This year, marks my 40^th year with Nebraska Methodist College.    It is comfortable for me to leave a very fulfilling career.    Providing library services for the students, faculty, staff of Nebraska Methodist College, the employees and physicians of Methodist Health System and the patients and family members of Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center has been a privilege!

The span from 1972-present has been an experience of great change in the library resources and services we have provided.

• The 70’s was a time when we combined Methodist Medical Staff and Methodist School of Nursing book and journal collections.  Print indexes were used to find journal articles.    The Library was located at Methodist Hospital, 3^rd floor, South Tower.

• The 80s was the time when the Methodist Hospital Foundation and Mrs. Marion Moritz established a learning resources endowment in the name of John Moritz, resulting in the naming of John Moritz Library.     Print materials still predominated. The Library was moved to Methodist Hospital, 3^rd floor, North Tower.    A contract was written to provide library services for Childrens’ Memorial Hospital.

• The 90s brought the establishment of a patient/consumer library at Methodist Cancer Center.    Technology became the word of the decade through support for purchase of staff workstations, public access workstations, MEDLINE and CINAHL on CD, full automation of the library holdings for the College, JE Hospital, Richard Young Hospital, Methodist Cancer Center and Jennie Edmundson Hospital; initial development of the Library’s web pages.

• The next decade brought great movement in the use of online databases through multiple vendors.      Our focus moved toward providing access to e-journals and e-books.    It was also a decade of physical movement with yet another relocation for the Library to 3^rd floor, NMC’s campus at RYC, early in the decade.    Consumer Health Library Services were established.   Staff planned for library facilities for the  new campus and we moved to our new home in December, 2006 – opening for business in January, 2007.

• The decade beginning in 2010, brought a discussion of the Learning Commons concept in Spring, 2010.   Approval for construction was granted in Winter, 2010.     Construction started in Spring, 2011 and completed in the Summer.   Services for the Charlotte Schultz Learning Commons began with the Fall Semester, 2011.     This decade brings access to additional e-journals and e-books and significant weeding of print resources.

Were there challenges through the years – definitely?      Were there blessings – definitely – too many to count?   Many memories of co-workers, students, patients and community go with me.

Many have asked me what is planned during the next chapter of my life.    The first thing on my list is enjoying being home at “Angie’s at the Lake” and planning some travel adventures later this year.    Most importantly – it is time to fulfill the rest of my life purpose.     God’s purpose for each of us is unique and I am excited to see where He will take me next!

My passion for health information literacy awareness will continue to be supported through writing a new blog.    Please let me know if you are interested in subscribing by adding a comment at the end of this post.

My heart is linked with several ministry partners in our North Omaha community – Omaha Street School, Good New Bears and Compassion in Action.     The first two organizations serve children and youth in this community.   Compassion in Action provides renewal and restoration for felons both during incarceration and upon release.    Another important focus of CIA is the emotional and practical support of children and caregivers of these men and women.     I look forward to working more closely with these wonderful ministry partners – encouraging them and providing support in whatever way possible.    The senior pastor with my church made this comment when he learned I was retiring, “I know it can be a truly “missional” experience!”   He is right and I can’t wait to experience the adventures and surprises God has planned for this next chapter of my life.

Angela

Angela Arner, BA; CHIS Specialization awarded by the Medical Library Association; Library Associate; Nebraska Methodist College — The Josie Harper Campus; John Moritz Library; 720 N. 87th Street; Omaha, NE. 68114 Angela.Arner@methodistcollege.edu

ýLibGuides:  Anatomy & Physiology

CAM Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Cancer – Information for the Consumer

Child/Youth Health – Information for the Consumer

Cultural Health — Information for the Consumer

Culturally Competent Care for Specific Populations

Diversity

Health Care Issues (Information for the National Debate)

Health Promotions Management Program

Health of the Adult – Information for the Consumer

Improving Health Information Literacy

Public Health

Senior Health — Information for the Consumer

Spirituality

Looking for Answers?  @sk Your Medical Librarian: Your Key to Quality Information

Related articles

• Charlotte Schultz Learning Commons – Inspiring Achievement (aa47.wordpress.com)

We are in the middle of flu season and it important to be aware that several groups are at at higher risk for influenza complications.  People at elevated risk are:

• American Indians and Alaska Natives
• Children <2 years; adults aged ≥ 65 years
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
• Persons with certain chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, hematological, metabolic or neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions
• Persons with immunosuppression
• Women who are pregnant or postpartum (within 2 weeks after delivery)
• Persons aged < 19 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
• Persons who are morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40)

If you have not already been vaccinated, it is not too late.  Please contact your medical provider for more information.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers information for health professionals as a tool to help public health and healthcare professionals with key information about vaccination, infection control, prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of seasonal influenza.  For more information, visit their web site: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm                                                                                  [Urban Indian Health Institute]

