: librarianship! (more…)