By: PJ Grier, Outreach/Access Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

In light of the current Atlantic coastal weather conditions, for the duration the RML directs you to the NN/LM Emergency Preparedness & Response Toolkit for updates on Hurricane Irene.

Posted on  NN/LM Emergency Preparedness Toolkit on August 22nd 2011 by Dan Wilson

Edited by: PJ Grier, Outreach/Access Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

All libraries in Southeastern Atlantic coastal states of the SE/A, particularly Florida, should begin making plans for the potential landfall of Hurricane Irene later this week. Forecasters expect Irene to make mainland US landfall on Thursday.  Irene struck Puerto Rico last night with heavy rains and winds.

CHEMM Web-Based Resource Enhances Planning and Response to Chemical Emergencies

Chemical emergencies are high risk events that require first responders to quickly make a series of complex decisions to minimize the risk of injury to their patients and themselves. The tools in Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM) provide a comprehensive resource to help responders make safer decisions and provide them with the right information when it is needed most. CHEMM enables first responders & other healthcare providers and planners to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of mass-casualty incidents involving accidental or terrorist chemical releases. CHEMM is available online at http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/.

CHEMM enhances and builds on the successes of the suite of Emergency Medical Management tools that began with the Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM) web-based resource, which provides information for health care providers about clinical diagnosis and treatment of radiation and other injuries anticipated following radiological and nuclear emergencies.

CHEMM is a web-based resource that is downloadable in advance, so that it would be available during an event if the internet is not accessible. It provides evidence-based information and guidance on a wide variety of topics, including quick chemical identification, acute patient care guidelines, and initial event activities.

CHEMM and REMM are the result of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) – Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations (OPEO), the National Library of Medicine – Division of Specialized Information Services (NLM\SIS), as well as many medical, emergency response, toxicology, industrial hygiene, and other experts.

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/news/Pages/chemm-110711.aspx

Program to focus on community health and resiliency in Gulf region

An NIH-funded network of researchers will evaluate potential harmful effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on reproduction and birth outcomes, the cardiorespiratory system, and behavior and mental health. The network of community and university partnerships, under the leadership of NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will conduct research to evaluate the level of potentially harmful contaminants in air, water, and seafood, and assess their relationship to health outcomes.

The five-year, $25.2 million program will support population-based and laboratory research at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans; Tulane University, New Orleans; the University of Florida, Gainesville; and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In contrast to NIEHS’ Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study, known as the GuLF Study, which is focused on the oil spill cleanup workers and volunteers, this new research will concentrate on the range of acute and long-term health effects to the general public.

As an integrated network, these four institutions will collaborate on approaches and share results to better understand the interplay and effects of multiple stressors on human health. To ensure research activities are responsive to the needs of local communities in the Gulf Coast region, the universities will partner with more than a dozen community organizations to incorporate local concerns and more effectively communicate research findings.

“From individuals, to families, to communities, this initiative shows a commitment to better understand the long-term health effects of oil spills,” said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. “Our number one goal is to provide strong science that will help people now and during future disasters.”

“Throughout the Gulf region, scientists and community groups will work hand in hand to address the needs of those most impacted,” said Gwen Collman, Ph.D., director of the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training, which will closely monitor the progress of the research components. “A focus will be on the physical and psychological health of vulnerable populations, especially pregnant women, children, fishermen, immigrants, and minorities.”

In addition to sharing data and research results, each of the four institutions will implement a community resilience project, which seeks to better understand how local populations respond to and recover from disasters. Through their partnerships with community-based organizations, researchers will assess how culture, social networks, and other determinants may enhance pre-event preparedness and post-event recovery.

“This region has seen its share of disasters, and many communities have shown remarkable resilience,” said Claudia Thompson, Ph.D., chief of the Susceptibility and Population Health Branch at NIEHS. “One goal of the research projects is to understand what keeps these communities together, so that other communities can benefit.”

