The NN/LM SCR is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012-2013 Express Outreach Award:

Institution:  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport
Project Title: Promoting the Environmental Health Student Portal through School Science Teachers and Librarians
Description:  This project will provide instruction to Caddo Parish public school science teachers and librarians on the use of online reliable environmental health information resources available through the Environmental Health Student Portal, including ToxTown, MedlinePlus, and other NLM databases.

Institution: Forest Lawn Missionary Baptist Church, Houston TX
Project Title: Operation Succeed: Help for the Homeless
Description:  The goal of this project is to increase female veterans’ use of the NLM databases through effective training in basic computer skills so that the veterans can access authoritative information about medical issues and concerns.

Institution: Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library
Project Title: Shining a Light onto MedlinePlus: Collaboration with the Light and Salt Association
Description:  This project will provide a dedicated desktop, laptop and printing capabilities for the staff at Light and Salt (an Asian American community-based organization) for use with their clients and visitors in order to promote the following NLM databases: MedlinePlus’ Health Information in Multiple Languages webpage, Asian American Health and NIHSeniorHealth.

Institution: Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
Project Title: Promoting National Library of Medicine Online Resources to Students, Professors, and Researchers in the Social and Cultural Sciences: A Focus on Sociology and Anthropology
Description: This project will promote NLM online resources to students, professors, and researchers interested in studying human health and medicine through sociology and anthropology.

Congratulations to all our awardees!

The National Library of Medicine and National Institute on Aging have released their redesigned version of NIHSeniorHealth, the National Institutes of Health website for older adults http://nihseniorhealth.gov.  The redesign improves usability and modernizes the appearance throughout the site. Changes incorporate user feedback about the site as well as results from usability testing of proposed designs with seniors.

Buttons in the new banner allow you to link directly to over 50 health topics and 150 videos.  Once you click on a health topic, the bar along the left side allows you to to go straight to a particular section of the health topic page (“In this topic”); find quizes and videos (“Learn More”), and go to related topics in NIHSeniorHealth (“Related Topics”) and in the National Institute on Aging’s website.

For more information, go to the NLM Technical Bulletin article about the redesign http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/ma12/ma12_seniorhealth.html.

The Alzheimer’s Association has just released the 2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. The annual report provides a statistical overview and analysis of Alzheimer’s prevalence, mortality, caregiving, and increasing costs as well as a special report on those living alone with Alzheimer’s.

Quick facts from the report:

• 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
• One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
• More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care valued at $210 billion for persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
• Payments for care are estimated to be $200 billion in the United States in 2012.

The full report, as well as a video, graphs, and state specific information are now available at www.alz.org/facts .

[Photo: http://www.forwarddental.com/Services/RestorativeDentistry.aspx ]

Check out the March issue of NIH News in Health, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research. In this edition:

Features

Halt the Hurt! Dealing with Chronic Pains, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012/Feature1
Dry Eyes and Mouth? You May Have Sjögren’s Syndrome, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012/Feature2

Health Capsules:

How Often Should Women Have Bone Tests? http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012/Capsule1
Mobile App Helps Teens Quit Smoking, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012/Capsule2
Featured Website: Easy-to-Read Drug Facts, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Mar2012/Capsule3

Download a PDF version for printing: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/files/Mar2012/NIHNiHMar2012.pdf

Visit our Facebook wall, https://www.facebook.com/newsinhealth, 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!

Check out the February issue of NIH News in Health http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research. In this edition:

Features:

• Love Your Heart: Take Steps To Reduce Heart Risks http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012/Feature1
• Grumbling Guts?: Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012/Feature2

Health Capsules:

• Body Forms “Industrial” Lubricant for Metal Hip Implants http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012/Capsule1
• Navigating Treatment Options for Addiction http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012/Capsule2
• Featured Website: NIH Radio http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Feb2012/Capsule3

Click here http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/files/Feb2012/NIHNiHFeb2012.pdf to download a PDF version for printing.
Visit our Facebook wall https://www.facebook.com/newsinhealth 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!

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (NN/LM SCR) is pleased to announce the following funding opportunity:

Electronic Consumer Health Outreach Award http://nnlm.gov/scr/funding/echo.html

This award will fund one (1) project of $25,000 for the purpose of ensuring that health professionals, their patients and the general public are connected to the health information resources they need to make informed health care decisions.

