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PCOM
Dean of Libraries Naomi C. Broering holds NCLIS award with
NCLIS Chairperson C. Beth Fitzsimmons May 3, 2006.
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PCOML
won the award in
California
because it developed the first
San Diego
library outreach program to address the health
information needs of the over 50,000 seniors who
have recently moved into the
San Diego
area. Many
of these new San Diegans are of Hispanic, African
American, Asian, and Eastern European backgrounds.
They are also low-income and cannot otherwise
access the quality health information seniors
desperately need for preventing disease, and
coping with health problems.
The PCOML program helps eliminate these
barriers for at risk San Diego seniors.
PCOML’s
award-winning project is a model consumer-health
outreach program in partnership with five local
San Diego
clinics, senior centers, and libraries that
enables seniors to electronically access reliable,
accurate and authoritative health information.
Some specific topics the program covers are: home
health care options, patient education
information, and healthy lifestyles.
Naomi
Cordero Broering, PCOML dean of libraries says:
“I am thrilled that PCOM’s consumer health
information outreach program, begun only two years
ago, received national recognition. The
NCLIS award of $1,000 will be used to support our
service for a short while longer until we can find
additional funding. Hopefully, we can parlay
this national recognition to establish a Center
for Health Information Service at the library.”
NCLIS
The
NCLIS awards honor library programs that address
one or more of the following: dietary choices;
exercise; smoking cessation; alcohol and/or drug
abuse prevention or cessation; immunizations and
health screenings; and improved health literacy,
that is, the ability to understand and make use of
health information.
In
each state, a panel of judges selects the winners
based on how well that state’s program
encourages lifestyle improvement among the target
population, the program’s adaptability,
collaboration with other community organizations,
and how successfully the program is able to reach
out to people with low-information literacy
skills.
For
more information about PCOML contact Naomi C.
Broering, dean of libraries, Pacific College of
Oriental Medicine at 619-574-6909 or email nbroering@pacificcollege.edu.