The four recipients of the NIH funding are:

Additional information on specific research topics and community partnerships can be found on the NIEHS website at www.niehs.nih.gov.

In addition to NIEHS, many other NIH components are contributing support to the program, including the National Cancer Institute; National Center for Research Resources; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Institute of Nursing Research; and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. Of the $25.2 million in total funding, $3.2 million was provided by BP to NIH specifically for research on the health of Gulf area communities following the oil spill, although BP is not involved in the program or any of its research.

Since the Deepwater Horizon explosion, NIEHS has maintained a continuous and ongoing presence in the Gulf oil spill recovery effort. NIEHS spearheaded efforts to train more than 140,000 cleanup workers through its Worker Education and Training Program. Also, NIEHS is currently leading the GuLF Study, the largest health study of its kind ever conducted among cleanup workers and volunteers. The GuLF Study has been developed to last up to 10 years and evaluate the health of 55,000 people.

The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.

by Sheila Snow-Croft, Public Health Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

In the face of Tuscaloosa’s recent natural disaster, the EF4 tornado that plowed through town Wednesday, April 27th, distance students in the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) used their understanding of technology to show true leadership skills. Although the twister missed the University, lack of electricity blocked access to campus buildings and internet access was at first impossible and then sketchy for days.  First, Autumn Faulkner of Troy, AL, and Brandee Idlemann of California started a Facebook group called Love for SLIS, where information could be exchanged and monies donated. Steve Zary of Hattiesburg, MS and Brittany Turner in New York State started a Google Docs spreadsheet to help locate everyone connected to SLIS. “Distributed organizations can learn from this,” Elizabeth Aversa, Director of UA SLIS, explains: “those with access to technology can help those in trouble.” By the time Aversa was able to access the web at the College of Communications Friday afternoon, half of everyone in the School had already been located. Using the Facebook group posts, she filled in more gaps on the spreadsheet, put out calls to faculty to pull up their class lists and help, and, as the list grew smaller, worries began to fade. Technology assisted down to the final ten percent, and those last few were found by physically going on foot and on motor scooter to knock on doors left standing. The result: a few minor injuries, much property damage, and a huge number of volunteers coming out to help.

Many others provided assistance: too many to count checked in and offered to help. Here’s a small sampling of the abundant generosity within our profession. Many utilized UA Acts of Kindness to send donations. David Fenske, Dean of the iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology, offered to mount the UA SLIS distance learning program, but since the University itself was not damaged, bags for distribution of donated items were needed more than servers. He and Delia Neuman, Director of the School Library Media Program, organized a tote bag drive called “Totes for Tuscaloosa.” The University of Maryland School of Information Studies iSchool, led by Diane Barlow, Associate Dean, and Trudy Hahn, Professor of the Practice, also sent huge cartons of hundreds of bags. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro held a blood drive. The Florida State University College of Communication & Information sent tote bags and supplies. St. Catherine University in Minnesota checked in, sending a card signed by their faculty with encouraging messages. Scott Klingler, Assistant Professor of Library and Information Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi, brought USM SLIS volunteers and assisted with carpentry and tree removal. When Rachel Fleming-May, Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discovered Alabama would not be able to hold graduation ceremonies as scheduled, she initiated an effort that led to UT tying their graduates’ traditional yellow roses (the hood lining color for library science) with a crimson ribbon (UA’s school color), sending a signed banner of encouraging messages to UA graduates, and each UT graduate donated a pair of much needed work gloves with messages written on them to show solidarity.

And we mustn’t forget the faculty at UA SLIS and how they pulled together: Steve Miller, Professor and Coordinator of the Book Arts Program, discovered his house had taken a direct hit, and SLIS volunteers flocked to help him clean up and retrieve as many belongings as possible. Dr. Steven MacCall, Associate Professor, had houseguests for six weeks, including people, parrots and cats. Anne Edwards, Associate Professor, dug up surviving plants from Steve Miller’s house and is keeping them alive for when they rebuild.  So many volunteers, faculty, staff, and students stuck around and dug in their heels to help. The NN/LM SE/A speaks for the region when we say we are proud of the way UA SLIS students took the helm and showed peer leadership when it was most needed, and all those who chip in to help when disaster strikes.

