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South Texas Outreach

The UT HSC Libraries are nationally recognized for their outreach services to improve access to health information in South Texas communities. In 1993 UT HSC librarian Mary Jo Dwyer received the first Michael DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award from the Friends of the National Library of Medicine. In 2004 the Institute of Museum and Library Services recognized the Ramirez Library at UT HSC's Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen by awarding them the National Award for Museum and Library Service in recognition of their service to the Lower Rio Grande Valley community.

The goal of the UT HSC Libraries' outreach initiative is twofold: (1) to provide health professionals with the means to support evidence-based practice, and (2) to provide health care consumers with the tools to make informed health care decisions.

The Libraries are strong advocates for improved access to health information as a cornerstone for community health and empowerment. Services include training in effective literature retrieval, literature searches conducted by medical librarians, article delivery, outreach to consumers and community-based organizations, and circuit librarian services to hospitals, clinics and other organizations. Much of this work is supported with grants and other awards from federal agencies and private foundations.

Sponsored projects include:

  • MedlinePlus Go Local Launched in 2005, the UT HSC Libraries continue to maintain this online directory of health service providers across South Texas.
  • Each year the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (NN/LM SCR) awards funds from the National Library of Medicine to the UT HSC Libraries to support a limited amount of community outreach. These annual "resource library outreach subcontracts" strengthen the Libraries' ability to sustain partnerships with a wide range of community partners.
  • In 2008 the Libraries received funds from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (NN/LM SCR) for a special project focused on promoting oral health practitioners' awareness and use of information resources. The project, entitled SMILE: Sharing MedlinePlus/MEDLINE for Information Literacy Education, relied on partnerships with the dental clinic staff at the Gateway Clinic in Laredo and Metro Health in San Antonio.
  • getHIP: Health Information Plus This outreach program focuses on the K-12 community. The getHIP outreach program began in 2008 with a one-day conference sponsored by the NN/LM SCR and the South Central AHEC. A total of 121 teachers, school nurses and school librarians from across South Texas attended and received continuing professional education. The getHIP outreach program continues with UT HSC librarians regularly conducting classes at schools and participating in health fairs as well as events focused on promoting health careers.
  • Peer tutors In 2002 the UT HSC Libraries partnered with Med High in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to prepare high school students as "peer tutors" and to rely on them to promote awareness of MedlinePlus in the community.
  • Promotores The UT HSC Libraries rely on partnerships with community health workers, commonly known as promotores in South Texas, to promote access to health information within our communities.
  • HealthyTexas.org Sponsored by the AT&T Foundation, this website was developed in partnership with several community organizations and compiles health information of particular relevance to the South Texas community.

In addition to these sponsored projects, UT HSC librarians maintain the "Staying Well Connected" blog with postings about news and issues relevant to the health of the South Texas community.

These initiatives are all coordinated as part of the South Texas Regional Information Services (STRIS) division within the UT HSC Libraries. The STRIS division also includes the Mario E. Ramirez, M.D. Library in Harlingen, the Laredo Campus Extension Library, the Jesse H. Jones Comprehensive Research Library at the Texas Research Park and the library at the University Health Center-Downtown as well as the library's interlibrary loan/Loansome Doc service.