HSLANJ Honors Library Support Persons of the Year
/ 11 April 2014 / No CommentsAbove Photo: From Left: Janina Kaldan, Library Manager, Morristown Medical Center, Award Winner Marge Levine, Award Winner Gene Elwood.
Gene Elwood, Teresa Farella, and Marge Levine, Morristown Medical Center, were each awarded the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey’s Library Support Person of the Year award at their annual business meeting on April 3rd.
Created in 2013, the Health Information Ambassador Program is a collaborative effort between the Shinn-Lathrope Library and the hospital’s volunteer department. Volunteers for the Ambassador Program visit hospital inpatients at least once during their stay. The ambassador speaks with the patient and visiting family members, asking if they would like any additional information about their diagnosis or any other health concerns they may have. If they are interested, the ambassador will complete a Consumer Library Information Prescription (CLIP) form. If they do not need any information at the moment, the ambassador will leave the CLIP form in case they’d like some information later and a MEDLINE Plus bookmark if they would like to do some research on their own.
Teresa Farella
“While vising the rooms, our ambassadors project a warm, cheerful attitude to our patients,” said Janina Kaldan, Library Manager, Shinn-Lathrope Library. “They go out of their way to help people in need by contacting patient liaisons, nursing assistants, or social workers, whatever they can do that will make the patient feel more comfortable,” Kaldan said.
“I definitely enjoy representing the CLIP prescription to the patients. I believe it helps them to better connect with the hospital and reinforces the hospital’s commitment to their care,” Elwood said. “Patients are amazed that our medical library will research information for them and actually get it into their hands within hours. In my opinion, this program helps to keep AHS on the leading edge,” he said.
