New! NNLM Technology and Collection Equity Development Awards

New funding opportunities from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 5 are open. NNLM Region 5 serves Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Hawai’i, and U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States in the Pacific.

A Request for Applications is posted for the following awards:

1. Technology Equity Awards

- 6 awards available, up to $5,000 each
- Designed to support infrastructure that improves equitable access to biomedical and health information
- Request for Applications (RFA) provides full instructions for applying
- Example of a similar, previously funded project: Technology Improvement Award: Springfield Public Library Accessibility Station

2. Collection Equity Awards

- 7 awards available, up to $1,500 each
- Designed to support collection development that amplifies diverse voices writing on health/medical topics
- Request for Applications (RFA) provides full instructions for applying
- Tip: The bibliographies from previously funded Collection Equity Awards were compiled to create the Diverse Voices in Health & Medicine Collections Toolkit. This is a good starting point for locating materials for this funding opportunity.

Timeline

On or before January 24, 2023, 5:00pm Pacific: send an email to the Region 5 office (nnlm@uw.edu) stating your intent to apply

February 21, 2023, 5:00pm Pacific: application deadline

May 2023: funded projects begin

April 2024: funded projects are complete

Get ready to apply

Is your library or organization a member of NNLM Region 5? NNLM Membership is required to apply. NNLM members are listed in the Members Directory. If your organization is not listed, fill out the membership form (membership is free). Contact Emily Hamstra (ehamstra@uw.edu) with questions.

Review the NNLM Proposal Writing Toolkit for tips and resources to use while developing and submitting your application

Questions? Contact Emily Hamstra (ehamstra@uw.edu), Assistant Director, NNLM Region 5.

NNLM Region 5 welcomes applications from the same organization for both types of awards. However, Region 5 cannot fund more than one award per organization.

Resource Spotlight: Native American Heritage Month

Books

Book cover for The Arts of Indigenous Health and Well-Being

The Arts of Indigenous Health and Well-Being. (2021 print) Drawing attention to the ways in which creative practices are essential to the health, well-being, and healing of Indigenous peoples…

Book cover for Global Indigenous Health: Reconciling the Past, Engaging the Present, Animating the Future

Global Indigenous Health: Reconciling the Past, Engaging the Present, Animating the Future. (2018 eBook) Building on Indigenous knowledge systems of health and critical decolonial theories, the volume's contributors--who are academic and community researchers from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and New Zealand--weave a narrative to explore issues of Indigenous health…

Book cover for American Indian Health and Nursing

American Indian Health and Nursing. (2016 eBook) …addresses the roots of American Indian nursing, including coverage of indigenous knowledge and traditional approaches to health and healing.

Book cover for Social Issues in Contemporary Native America : Reflections from Turtle Island

Social Issues in Contemporary Native America : Reflections from Turtle Island. (2016 eBook) Hilary Weaver has drawn together leading Native American social workers, researchers, and academics to provide current information on a variety of social issues related to Native American children, families, and reservations both in the USA and in Canada.

Other Resources

Indian Health Pathway …provides an avenue for active Native medical students at the University of Washington to stay connected to their community. Enhancing opportunities for Native and non-Native medical students alike to learn how to integrate American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients’ cultural, spiritual and traditional needs into healthcare.

Honoring American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This UW College of Arts & Sciences page lists organizations, local events, books, videos, and articles relating to UW’s American Indian field of studies.

Medicine Wheel Society – UW …an organization dedicated to promoting American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous culture, education, and advancement in health care and diversity in medicine.

Why Maternal Mortality Research Excludes Indigenous Women. (2022 podcast, NY public radio transcript) The Takeaway speaks with two experts to learn more about why Indigenous women are at higher risk for maternal deaths and what needs to be done to improve their health outcomes…

UW journals and eVideos catalog search subject: Indigenous Health.

