MHGL ceases operation December 1, 2010

The Vera P. Shiffman Medical Library regrets to announce that Michigan Health Go Local (MHGL) will cease operation December 1, 2010.

OUR HISTORY
MHGL has been a provider of health services information to Michigan residents since January 2007. This MedlinePlus Go Local initiative was introduced by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2000. The Shiffman Medical Library began its development of a Michigan database in 2004 with support from the NLM. During the height of its operation, MHGL grew to almost 15,000 records representing 200 different health services including hospitals and public health departments, support groups and free clinics throughout all 83 counties in the state. Each record was vetted and updated by medical librarians then indexed with 300 medical and health topics.

A move by NLM to redirect its resources after close evaluation resulted in the decision, announced in February 2010, to discontinue further support and development of Go Local Projects. Despite several attempts, efforts to obtain ongoing local support for the Michigan-based web resource have proven unsuccessful. We are forced to refocus our efforts toward providing community health information outreach through traditional sources and the creation of alternative venues. We deeply appreciate the relationships and support we have enjoyed with NLM and all our colleagues over the years of this project and look forward to the future opportunities.

OUR FUTURE
Our current plans include collaborating with regional partners to share the data from the Michigan Health Go Local project to benefit Michigan residents. We will continue to announce specific partnerships and other outreach activities as they develop. In the meantime, please continue to use MedlinePlus medlineplus.gov as a trusted resource for consumer health information and contact us through email migolocal@wayne.edu or phone 313-577-6666 for local health information assistance. Visit our new website www.mihealthgolocal.org/

We sincerely appreciate all the support we have received from our colleagues and the community.

Sandra I. Martin, Interim Director
Shiffman Medical Library
Wayne State University

Linda A. Draper, Outreach Librarian
Shiffman Medical Library
Wayne State University
313-577-8943
Ldraper@wayne.edu

Michigan Health Go Local on Facebook

MHGL now has a Facebook page thanks to the efforts of Wayne State University (WSU) School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) graduate students: DANIEL BRYAN, AMY HITCHINGHAM and ELISE PAASCH. Visit the MHGL Facebook page and check out some of our outreach activities including one held September 2010 for the Detroit VA Positive Vets Support Group.

Michigan Health Go Local – Alive and Well!

Michigan Health Go Local (MHGL) will continue the outreach mission of providing reliable consumer health information to the residents of the state of Michigan, even though National Library of Medicine (NLM) will cease support during 2010. Within the next 6-12 months NLM will no longer host the web page and database, but will provide help during the transition as we determine the future of the project. What we are doing in Michigan right now is collaborating with community partners and seeking ideas, suggestions and commitments on how to best accomplish our mission. If you would like to be part of this project we ask your participation in a brief survey.

1. Do you think Michigan Health Go Local should continue? (Yes or No)
2. Would the inclusion of your organization as a partner improve Michigan Health Go Local? (Yes or No)
3. If you answered Yes to questions 1 and 2, who is/are the most likely person(s) to contact for further discussion and possible meetings to pursue this further?

(For confidential replies, please send your answers in an email directly to migolocal@wayne.edu )

Thank you!
Linda Draper, Project Director

MedlinePlus Go Local Announcement by NLM

National Library of Michigan (NLM) announced on Feb. 18, 2010 they will discontinue support of the MedlinePlus Go Local projects. See below for the statement from NLM.

The future of Michigan Health Go Local has not been determined at this point, however we are accepting comments. Please share your thoughts.

Thanks, Linda Draper
Project Director, Michigan Health Go Local
ldraper@wayne.edu
migolocal@wayne.edu

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Forwarded from the National Library of Medicine:

Colleagues: Since 2001, the National Library of Medicine has supported Go Local web sites across the United States. The goal of Go Local was to connect users to health services in their local communities. This seemed like a natural extension to MedlinePlus, which provides health information. In 2001, Go Local was a unique service.

Over the past nine years, the Internet has evolved. Search engines that people use daily, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, bring health services listings to users. These sites include provider-level directory information and can collect user reviews that Go Local cannot. Health insurance sites give insured users local practice details, such as hours, fees, parking, and quality ratings based on provider or facility performance measures. To include this granularity in Go Local would not be feasible.

The changed Internet environment, coupled with declining use, has led to a decision by NLM to phase down and end its support for the MedlinePlus Go Local program. Resources are tight throughout our profession and as the internet has moved forward, it no longer makes sense to use scarce resources to compete with machine-based indexing used by the search engines.

NLM is grateful to the hundreds of people whose time, labor, ideas and patience went into creating Go Local. For many years we could proudly point to Go Local as a unique and valuable service to so many people in this country. We will be working with our partners around the country as they make decisions about what to do in their local areas.

Treatment for Winter Blues

The holidays are but a dim memory. Here in Michigan, the days continue to be short, and for the most part, snowy and cold. January and February are usually the months when people experience post holiday depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). These conditions cause sufferers to feel a decrease in energy and a lack of interest in life. Whether post holiday depression, SAD, or clinical depression, treatment is available from your local health professional. Michigan Health Go Local includes listings for Mental Health Clinics/Programs, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Counselors. You can choose any of these service terms from the Directory or you can choose the health terms mental health or depression.

As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for organizations that you would like to see included in Michigan Health Go Local, please email us at migolocal@wayne.edu.

Michigan Food Pantries

Tis the season when thoughts turn to providing those less fortunate with food for the holidays and into the new year.

Here at MHGL, we have been diligently working to add the many local food pantries throughout Michigan to the database. Most food pantries have limited days and times when they are available to provide services. To find a food pantry near you, search for the service term "Food Programs", then limit by geographical area.

If you have any comments or suggestions for organizations that you would like to see included in Michigan Health Go Local, please email us at migolocal@wayne.edu.

Michigan Acupuncturists

Michigan Health Go Local database now includes Acupuncturists. Since the State of Michigan does not yet require Acupuncturists to be licensed, practitioner credentials include either licensing in a state that does require a license to practice or certification through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). According to their website, NCCAOM is a non-profit organization whose "mission is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public." "NCCAOM Certification indicates to employers, patients, and peers that the practitioner has met national standards for the safe and competent practice of acupuncture as defined by the profession."

If you have any comments or suggestions for organizations that you would like to see included in Michigan Health Go Local, please email us at migolocal@wayne.edu.