Health Information Library Debuts in Sullivan County

NY Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther

Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris now offers consumer-friendly health information services to all Sullivan County residents under the leadership of Maryallison Farley, MS, Library Manager. A grand opening of the "new" Health Information Library in April drew as many as 150 people who packed into the Library and the adjoining hallway where two tables of delicious appetizers and drinks served as backdrop for the ribbon cutting ceremony. NY Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, a former hospital nursing staff and Library Committee member, headlined the event which also featured remarks by Richard Baum, Chairperson of CRMC's Board of Trustees, and Art Brien, President and CEO who both recognized the significance of the new resource center to the hospital and the rural community.

The six year effort to renovate and expand the medical library and make it a Planetree health resource to empower patients to make better decisions about their health became a reality through funding from three different external sources: a grant from the NY Academy of Medicine (The Regional Medical Library of the NN/LM system), a generous bequest from a former longtime Library volunteer, and a hospital fund for complementary medicine projects. Open to patients and the community four days a week with evening hours on Tuesday, the HIL is continuing to build a collection of consumer friendly books which circulate. Spanish materials, computers with wide, flat-screened monitors (2 for patient and community users, and 2 for hospital and library staff), scanner, and laptop for community presentations, children's corner, new wooden shelving and comfortable chairs are all new. Hospital staff are also library customers and a new, separate work space for staff and card swipe access make the resources more welcoming and available 24/7. In fact, physicians, pharmacists, therapists, staff educators, and nurses seem as excited about the "new" library as Maryallison does. One doctor said he felt as though he were at a major medical center.

Aileen Gunther, NYS Assembly,
Art Brien, CRMC President & CEO,
Richard Baum, Chair, CRMC Board,
Maryallison Farley, Library Manager

This successful project serves as shining example of how persistence and resourcefulness pay off, even in an environment when almost all healthcare organizations are stretched for funds. The partnerships and collaborative efforts are resulting in improved access to reliable health information as well as enhancing the profile of the HIL in the CRMC organization and in the community. Local library world attendees included Marge Linko from Liberty Public Library, Robert Hubsher from RCLS, MaryJo Russell from Vassar Brothers Medical Center ( who also spent time at CRMC early in her career) and Patricia Carroll-Mathes. Congratulations to Maryallison and CRMC!

The Children's Corner	Mary Jo Russell, Vassar Brothers Medical Center Librarian

By Patricia Carroll-Mathes, Hospital Library Program Manager

Southeastern News Online is published by SENYLRC staff.