Examples of some possible elements of proposed projects are:

• Training groups of consumers to locate good sources of health information on the Internet; training health professionals to refer consumers to MedlinePlus and other good sources of consumer health information on the Internet;
• Enhancing access to MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and other consumer health information resources using the latest technology;
• Training staff of targeted organizations to search National Library of Medicine databases to identify, access, retrieve, evaluate, and use relevant print and electronic consumer health information resources and services;
• Training staff of targeted organizations to train others to provide consumer health information services and/or to find and evaluate consumer health information on the Internet;
• Other creative ideas for improving access to online health information are encouraged. (For past awards, see NN/LM SCR funded projects at: http://nnlm.gov/scr/funding/scrfunded.html#echo)

The complete RFP can be found at http://nnlm.gov/scr/funding/echo.pdf.
A Letter of Intent must be provided no later than February 17, 2012, and the application deadline is March 9, 2012.

Eligibility: Network members in the NN/LM SCR (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) are eligible to apply. Network membership is free and open to institutions interested in providing health information. To apply for membership: http://nnlm.gov/scr/services/member.html.

For more information about the Electronic Consumer Health Outreach Award, go to http://nnlm.gov/scr/funding/echo.html, or contact Karen Vargas at karen.vargas@exch.library.tmc.edu , 713-799-7880, or 800-338-7657 (AR, LA, OK, NM, and TX only).

The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) was established in 2010 to coordinate adolescent health promotion and disease prevention programs and initiatives across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  The OAH website http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/ includes information on adolescent health from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Office on Women’s Health.

The website provides statistics and evidence-based information and resources about adolescent health for the public and for health professionals.  Five health topics are highlighted on this website:

• Reproductive Health
• Mental Health
• Physical Health & Nutrition
• Substance Abuse
• Healthy Relationships

Each health topic has statistical information organized by state.  For example, this map is found under Healthy Relationships:

On choosing a state, statistics on a variety of measures of adolescent relationships can be found, including bullying, violence in schools, sexual relationships, and supportive neighborhoods.

Additional information can be found on the site, including specific information on each health topic and helpful tips for parents when talking to their adolescent children.

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region will present two free sessions of the workshop Healthy Aging at Your Library: Connecting Older Adults to Health Information on February 22, 2012 at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library in Las Cruces, NM.

Session 1
February 22, 2012
9am – 12pm

To register: http://nnlm.gov/scr/training/register.html?schedule_id=1553

Session 2
February 22, 2012
1pm – 4pm

To register: http://nnlm.gov/scr/training/register.html?schedule_id=1555

This workshop is designed to help librarians assist their older adult patrons find health information. Discover techniques for teaching older adults to use computers to find health information on the Internet, learn what makes a website senior-friendly; plan library programs on senior health topics; and find out about some recommended health websites for older adults.

Upon successful completion of this workshop, each participant will receive 3 hours of continuing education credit awarded by the Medical Library Association (MLA).  This class is included in MLA’s Consumer Health Information Specialization program

The December issue http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/ of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now available. In this edition:

Features

• Weighing in on Dietary Fats: Some Fats Are Healthier Than Others http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2011/Feature1
• You’re Never Too Old: Keep Active as You Age http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2011/Feature2

Health Capsules

• Yoga or Stretching Eases Low Back Pain http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2011/Capsule1
• Stroke Risk Linked to Thinking Problems http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2011/Capsule2
• Featured Website: Smokefree E-cards http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2011/Capsule3

Click here http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/files/Dec2011/NIHNiHDec2011.pdf to download a PDF version for printing.
Visit our Facebook wall http://www.facebook.com/NewsInHealth 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!

Please pass the word on to your colleagues about NIH News in Health. We are happy to send a limited number of print copies free of charge for display in offices, libraries or clinics. Just email us nihnewsinhealth@od.nih.gov or call 301-435-7489 for more information.

The NN/LM SCR is pleased to announce the recipient of the Year 1 Electronic Consumer Health Outreach Award.

University of Texas Medical Branch, Moody Medical Library, Galveston, TX
Principal Investigator: Anne Howard
Project Title: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Galveston Consumer Health Outreach Project

The Moody Medical Library at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Shriners Hospitals for Children – Galveston (Shriners) will provide Internet access to Shriners’ pediatric burn patients, their caregivers and family members through a dedicated server, secure wireless system and multiple workstations. This will  increase knowledge and use of currently available electronic health information and science education from NLM and NIH. In a “train the trainer” approach, project personnel will train Shriners’ staff in use of MedlinePlus and other NIH resources in English and Spanish.

Please join us in congratulating Anne Howard and the UTMB Moody Medical Library!