Michigan Health Go Local

MHGL ceases operation December 1, 2010

2010-11-30T13:25:00.006-05:00

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

2010-10-05T13:25:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-03-08T10:45:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-19T16:27:00.004-05:00

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

-------------------------------------------
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

2010-02-04T15:33:00.001-05:00

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

2009-12-15T13:08:00.013-05:00

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

2009-12-01T11:30:00.008-05:00

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.

Michigan Health Go Local goes to MLA

2009-11-02T18:03:00.004-05:00

November 2009

On Wed. Nov. 4, JILL TURNER, MHGL Selector/Reviewer and LINDA DRAPER, MHGL Project Director will attend Michigan Library Association's conference in Lansing, MI. We are presenting "Consumer Health All-Stars in Michigan Libraries: MedlinePlus and Michigan Health Go Local in Your Community."

On Thu. Nov. 5, we are exhibiting a poster at the MLA titled "10 Easy Pieces: Quick Tips to Make CHI Shine at Your Library!" Creators of the poster are LINDA, JILL and SANDRA MARTIN, MHGL Project Leader.

We are on a mission to encourage all Michigan libraries that want to deliver good consumer health information - to keep it short and simple (KISS). Just add links to MedlinePlus and Michigan Health Go Local on library web sites.

For some flyers to help promote this goal, check out this previous blog post.

13,000 Benchmark & a New Name!

2009-11-02T17:09:00.005-05:00

August 2009

We changed our name officially to Michigan Health Go Local this last August 2009, adding HEALTH to our name. A new logo and banner were also created. We want to thank JOSHUA NEDS-FOX at Wayne State University Library Systems for his web graphics help. Thumbs up and kudos for all the great work he does!

June 2009

The 13,000 records mark for approved records was met this summer. SUZANNE VAN PELT, one of the hard-working Selectors/Reviewers, was watching our database closely for this important milestone. SUZANNE entered her first record into the online directory December 2005. That was 13 months before we went "live".

Michigan Go Local flyers

2009-06-15T14:00:00.002-04:00

Michigan Go Local (consumer flyer)
http://www.lib.wayne.edu/sites/migolocal/docs/migolocal.pdf

What is Michigan Go Local? (professional flyer)
http://www.lib.wayne.edu/sites/migolocal/docs/whatismgl.pdf

1o Quick Tips to Make Consumer Health Shine at Your Michigan Library
http://www.lib.wayne.edu/sites/migolocal/docs/tentips.pdf

May 2009

2009-04-30T01:47:00.001-04:00

May 1

Michigan Go Local (MGL) staffers present in two Michigan locations:

Traverse City - Loleta Fyan Rural Libraries Conference 2009: Small Libraries, BIG Service! by LINDA DRAPER, MGL project director

Warren - Southeastern Michigan League of Libraries (SEMLOL) by JILL TURNER, MGL selector/reviewer

12,000 Records!

2009-04-30T01:12:00.003-04:00

February 2009

Feb. 26 was the date SUZANNE VAN PELT, MGL selector/reviewer observed the 12K milestone of approved records roll forward. Drum roll, indeed!

March 2008 Events

2008-03-17T23:10:00.007-04:00

March 18

Michigan Go Local presents at Michigan's Public Health Technology Conference in East Lansing. ANNETTE HEALY and LINDA DRAPER are scheduled to conduct 2 hands-on computer sessions.

10,000 Records!

2008-02-20T17:31:00.015-05:00

February 2008

MGL passed the 10K milestone.

We have officially been "live" for one year since launch date January 24, 2007 . Time sure flies when you're having fun!

Fast Facts:

Approved Records = 10,131
Audited Records = 2,932
Visits in January = 859
Average per day = 27
Most popular = Arthritis (30 hits) and Clinical Trials (23 hits)

(Source: National Library of Medicine Go Local Database and WEBSTATS, selected data summary by DEBORAH CHARBONNEAU)

January 2008

Welcome Royal Oak librarians: MARGIE KOWALCZYK and MARY ANN DEKANE.

They are part of the Royal Oak Health Information Portal (ROHIP) ropl.org/health project. LINDA DRAPER, MGL project director trained and will follow-up with Margie and Mary Ann as new selectors. They will review health services in the Royal Oak area, to audit existing records and add new records to the database.

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!

ANNETTE HEALY is lead author on an article about Michigan Go Local. It's published electronically in the January issue by the Michigan Library Association.

Healy, A.M., Draper, L.A., Turner, J.A., Van Pelt, S.M., Marks, E.B. (2008). Michigan Go Local: Connecting Michigan Residents with Health Services [Electronic Version]. MLA Forum, 6 from www.mlaforum.org/volumeVI/article1.html

November 2007

MGL exhibited a poster, Michigan Go Local: Online Statewide Directory of Public Health Services and More at Michigan's Premier Public Health Conference in Dearborn MI.

Public health professionals were greeted by LINDA DRAPER, JILL TURNER and DEBORAH CHARBONNEAU of Shiffman Medical Library.

9000 Records!

2007-09-27T10:56:00.001-04:00

September 2007, Michigan Go Local passed the 9K milestone.

Fast Facts:

Approved records = 9,282
Audited records = 1,131

Sept 26-28

Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association (MHSLA) Annual Conference in Bay City, MI hosted a Lunch & Learn session on Michigan Go Local. The update for health sciences librarians was presented by MGL project director, LINDA DRAPER . The presentation has been posted by MHSLA on their website www.mhsla.org/home/GoLocalMHSLA07.ppt

ANNETTE HEALY, consultant and former project director is presenting a poster on statistics from the first 6 months of Michigan Go Local.