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is looking for a continuing education (CE) instructor(s) to develop and teach an introductory course on disaster information.  Below are the specifics of what is expected of this instructor:

1. To develop the content and materials for a 4-hour CE course focusing on disaster information.  The instructor will have a liaison from MLA’s Disaster Information Specialization working group for general content assistance.
2. To pilot test the course both in-person and virtually before September 24, 2011. Our goal is to reach approximately 50 individuals with the various pilot tests.
3. The pilot test of the in-person course would be at an MLA Chapter meeting to be determined. We are currently in negotiations with the MLA Midcontinental chapter to host the course during their annual meeting in St. Louis, MO.  The offering would possibly occur on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 8am-Noon.
4. The in-person course should include student interaction beyond the standard Q&A session.
5. The pilot test of the virtual course would need to be taught sometime before September 24, 2011.
6. The virtual course should include a minimum of 2 hours of online instruction with student interaction.  If needed, MLA would be able to assist with the use of their instructional software.

The development and instruction of this course will be a part of the curriculum of MLA’s Disaster Information Specialization.  This specialization is a joint project of MLA and the National Library Medicine (NLM). This program will be designed to develop the capacity of librarians and other interested professionals to provide disaster-related health information outreach.

Our vision of this specialization is to create a continuing education program that will prepare participants to provide disaster-related library or information services as part of their ongoing job functions. The specialization will offer a curriculum of courses that would allow those interested to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to support their libraries, institutions and communities with information needed for disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

This program would be designed to allow participants the opportunity to expand their roles by offering more specialized training in providing access to information in times of disaster and emergency.

To find out more about the development of MLA’s Disaster Information Specialization, check out http://www.mlanet.org/education/dis/index.html.
MLA will provide a $5,000 honorarium for the development of the course.  There are also additional funds set aside for honoraria and expenses to teach the course both virtually and in person.  MLA will consider both single instructors and instructor teams.

If you are interested in being considered as the instructor(s)/course developer(s) for this course, please send an email to mlapd1@mlahq.org.  This email should include your name and contact information; a copy of your resume/CV, including your teaching and course development experience; and a brief (500-word or less) description of your interest in the project including your experience or knowledge of disaster information, and your ideas for the course including how you would include student interaction.

Your email and any questions you have should be sent to Kathleen Combs, MLA’s Director of Professional Development, at mlapd1@mlahq.org by Friday, June 24, 2011.

Please feel free to send this email on to anyone who you think would be interested in this opportunity.

SE/A is in communication with our state coordinators about the impact of yesterday’s tornadoes on our Network members.  So far, this is what we know.  Please call us at 1-800-338-7657 with any additional reports or assistance needs.

Alabama: We’ve had requests to deactivate DOCLINE in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa.

Georgia: We’ve deactivated Warm Springs and Ringgold, as Georgia’s state coordinator, Carolyn Klatt, reports significant damage to those areas last night.

Mississippi: Susan Clarke reports that she is waiting for a report from Public Affairs from the UMMC Med-Com, which is coordinating most of the disaster/response operations in the state.  She also reports that flooding from the storms is resulting in evacuations of areas in the delta, particularly Tunica and Vicksburg.

Virginia: Dan Wilson reports that tornado activity included areas in SW Virginia and some counties between Charlottesville and Richmond.  He is not aware of any Network member service disruptions.

The National Library of Medicine announces the activation of the Emergency Access Initiative in support of medical efforts in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami. The Emergency Access Initiative is a collaborative partnership between NLM and participating publishers to provide free access to full-text articles from over 230 biomedical serial titles and over 65 reference books and online databases to healthcare professionals and libraries affected by disasters.