Related articles

• Flu Cases Down In Colorado This Season (denver.cbslocal.com)
• How a New Swine Flu Virus Could Complicate Influenza Season (healthland.time.com)
• Influenza epidemic doubles number of cases per hospital (japantimes.co.jp)
• Flu Season off to Slow Start, So Far (nlm.nih.gov)
• Do flu shots cause the flu? 12 influenza vaccine myths busted (cbsnews.com)

A well done and informative new animated video produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation was recently produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation.       The English version of the animated movie features narration by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR commentator and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The English version of the animation is available at:

http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx

Spanish language version

http://healthreform.kff.org/la-reforma-del-cuidado-de-la-salud-llega-al-publ

Related articles

• The 5 states with the best and the worst scorecards for health insurance (drjengunter.wordpress.com)
• Unemployed Rely More On Family Than Government (npr.org)
• Loved Ones, Nonprofits, Churches: Who Helps Unemployed The Most? (huffingtonpost.com)

Do you live in the Southwest Region of the US?  The newest Tox Town scene, US Southwest, provides good information on the hazards of fracking, uranium tailings, and much more. The complete site , provided by the National Library of Medicine, is also available in Spanish.

Visit the site: http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/flash/southwest/flash.php .

Are you involved in health information literacy in your hospital?  Share your story!  We would love to hear what you are doing and what impact you are having with your users.  Contact your state coordinator and tell them about your program.  If you are not involved with health information literacy, but would like to be – also, contact your state coordinator. (bbj)

Coming soon to public television: A new 4-hour series,” Designing Healthy Communities”, in which host/narrator Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, looks at the impact our built environment has on key public health indices – obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer and depression.

For more information: http://designinghealthycommunities.org/

[Wellness and Prevention Health Reform Digest, Jan. 19, 2012]

Related articles

• Sick of the suburbs: How badly designed communities trash our health (grist.org)

3^rd Annual Kentucky

Health Literacy Summit

Building Your Health Literacy Toolkit

March 22-23, 2012

Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel

Lexington, Kentucky

Open to all those interested inimproving their health literacy and

patient communications skills.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

- Cindy Brach, AHRQ

- Audrey Riffenburgh, Plain Language Works

- Al Cross, Institute for Rural Journalism

- Bruce Rector, Monday Morning MessagesInteractive workshops will provide you with a health literacy toolkit of skills and resources:

- Health Literacy 101

- Usability Testing

- TeachBack

- Social Media

- Electronic Health Records

Contributed papers and posters will highlight local/regional health literacy activities.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.cecentral.com/live/3748

If you require special arrangements to attend, please contact Jane Bryant.

Questions? Contact Jane Bryant at (859) 323 – 5715 or jbryant@uky.edu

Jane Bryant; Health Literacy Librarian; University of Kentucky Medical Center Library; 859-323-5715; jbryant@uky.edu

Related articles

• Understanding Health Literacy (aa47.wordpress.com)
• AHRQ’s Cindy Brach- The 20 Actions You Can Take to Prevent Health Literacy Related Complications (engagingthepatient.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Due to a growing number of reports about improper use of insulin pens, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a reminder that the devices must never be used on more than one person.

Using insulin pens on more than one person puts people at risk for infection with blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis viruses and HIV, which causes AIDS, the agency warns. Infection can occur even if an insulin pen’s needle is changed. http://bit.ly/ypsrBY [HealthDay]

Related articles

• Insulin Delivery Systems: An Overview (diabetes.webmd.com)
• Global Insulin Delivery Systems Market (Syringes and External Pumps) to Exceed $5.5 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (prweb.com)

The ¡VIVA! Peer Tutors of the South Texas Independent School District are conducting a nationwide health literacy challenge. Students enrolled in U.S. schools in grades 6-12 can submit a video promoting the web site MedlinePlus.gov. Video submission will open February 1, 2012 and will close March 23, 2012. Winners will be announced on the ¡VIVA! web site and Facebook page on April 16, 2012, and winning videos will be posted on the ¡VIVA! web site.

For complete details about the video contest please visit the ¡VIVA! web site at: http://bla.stisd.net/viva.html [NN/LM

Related articles

• Understanding Health Literacy (aa47.wordpress.com)

Please check the Health Affairs’ web site for a new paper on health literacy and health policy by HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh and other HHS colleagues. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2012/01/18/hlthaff.2011.1169 (You should be able to access this article for the next 2 weeks even without a Health Affairs’ subscription. The article will appear in their print journal in early February.)

Also this week, the Institute of Medicine Health Literacy Roundtable released a discussion paper on the Attributes of a Health Literate Organization. This brief paper is based on the Roundtable’s November 2011 workshop on the same topic. http://www.iom.edu/Activities/PublicHealth/HealthLiteracy.aspx

Both papers represent a major step forward for health literacy issues as a part of mainstream health policymaking.

Cynthia Baur; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related articles

• Understanding Health Literacy (aa47.wordpress.com)