Resource Spotlight: DeafBlindness

DeafBlindness (sometimes written deaf-blindness) is a condition in which an individual has a combination of hearing and vision loss, but the degree of auditory and sight loss will vary from person to person. Dual sensory loss in children and young people impacts their learning, mobility, and ability to communicate with others. But there are state and national organizations committed to aiding the deafblind community offering a wide variety of resources for children, youth, and adults.

Some of these resources are listed below.

Films

Did you know? Helen Keller. Learn about Helen Keller's Accomplishments in Overcoming her Disabilities of Blindness and Deafness (2021, 2 min. streaming video)

Feeling Through (2019, 18 min. Oscar nominated short film) "A coming of age film about the unlikely connection between a teen in need and a DeafBlind man. It is the first film ever to feature a DeafBlind actor in a lead role."

Deafblind: A World Without Sight and Sound (2000, 59 min. streaming documentary) A film about four deafblind individuals who share their experiences and show viewers how they live full lives. Includes music by Evelyn Glennie a world-famous percussionist who is profoundly deaf.

Articles

Critical Issues in the Lives of Children and Youth Who Are Deafblind (2016) American Annals of the Deaf journal article.

Deaf, Blind or Deaf-Blind: Is Touch Enhanced? (2016) Experimental Brain Research journal article.

A New Language has been Born in the Northwest (2022) Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) website article, discusses Protactile language for DeafBlind individuals created by Jelica Nuccio in Seattle.

ProTactile Shakespeare: Inclusive Theater by/for the DeafBlind (2019) Shakespeare Studies journal article detailing the novel ways other senses are used in a deafblind production of Romeo and Juliet and examining inclusive versus accessible theater projects.

Pacific Northwest Resources

DeafBlind Service Center (DBSC) Seattle non-profit established in 1986, empowering deaf-blind individuals and the deaf-blind community.

Tactile Communications, LLC (Monmouth, OR) Tactile Communications is "committed to maximizing the autonomy of DeafBlind people by providing necessary training in a linguistically and culturally appropriate setting."

Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC) Northwest Region (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming)

Washington State DeafBlind Citizens, Inc. The mission of WSDBC is to "promote, protect, and preserve leadership, independence, communication access, and to advocate DeafBlind individuals in the state of Washington."

The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. (Seattle) "We empower people who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities by creating diverse, sustainable, and meaningful employment opportunities."

Usher Syndrome in Children UW Medicine Health Library, Usher Syndrome, an inherited disorder that includes both vision and hearing loss in addition to balance problems.

National Resources

iCanConnect. The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, "provides assistive communication equipment to people with significant combined hearing and vision loss who meet income guidelines."

Deaf-Blindness Resource Guide. Created by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS).

National Center on Deaf-Blindness. "Improving services, results, and quality of life for children and youth who are deaf-blind."

HKNC. The Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults aids individuals who experience both hearing and vision loss. They offer services and resources to the DeafBlind community and provide training in several areas including vocational, communication, and mobility. In addition to offering training services to DeafBlind individuals, HKNC also trains professionals who work with the DeafBlind community.

First-Generation Celebration @ Li Lu Library – Nov. 9

For the fifth-straight year, the UW Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma campuses are joining colleges and universities throughout the nation to participate in the National First-Generation College Celebration on November 8, 2022 and throughout the month of November.

WHEN Wednesday, Nov 9, 2022, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE Li Lu Library, Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Foster Business Library

Celebrate the experiences of first-generation students and learn about UW Libraries resources to support first-generation student success! Stop by Odegaard, Foster, or the Li Lu Libraries (Heath Science Education Building) from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. to enjoy snacks, pick up buttons, and take part in short activities reflecting on the first-generation experience. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome! Staff from the Community Standards & Student Conduct office will be attending the event in Odegaard Library. Learn about academic integrity, the Student Conduct Code, and tips for academic success. They will also have giveaways for answering trivia questions!

