Want to learn more about who is using MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español?  Looking for the latest user statistics for your next presentation or outreach activity?

The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce the results of the 2010 MedlinePlus user survey, powered by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  The survey results give you a snapshot of a representative sample of MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español users,  their demographics, their reasons for visiting the site, and how they use the health information provided by MedlinePlus.  Thousands of users voluntarily responsed to our online survey in 2010. Thank you if you were one of them.

Visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/survey2010/index.html to view the 2010 survey results for MedlinePlus.gov and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/survey2010/index.html to view the 2010 survey results for MedlinePlus en español.  You can also find links to the 2010 survey results on the English and Spanish “About MedlinePlus” pages in the right column.

We hope you’ll find this data interesting and helpful in your efforts to reach out to new and existing health information customers.  Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about the results – MedlinePlus Team contact form – http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/contact/index.cfm?lang=en&from=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/faq/faq.html

Grand prize winner – James and the Peanut Allergy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoCAizDEKlM&feature=player_embedded

First runner up – The Fastest Librarian in the West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpYvQAc8e4w&feature=player_embedded

Second runner up – MedlinePlus: Making a Difference Every Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkq2L6q8x3w&feature=player_embedded

by Nancy Patterson, Community Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A Region

“Collaborate, collaborate and collaborate; No man is an island…”

Mark Douglas
Co-Founder/Executive Director
My Brothaz HOME, Inc.
www.mybrothazhome.org
Savannah, GA

Mark Douglas is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of My Brothaz HOME, Inc., a non-profit organization in Savannah, Georgia, that strives to decrease the number of new HIV infections among men and their partners by providing culturally sensitive HIV prevention education & supportive services regardless of sexual orientation.

Mark founded the organization with six other friends in 2000 in response to the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases among men in Savannah.  At the time, there were no local providers serving minority men at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS on an ongoing/sustained basis so they created the organization to meet the unmet HIV prevention, outreach and educational needs of men in their local community.  Prior to starting the organization, Mark worked in the Office of Disability under the Social Security Administration as a Disability Claims Examiner in the HIV/AIDS unit where he adjudicated HIV/AIDS claims for Social Security Disability (SSDI) and/or Social Security Income (SSI).  He became so involved with the work there and with volunteer service at a local transitional for persons living with HIV/AIDS that he found himself getting more deeply involved in the work as a whole.

True to his generous spirit and ability to manage a daunting workload with grace, he found time in his demanding schedule to be interviewed for our Inspiring People feature:

NN/LM SE/A:  Is there something in your own story that lead you to do the work you do?

Mark Douglas:  Over the years, I have lost many friends and loved ones due to HIV/AIDS related causes.  I also lost my sister, Deborah due to AIDS-related conditions.  She transitioned in 2002 at the age of 40.  My sister lived in denial, silence, pain and isolation for so many years due to the stigma, discrimination and ignorance often associated with the virus.  After losing my sister, I became more driven to get involved in the movement.

NN/LM SE/A:  What do you love most about what you do?

Mark Douglas:  I love helping others.  I love seeing a smile.  I love giving diverse groups of people including individuals and families from all over the world a glimmer of hope, encouragement, love and inspiration. Finally, I love adult education, health and wellness and I love my community.  So, it’s a match.

NN/LM SE/A:   What is the biggest challenge in what you do?

Mark Douglas:  The biggest challenge is confronting the stigma, homophobia (irrational fears), associated with HIV.  Of course, working in a nonprofit during the most perilous economic times in the nation; it is often hard to financially make things come together.  So, in closing the stigma and constant funding needs/restrictions sometimes seem insurmountable but we do overcome by the grace of God.

NN/LM SE/A:  What has been the most fulfilling part of your work in terms of health outreach to your community’s underserved populations?

Mark Douglas:  The most fulfilling part is educating others in my community and thus empowering them to become more informed and better health advocates.  Also, my work ensures the community has access to education, support services, health and wellness programs and other living saving products.

NN/LM SE/A:  What do you see as the biggest health concerns in the communities you serve?

