 | Pictured at the launch of the Consumer Health Information Network are (seated, from left) Medical School Dean Dr. David Kessler; New Haven librarian James Welbourne; (standing, from left) Lynne Sette, a librarian at the Cushing Whitney Medical Library; Michael J. Morand, associate vice president in Yale's Office of New Haven and State Affairs; University Librarian Alice Prochaska; and Regina K. ("Kenny") Marone, director of Yale's medical library. |
A wealth of accurate, up-to-date health care information is now readily available at no cost to the public through a partnership between Yale's Cushing Whitney Medical Library and the New Haven Free Public Library.
With a grant from the National Library of Medicine, the Yale and New Haven libraries have created the Consumer Health Information Network (CHIN), which features a website with access to on-line medical books and articles, as well as other sources of information.
The website is located at www.nhfpl.lib.ct.us/healthnetwork. Individuals who do not have an Internet link at home can access the website on computers in the consumer health areas of the New Haven public library and its branches. Printed guides are available explaining how to utilize the website, and the libraries will also offer other printed health materials.
"Everyone now has access to authoritative consumer health website information designed to provide accurate, useful information to important questions," said Dr. David Kessler, dean of the School of Medicine, at the ceremony marking the launch of CHIN. "Now there's one place you can go if you want to be sure that you can rely on the information.
"It is important for people to be health-conscious consumers and to make decisions that lead to healthy lifestyles," he noted. "We are pleased to support the National Library of Medicine's initiative to increase public awareness of and improve access to health information through the Internet. Partnerships such as this one between Yale University and New Haven Free Public Library help the general health of citizens."
"The goal of the project is to improve public access to the health information people need to make informed decisions about their health care," said James Welbourne, city librarian. "The network provides medical books, electronic resources, computer equipment and professionals to help members of the public conduct health searches and all of this is for free -- we want to emphasize that -- there is no charge for this service."
Three facilities will provide support for the network: the New Haven Free Public Library including the Fair Haven, Stetson and Mitchell branch libraries; the Cushing Whitney Medical Library; and the Epidemiology and Public Health Library at Yale University. Personnel from these libraries will maintain the CHIN website, assist with the teaching of classes on consumer health, and raise public awareness of CHIN.
In conjunction with the CHIN initiative, there will be a lecture series, titled "Healthy New Haven," presented by faculty from Yale's Schools of Medicine and Nursing. These talks will focus on increasing public access to electronic health resources, providing consumer health books and videos, and teaching effective search skills. Information about that series will be forthcoming soon.
-- By Thomas R. Violante
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