Learn more about National First-Generation College Celebration >

From the Health Sciences

#BeTheFirst: Charlotte's Journey

Charlotte Sanders is currently a Teaching Associate and the Field Lead for the Northwest Leaders in Behavioral Health Program (NLBHP) at the UW School of Social Work – she shares with us her experience as a first-gen student, in both her undergraduate and graduate programs | From UW School of Social Work

What Being First Generation Means to These Medical Students

Being a first-generation college student has plenty of highs and lows, challenges and opportunities, but being a first-generation medical student has even more. We asked some first-generation medical students and residents at UW School of Medicine and Graduate Medical Education what being first gen means to them | From UW Medicine's The Huddle

National Nurse Practitioner Week – Nov. 13-19

More Than Medicine: Nurse Practitioners and the Problems They Solve for Patients, Health Care Organizations, and the State (2020) eBook. “…the problems found in the NP's exam room are as much a product of our nation's disinvestment in social problems as of physician scarcity or rising costs.” from book summary.

Primary Care: The Art and Science of Advanced Practice Nursing (2015) eBook. “Written by nurse practitioners for nurse practitioners in collaboration with a physician, this popular text builds a solid understanding of the theoretical foundation of nursing practice…” provided by publisher.

Lippincott Certification Review: Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (2016) eBook. “…the ideal companion while preparing for the Acute Care CPNP(r) exam administered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Review Board…” from book summary.

Acute-Care Nurse Practitioner: A Transformational Journey (2014) eBook. The Acute-Care Nurse Practitioner is based on in-depth interviews with twenty-six nurse practitioners working in acute-care settings within tertiary-care institutions all across Canada.

Male Nurse Practitioner: The Effectiveness of University Recruitment Programs (2013) Dissertation.

The Health Wagon(2014) eVideo of a 60 Minutes news segment. "Nurse practitioners are providing badly needed health care to the uninsured working poor in Appalachia..."

Nurse Practitioner (NP). General info page on nurse practitioners from the MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia.

Celebrate National Medical Librarians Month!

Increase in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in a news release in April of 2021 that there had been a rise in US cases of STDs in 2019, marking six consecutive years of increasing cases of sexually transmitted infections. While there was a temporary decline in reported cases during the start of the pandemic, health officials believe this was due to a decrease in the availability of STD testing services. They note the surge of reported STD cases as testing clinics were able to re-open after the disruption to some health care services brought on by the pandemic. The increase in recent years is likely due to several factors; the CDC news release cites drug use, poverty, and unstable housing as contributing factors. Even online dating sites have been proposed as a possible factor.

Some of the more serious consequences from STDs include an increased risk of getting HIV, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and complications for newborns—including death. Due to these health complications and the increase in rates of STIs, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services devised a Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan (STI Plan): 2021—2025. In an effort to reverse the trend, the plan outlines strategies to prevent new STIs, improve treatment, advance STI research, reduce STI health disparities, and achieve coordinated efforts to address the STI epidemic.

UW Resources

General Resources

Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs – 2021 print book.
6 Things You Don’t Know (But Should) About STIs – UW Medicine Right as Rain article, Feb. 2020.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) – UW Medicine patient education page.
UW Sexual Health information page, including where to get:
- Free safer sex supplies: mail order to home or pick up at Hall Health.
- Confidential STI testing and treatment.
- PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) prescription medication for people at risk of HIV to help prevent HIV transmission.
- HPV vaccination.

Clinicians

National STD Curriculum – University of Washington free educational website which includes lessons for CNE/CME credit as well as a library of STD podcast episodes.
The University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center – From the website: Dedicated to increasing the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers in the area of sexual health.
Teaching Young Men About Sexually Transmitted Infections –2014 instructional video from the series, Reaching Teens: Strength-Based Communication Strategies to Build Resilience and Support Healthy Adolescent Development.
Sexually Transmitted Disease and Male Infertility: A Systematic Review – European Urology Focus journal article Oct. 2016
Sexually Transmitted Infection Knowledge among Older Adults: Psychometrics and Test–Retest Reliability – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health article, Apr. 2020.
Time in Jail or Prison Is Associated with an Increased Risk of STDs – Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health article, Sept. 2011.