Mark Douglas:  The biggest concern I see is access issues - Lack of insurance or underinsured populations.  The following health disparities:  HIV/AIDS, Obesity, Heart Disease, Cancer, Domestic Violence combined with poverty.

NN/LM SE/A:  How did you first come to know NN/LM SE/A?

Mark Douglas:  I became aware of NN/LM SE/A when a friend of mine who also runs a nonprofit- Linwood Alford of the Open Door Resource Center, Inc.  in Richmond, Virginia mentioned to me that his organization had applied for the Outreach grant and encouraged me to apply.

NN/LM SE/A:  In what ways has NN/LM SE/A been of help to you?

Mark Douglas:  NN/LM/ SE/A has helped me to bring cutting edge health information and resources to my clients and community.  This training and support continues to empower and equip my clients (community) to become more informed health advocates with improved health outcomes.

NN/LM SE/A:  Can you share a success story about the impact of health outreach in your community?

Mark Douglas:   We had an older gentleman come in to complete training.  He had an issue of low literacy and required extra support to complete online health information/resource training.  Although he was limited in his ability to use the computer, he was so grateful for us sharing the websites and helping him to utilize the computer in a manner which could help him.  After completion, he shared his experience with his neighbor (who was also older and low functioning to complete the course as well).  So, stories or situations like that really put a smile on my face.

NN/LM SE/A:  What advice would you give others who are interested in doing health outreach work in their communities?

Mark Douglas:  Be patient, be innovative in your outreach and overall programming, don’t do too much or too little and finally tell the people you appreciate them despite their issues and make them feel important and you’ll be okay.  Another advice, collaborate, collaborate and collaborate; no man is an island.

If you would like to share your story or suggest another person for our “Inspiring People” feature, please email Nancy Patterson:  npatters@hshsl.umaryland.edu

The Exhibition Program has a new traveling banner exhibition—Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War—available for institutions to borrow. Information on the exhibition can be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/LifeandLimb/ and the traveling show: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/LifeandLimb/travelinginformation.html.

People may contact Erika Mills (millse@mail.nlm.nih.gov) or Jill Newmark (newmarj@mail.nlm.nih.gov) to make plans to borrow the show—just follow the link on the traveling show web page.

by Nancy Patterson, Community Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A Region

“Volunteerism is the greatest humanitarian act a person can share …”

Ali Muhammad
Executive Director
P.I. Advocates International, Inc.
www.piadvocates.org
Washington, DC

Ali Muhammad is the Executive Director of P.I.A., Inc., a non-profit organization that serves the low-income communities in and around Washington, DC, where he lives and works. He is responsible for the vision of P.I. Advocates, Inc., which is to be a delivery system of easy-to-understand health information that serves as the premier obtainable health information resource, and technical assistance to providers who serve minorities diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and those at risk for infection of HIV disease. P.I.A., Inc. accomplishes its goals through strong, collaborative partnerships with an array of service providers and communities to ensure the development, delivery, and implementation of their unique training models for the general public.

When asked how he came to do this work, Ali simply states that he finds a great sense of gratification in helping others. He was kind enough to be interviewed for our Inspiring People feature in April 2011.

NN/LM SE/A: Is there something in your own personal story that you feel lead you to do the work you do?

Ali Muhammad: I entered HIV/AIDS prevention education work soon after I started treatment for the condition in the fall of 1996. I realized how manageable HIV/AIDS is if adaptation to the right-personal HIV medical regimen is done correctly. I have been living with and successfully managing this and associated ailments for approximately 23 years.

NN/LM SE/A: What do you love most about what you do?

Ali Muhammad:  I love seeing the look of accomplishment on the faces of those we teach how to use computers and how to find health information on the Internet. I especially enjoy seeing the smiles of seniors when they realize they can learn to use computers. It is also motivating to see how fulfilled women and men in local substance abuse programs are when they complete our workshop and receive a government certificate of completion from the U. S. National Library of Medicine.

NN/LM SE/A:  What is the biggest challenge in what you do?