SHIRLEY LANGEBARTELS, Wayne State University, graduate student of Library Information Science Program (LISP) attended and participated in the the MHSLA conference on a scholarship awarded by the organization. Congrats, Shirley! She is also a volunteer working on Go Local, primarily focused on audting records in her home county of Lapeer.

Sept 19

Royal Oak Health Information Portal (ROHIP) held its first health lecture by Beaumont Hospital faculty on Integrative Medicine. MedlinePlus and Michigan Go Local are part of the year long project. Read more about it! Visit the Royal Oak Public Library website!

8000 Records!

2007-07-15T12:14:00.001-04:00

Another milestone has been reached primarily due to the dedication and skills of librarians JILL TURNER and SUZANNE VAN PELT who are MGL reviewers. Keep up the wonderful work you both do!

New librarian KRISTINA CROFUT and library and information science graduate student SHIRLEY LANGEBARTELS have also joined the MGL effort as selectors. Welcome!

Fast Facts:

Approved records = 8051
Libraries or library associations that link to MGL = 21
State of Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) adds link = http://michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2940_2955_2982_45999---,00.html

May 2007 Events

2007-05-31T20:32:00.000-04:00

May 31
Total approved Michigan Go Local records = 7,646
Michigan libraries or library associations linking to MGL = 20

May 16
METTA LANSDALE, director of Royal Oak Public Library announced plans to launch a Health Information Portal, partnering with William Beaumont Hospital and Wayne State University's Shiffman Medical Library and Library and Information Science Program (LISP) This exciting community health information project will be funded by a contract with the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). One component of the endeavor includes regional input into Michigan Go Local. For more details read Metta's news release http://tln.lib.mi.us/news/2007/5/21/roak-healthinfoportal.pdf

May 10
Michigan Go Local was presented in Lansing at the Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) at a class hosted by the Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association (MHSLA). Participants were librarians and support staff from libraries across the state - from Grand Rapids to Royal Oak. LINDA DRAPER, MGL project director coordinated the session.

7000 Records and LIVE!

2007-05-02T17:59:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local successfully launched January 24, 2007. Records for hospitals and public health departments serving all counties in the state have been completed.

ANNETTE HEALY, project director since 2004 accepted a position at Wayne State University, Science & Engineering Library in Detroit, but still serves as a project consultant. Thanks, Annette, for your tremendous accomplishments and hard work!

LINDA DRAPER, current project director, made the first official presentation of Michigan Go Local to Michigan Department of Community Health and Michigan HIV/AIDS Council on March 23 in Eaton Rapids.

April 2, the 7,000 benchmark was reached for approved records.

6000 records!

2006-11-21T16:21:00.000-05:00

As we continue to add records to the Michigan Go Local database, we have reached a new milestone of 6000 approved records. In the figure on the right, counties in which hospital and health system data entry has been completed are indicated in blue. We are still on target to launch the database in January 2007.

Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association Conference

2006-11-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

Annette Healy presented an update of the Michigan Go Local project on October 20, 2006 at the Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association Conference, which was held on the campus of Michigan State University. The presentation featured an update of the status of the project, recognition for those who have contributed to the project and a preview of the site as it will look when it becomes available online in January 2007.

Michigan Library Association Conference

2006-10-17T11:17:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local staff presented an exhibit at the Michigan Library Association Conference in Detroit on October 11-12, 2006. The purpose of the exhibit was to inform librarians across the state about the Michigan Go Local project. The librarians we spoke with are excited about soon having access to a directory of health services. Michigan Go Local will allow them to better assist their patrons in locating health services in their community.

5000 Records!

2006-09-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local now has 5000 approved records. In the figure, the counties colored in blue are those for which the hospital and health system data entry has been completed. The remaining counties will be finished before the database becomes publicly available in January 2007.

4000 Records!

2006-07-10T15:49:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local now contains more that 4000 approved records. The counties colored in blue represent those counties in which hospital and health system data entry has been completed. We are now working on hospital and health system data for the remaining counties. Thank you to the Michigan Go Local staff for their outstanding dedication!

3000 Records!

2006-05-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local now contains more than 3000 approved records. We were able to add and approve 1000 records in just six weeks. The database now contains more than 600 pharmacies and 700 clinics. We are continuing to add records for hospitals and health systems on a county by county basis. Congratulations to all Michigan Go Local staff members for their continued dedication.

2000 Records!

2006-04-10T10:54:00.000-04:00

Michigan Go Local continues to grow. We now have more than 2000 approved records. These records include more than 400 nursing homes and 200 pharmacies. Hospital data for 19 of Michigan's 83 counties has been completed. Special thanks to all those who have analyzed and entered data into the database.

Database update

2006-03-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Michigan Go Local now has 1500 approved records in the database. Our staff is currently working on entering records for all the hospitals and health systems in the state. These records are our top priority as we work toward making the database publicly available later this year. Stay tuned for further updates.

Conference presentation

2006-03-08T13:11:00.000-05:00

Annette Healy and Linda Draper were invited to give a workshop on Michigan Go Local at the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards Winter Conference (www.macmhb.org) on February 28, 2006 in Lansing, Michigan. The workshop included a description of Michigan Go Local, project status, project priorities, information on how to submit an organization for inclusion and a preview of how Michigan Go Local will look and work when it becomes publicly available later this year.

Welcome!

2006-02-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Michigan Go Local weblog. This blog will provide you with news and updates about the project. To learn more about the project, please visit our web site: http://www.lib.wayne.edu/shiffman/migolocal/