For Providers

Expedited Partner Therapy – STD treatment and screening page.
Training – STD training page includes webinars, flashcards, clinical slides, prevention courses.
Laboratory Information – Includes how to request laboratory testing through CDC.

For General Public (fact sheets also in Spanish)

Li Lu Library Grand Opening

The Li Lu Library's grand opening party on September 28th was a huge success!

The Health Sciences Library planned the event which attracted over 350 students, staff, and faculty members. Health Sciences Library staff answered questions and provided information on library services. Library vendors in attendance included the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), EBSCO, McGraw Hill, the Odegaard Writing + Research Center (OWRC) and Harborview's EthnoMed program, who connected with students to share and educate about their resources.

Dubs himself made an appearance for photos, drawing a large crowd who were able to learn about the Li Lu Library and library resources. Attendees stopped by for cookies, giveaways, photos with Dubs, and to chat with our librarians and vendor partners.

The Li Lu Library space will be a collaborative space for students in all health sciences programs to learn and study together. Learn More >

The Rise of Telemedicine in the Age of Covid-19

Telehealth services have been used for years to provide healthcare to underserved communities such as patients in rural settings. As defined by the Health Services and Resources Administration, telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration, and public health. While telehealth and more specifically telemedicine is not new, the COVID-19 pandemic created an environment where remote clinical services were needed more than ever before. Practitioners made use of video chat programs with patients in place of in-person office visits to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Due to the need to keep patients safe while providing healthcare during the health crisis, federal and state government regulators made changes to telehealth policies allowing a greater number of people to make use of these types of services. Though some rule changes are temporary, other changes to policy may be permanent as the increased use of telehealth brought to light the value of remote clinical services in a broad range of medical fields. Still, along with the realization that telehealth tools help patients, some consider concerns and issues that may need to be addressed in order to ensure telehealth and telemedicine is used responsibly and that underserved patients continue to benefit from its use.

Ebooks

Monkeypox Outbreak 2022

While the scourge of COVID-19 continues to affect the lives of people all over the world, many have turned their attention to another viral disease, monkeypox, which is circulating in several countries across the globe.

Monkeypox, a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus, is related to the smallpox virus causing similar but less severe symptoms. It is transmitted to people through close contact with infected individuals or animals, even materials contaminated by infected individuals such as bedding. Though most common in some Central and West African countries, there have been occasional monkeypox outbreaks in other parts of the world, including the global outbreak of the virus in May of this year.

Listed below are a few resources—websites, articles, and fact sheets—on monkeypox.

Monkeypox Facts and Data

Monkeypox Key Facts. World Health Organization 5/19/2022
Monkeypox virus (MVP). Washington State Department of Health data & faq page updated 8/18/2022
Monkeypox Signs and Symptoms. CDC info page updated 8/5/2022
Biden--Harris Administration's Monkeypox Outbreak Response. Statement/fact-sheet 6/28/2022

Preventing the Spread: Sexual Health and Vaccination

Safer Sex, Social Gatherings, and Monkeypox. CDC's monkeypox prevention fact sheet (includes versions in other languages) updated 8/5/2022
Public Health Sexual Health Clinic at Harborview. Monkeypox vaccination Harborview Clinic hours and availability updated 8/9/2022
Monkeypox Vaccine. Public Health -- Seattle & King County updated 8/16/2022

Pets & other animals

How to keep your pets safe from Monkeypox -- and what to do if they do get it. NPR article published 8/16/2022
Investigating Monkeypox in the Wild. U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey fact sheet 7/2004
Monkeypox in Animals. CDC info page updated 8/17/2022

Author: Michael Moore