Ali Muhammad: The biggest challenge is getting people to come out and partake in the workshop. I say that because they are always faced with life-changing elements that seems to prevent people from taking time to invest in learning and embracing this “new” world of technology.

NN/LM SE/A:  What has been the most fulfilling part of your work in terms of health outreach to your community’s underserved populations?

Ali Muhammad: The most fulfilling aspect of our work is looking back acknowledging the vast number of people we’ve trained over the 12 years we have been providing these free computer workshops.

NN/LM SE/A:  What do you see as the biggest health concerns in the communities you serve?

Ali Muhammad: Over the many years I have been involved in providing what I think is a much needed concept—computer and health literacy workshops, the biggest health concern in the communities we serve is a gross lack of personal health literacy. I know this may not seem to be a health issue, but it is the beginning of managing any and all health concerns.

NN/LM SE/A:  How did you first come to know NN/LM SE/A?

Ali Muhammad: I first came to know about NN/LM SE/A through my association with the National Library of Medicine and my association with Karen Pomerantz from George Washington University.

NN/LM SE/A:  In what ways has NN/LM SE/A been of help to you?

Ali Muhammad: NN/LM SE/A has been a supporting factor in PIA reaching many more participants through funding to provide our workshops to more people. I feel we have met all requirements to consider them partners in addressing health literacy needs in underserved communities.

NN/LM SE/A:  Can you share a success story about the impact of health outreach in your community?

Ali Muhammad: I have received testimonies from a number of people stating how PIA saved their lives. One such person has worked with PIA for 8 years, rebounding from the brinks of death (as she puts it). She is now our Outreach Manager and is teaching others how to use computers and how to access health information housed in electronic medical libraries.

NN/LM SE/A:  What advice would you give others who are interested in doing health outreach work in their communities?

Ali Muhammad: Dedicate yourself to making sure others benefit from your work. Let the gratification from seeing people learn from what you are trying to gain on their behalf and always remember that volunteerism is the greatest humanitarian act a person can share—volunteer your services even when funding is not available.

If you would like to share your story or suggest another person for our “Inspiring People” feature, please email Nancy Patterson:  npatters@hshsl.umaryland.edu

by Terri Ottosen, Consumer Health Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

If you’ve ever visited the NN/LM SE/A Region’s website state pages, you know the value of having information about each state in the Region at your fingertips. Whether you need the information for an award application or just need to locate your state’s resource libraries, this information has been compiled and regularly updated for our network members. If you’re thinking of applying for funding from our office for an outreach project, this information is particularly helpful for the background information section of the application. Demographic data that supports your request is readily available on these pages. We have such a unique and special region of the United States with a very active network membership. The staff of the SE/A office serves 13 states and/or territories: Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.

These state pages have now been added to the SEA Region’s LibGuides, called SEAGuides. Please see the previous article, “SEAGuides: NN/LM SE/A and LibGuides” in our newsletter, SEA Currents, about the adoption and use of these guides by NN/LM SE/A staff.  LibGuides makes it easy to update these state pages and offers “one stop shopping” for a variety of topics important to the network members. Categories of information for each state include:

• An overall description of the state, including the capitol, population, counties, etc.
• Public libraries
• Resource libraries with contact information
• Library Associations, consortia and local groups
• Library schools in the state (if any)
• Emergency preparedness & disaster recovery resources
• News information resources
• Demographic and statistical resources
• Health resources
• Specific population health information in the state such as African Americans, Native Americans, Women, etc.

Each of the SEAGuides available was given a “friendly URL” to make them easy to find. Please take a moment to look at your home state page. We are seeking input for additional resources to add to these pages. If you know of a resource that would be a helpful addition to these pages, please email any coordinator in the SEA office or send us an email: HSHSL-NLMsea@hshsl.umaryland.edu. You can also set up email alerts to your inbox whenever a new guide is published, whenever a guide with a certain tag is published, or whenever your favorite page author publishes a new guide.