The Emergency Access Initiative serves as a temporary collection replacement and/or supplement for libraries affected by disasters that need to continue to serve medical staff and affiliated users. It is also intended for medical personnel responding to the specified disaster.

EAI is not an open access collection – it is only intended for those affected by the disaster or assisting the affected population. If your library is working with a library or organization involved in relief efforts in Japan, please let them know of this service.

Emergency Access Initiative: http://eai.nlm.nih.gov

NLM thanks the participating publishers for their generous support of this initiative: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, ASM Press, B.C. Decker, BMJ, EBSCOHost, Elsevier, FA Davis, Mary Ann Liebert, Massachusetts Medical Society, McGraw-Hill, Merck Publishing, Oxford University Press, People’s Medical Publishing House, Springer, University of Chicago Press, Wiley, and Wolters Kluwer.

Other resources available from NLM relevant to the situation in Japan:

RADIATION EMERGENCIES:
Clinicians who need to learn more about assessing and managing radiation emergencies can turn to the Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM) web site at http://remm.nlm.gov. Selected, key files from REMM are also available for downloading on mobile devices from http://www.remm.nlm.gov/downloadmremm.htm.

For a general audience, see the MedlinePlus pages on:
Radiation Emergencies
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radiationemergencies.html

Radiation Exposure
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radiationexposure.html

TSUNAMIS, EARTHQUAKES:
For earthquake information for responders and health professionals, see the “Earthquakes-Resources for Response and Recovery” page at http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/earthquakes.html.

MedlinePlus has topic pages on earthquakes and tsunamis in English and Spanish. Although not intended to be specific to the current events in Japan, these pages give background information for a general audience:

Tsunamis
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tsunamis.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tsunamis.html

Earthquakes
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earthquakes.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/earthquakes.html

Great Opportunity…

Dan Wilson, Coordinator for the National Network/Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) National Emergency Preparedness & Response plan

The severe winter storm that affected (and still affecting) the Midwest, South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, gave libraries in these regions a great opportunity to activate their service continuity plans. If you don’t have a plan, this is a good time to prepare for the next major service disruption. (Resources to help you can be found on our Writing Your Disaster Plan page.) If you did have a plan, how did it go? Would you change anything? If so, this is a good time to make those changes.

Here is a NOAA satellite view of the winter storm. Note the similarities of a hurricane.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) invites you to attend the Disaster Information Outreach Symposium, March 29 – 30 , 2011. This free event will be held at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland and is sponsored by NLM, the Medical Library Association, and the Special Libraries Association.

Registration is now open at http://www.orise-registration.org/dimrc. Seats are limited, so please register early!

Trusted health information is essential for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and public health emergencies. Librarians and libraries can play an important role in meeting the information needs of responders and the public during  all phases of disasters.

This symposium will feature research, project reports, and personal experiences of librarians active in managing health information and library resources to improve disaster outcomes. Librarians’ actions in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak, the Haiti earthquake, major U.S. hurricanes, and local emergency events will illustrate practical ways to be involved.

Presentations will also focus on the online resources, communication tools, mobile technology, social media, and NLM programs that can support responders’ abilities to make well-informed decisions and communicate health messages to the public.

Updates on professional development for librarians will include discussion of disaster competencies and training, a new disaster information specialization offered by the Medical Library Association, and volunteer opportunities with community agencies.

Speakers include health professionals, librarians, and information/informatics researchers who have a wealth of experience in disaster-related activities. Who should attend? -  librarians, information professionals, library staff and students, as well as responders, clinicians, and public health workers – anyone interested in learning about health information and disasters.

For more information, please visit http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/symposium2011.html.  To receive updates on the symposium and news on other disaster information outreach-related resources, you may also wish to join our DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB listserv at http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/dimrclistserv.html.

Submitted by Cara Breeden, MLS
Aquilent, Inc., in support of the mission of the Disaster Information Management Research Center Specialized Information Services Division National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health cara.breeden@nih.gov