About Georgia Health - Go Local
http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/local/georgia/aboutus.cfm?areaid=29
What
Go Local (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal.html) is a federally-funded initiative to link users of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) premier consumer health information website, to health services and providers in their local community. The Go Local initiative enables a patient or consumer anywhere in Georgia to visit the MedlinePlus website (www.medlineplus.gov) for information on a health topic or condition (diabetes, for example) and then be able to link directly to a Georgia Health Go Local website to locate related services, healthcare providers or institutions, support groups, advocacy organizations, etc. in their own county or zip code.
Who
The libraries of Georgia’s four medical schools (Emory University, Medical College of Georgia, Mercer University School of Medicine, and Morehouse School of Medicine), GALILEO, Georgia 2-1-1, Georgia academic librarians, Georgia Health Sciences Library Association, Georgia Public Health Association, Georgia Public Library Service, Georgia Rural Health Association, Georgia AHECs, and others, have helped implement an NLM “Go Local Project” in the state. Project coordinators for the statewide project are Jan LaBeause, Director of the Library and Peyton T. Anderson Learning Resources Center at the Mercer University School of Medicine, and Susan Smith, Health and Education Liaison/Reference Librarian, Georgia State University. A multidisciplinary, statewide advisory board created in July 2005 provides guidance and establishes policies.
How
The project is being implemented in phases, first incorporating existing databases, services and resources such as the GRID database (Georgia Rural Health Interactive Directory) at the Medical College of Georgia; the Department of Community Health’s (DCH) listing of all licensed health facilities in Georgia; and Georgia’s 2-1-1 information and referral services. Once these resources have been successfully utilized as the basis for Georgia’s Go Local website, we will systematically begin to add resources county by county across Georgia.