To access all SEAGuides, please click on this link: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/

To access state pages, please click on these links:

Alabama: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/alabama

District of Columbia: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/dc

Florida: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/florida

Georgia: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/georgia

Maryland: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/maryland

Mississippi: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/mississippi

North Carolina: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/northcarolina

Puerto Rico: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/puertorico

South Carolina: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/southcarolina

Tennessee: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/tennessee

U.S. Virgin Islands: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/virginislands

Virginia: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/virginia

West Virginia: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/westvirginia

WISER 4.4 is now available!  You can download this update to WISER’s Windows, Pocket PC, and SmartPhone platforms from the WISER Web site (http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/), or access the updated on-line version, WebWISER (http://webwiser.nlm.nih.gov/getHomeData.do).

Highlights of this version include (please see the WISER Web site’s What’s New in 4.4 (http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/whats_new_4_4.html) for more information):

1) WISER for Windows rolls out a new, interactive Chemical Reactivity capability. You can:

a) Create your own mix of chemicals.

b) See an overview of the resulting potential hazards.

c) Delve into the detailed reaction behind each hazard or gas produced.

2) 19 new substances and mixtures of substances have been introduced, including Crude Oil and the Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 dispersants.

In addition, WISER for iPhone/iPod touch 1.1 is now available from Apple’s App Store.

All WISER platforms now include:

1) The 19 new substances and mixtures of substances.

2) Data updates based on the latest information from the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs).

3) Many usability improvements and fixes.

Coming this Spring and Summer for WISER are:

1) Enhancements to WISER for iPhone/iPod touch, including the help identify tool, and iPad-focused support.

2) WISER for the Android platform.

Please see the News page of the WISER Web site for our future plans.  Feel free to contact us if you have suggestions about opportunities to add new features, or to enhance current features. Feedback from our users helps in our plans to develop future versions of WISER!  Please use the Contact Us page of the WISER Web site to submit your feedback and ideas or anything else related to WISER.

We would also like to note the following resources of special interest to those who need to learn more about or have urgent access to health information related to tsunamis, earthquakes, and radiation emergencies currently affecting Japan.

1) Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM).  Clinicians and others who need to learn about assessing and managing radiation emergencies are urged to use the Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM) Web site (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. The entire REMM web site can be downloaded to a laptop or desktop computer for use where there is no Internet connection.

2) Japan Disasters Topic Page.  A new page of links to information on “Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Event – March 2011″ is now available at http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/japan2011.html. The resources on this page may help with understanding the health issues related to the devastating Japan earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant situation. Resources from the National Library of Medicine, U.S. federal agencies, and other key resources are listed for responders, health professionals, and the general public.

3) For questions regarding REMM and the Japan Disasters Topic Page, please email custserv@nlm.nih.gov or call 1-888-346-3656 in the United States, or 301-594-5983 internationally.

(RFQ No. NLM-0011-049-SES)

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the solicitation of quotations from organizations and libraries to design and conduct projects that will improve access to HIV/AIDS related health information for patients, the affected community, and their caregivers.

Projects must involve one or more of the following information access categories:

• Information retrieval;
• Skills development;
• State-of-the-art resources;
• Resource development; and/or
• Document Access.

Emphasis is placed upon the following types of organizations or arrangements for developing these programs:

• Community-based organizations (CBOs) or patient advocacy groups currently providing HIV/AIDS related serves to the affected community;
• Public libraries serving communities in the provision of HIV/AIDS-related information and resources;
• Health departments or other local, municipal, or state agencies working to improve public health;
• Faith-based organizations currently providing HIV/AIDS-related services; and/or
• Multi-type consortia of the above-listed organizations that may be in existence or formed specifically for this project.

Standard Awards are offered for up to $60,000; Express Awards are offered for up to $10,000.

Quotations are due to NLM on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

The solicitation for the 2011 HIV/AIDS Community Information Outreach Projects is posted on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site (www.fbo.gov). Small Businesses can apply to a specific set-aside: (NLM-0011-0049-KDB).

Primary Point of Contact:
Keturah D. Busey, Business Opportunity Specialist
buseyk@mail.nlm.nih.gov
Phone: 301-496-6546
Fax: 301-402-8169

Secondary Point of Contact:
Robin D. Hope-Williams, Contracting Officer
rhwilli@mail.nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-4379
Fax: 301-402-8169

Please Note: Refer to the Federal Business Opportunities (www.fbo.gov) Web site for notices, updates, and modifications to the HIV/AIDS Community Information Outreach Project 2011 RFQ.

Many libraries in the Southeastern Atlantic Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine are using LibGuides to share knowledge and information. LibGuides by Springshare is touted as a practical Web 2.0 application specifically built for libraries and educational institutions. The company has over 1700 libraries using this application with 125,000+ guides by 25,000+ librarians and more than 50 million page hits per month. Coordinators at NN/LM SE/A were impressed by a poster at the MAC 2010 meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina from West Virginia University, in which LibGuides were used to incorporate information literacy into the health sciences curriculum at their institution. Librarians at WVU were very helpful in providing more information and offered to answer any questions and share their LibGuides with NN/LM staff. To see their poster, please visit: http://macmla.org/events/2010/presentations/arnold.pdf

After seeing how useful these guides can be, further discussion regarding the use of LibGuides for NN/LM SE/A took place and led to an information webinar session for the staff. We are pleased to announce that we will be implementing LibGuides for our network members. Each coordinator in the office has specific duties related to particular health topics. For example, the Consumer Health Coordinator specializes in various subjects related to consumer health, such as senior health, veterans health information resources and consumer genetics. The Community Outreach Coordinator specializes in resources for specific populations and is planning a LibGuide for population specific health resources for Native Americans, African Americans, etc. These guides will lend themselves quite readily to the mission of NN/LM and will be an excellent way to provide this information to network members. As a content sharing system, LibGuides can act as a gateway to specific resources on a wide variety of health topics and cool tools can be incorporated into the guides, such as RSS feeds, interactive polls, and videos, just to name a few.

At the recent Oversight Committee meeting in Baltimore, members suggested that NN/LM SE/A be a source of information on topics important to NN/LM network members. One such topic mentioned was electronic health records (EHRs). Announcements and updates regarding EHRs come at a rate that is almost impossible to keep up with, yet it’s a topic that many health sciences librarians want to know about. LibGuides will make it possible to have all of the pertinent information in one location. Based on that suggestion, the topic of the first NN/LM SE/A LibGuide is EHRs. To take a look at this LibGuide, please visit: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/emr. Future LibGuides from NN/LM SE/A will be found at: http://seaguides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/.

As always, the NN/LM SE/A would like your input and feedback on these LibGuides as we put them into practice. Suggestions for LibGuides topics are most welcome. We’ll be exploring this application and seeking new and creative ways to make use of these guides. One potential idea we’re exploring is the use of LibGuides as a collaborative workspace. Many network members have developed curricula and projects that can serve as “best practices” for the Region and it would be great to have a space where these projects can be shared with everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, please email any coordinator in the SEA office or send us an email: HSHSL-NLMsea@hshsl.umaryland.edu

Join us to hear about Hospital Librarians Summit that was held at the SE/A Region offices on January 6, 2011.

Guest Speaker: Pat Hammond, Director, Potomac Hospital, R.P. Immerman Memorial Library

Name: SE/A Hospital Librarian Webinar

Invited By: Sheila Snow-Croft

Where: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mar09 - Link will not be live until day of meeting

When: March 9, 2011 -  12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Time Zone: Eastern Time (US and Canada)

How to get connected:

What do you need to join these conferences?

* A computer (with Flash installed)
* A telephone

How do I connect?
Go to this URL: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mar09/
Enter as a Guest
Sign in with your first and last name

Follow the instructions in the meeting room to have Adobe Connect call your phone or call 1-800-605-5167 and enter the participant code  when prompted.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. If you require special accommodations, please call 410-706-2855 at least 2 weeks prior to the event.

Test your connection: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

List of previously presented web conferences on subjects such as marketing your library and NN/LM updates.