New Health Library Opens at Jordan Valley Community Health Center
August 11, 2011 —
Patients and families of Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield will have easy access to reliable health information with the Aug. 13 opening of The Health Library at Jordan Valley.
This satellite service of the Springfield-Greene County Library District is a partnership with Jordan Valley Community Health Center. The 1,000-square-foot library is located in the lobby of the clinic, 440 E. Tampa St.
The collection will include 500 to 1,000 of the library district’s consumer health and medical materials. The satellite service will enable Jordan Valley clients to be better informed and involved in their health care. The collection is diverse enough that it offers something for patrons ranging from infants to seniors, said library Associate Director Jim Schmidt.
A part-time health librarian will focus on the health information needs of Jordan Valley patients and the community at large. Visitors will be able to check out materials or read while waiting for appointments or prescriptions and/or research health matters on Internet computers. Preschoolers will be able to play at early literacy computer stations.
“The Library is excited to be working with the Jordan Valley facility to help further the health and wellness education of Greene County's citizens,” said library district Executive Director Regina Greer Cooper. “Our satellite service will provide Jordan Valley's patients with the services of a professional librarian who can guide them in accessing information about health issues. Having the resources onsite immediately after their visit with a health care professional will be very convenient,” Cooper said.
The Health Library at Jordan Valley will be dedicated at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, to kick off Keep Kids Healthy, a celebration to promote back to school preparedness. From 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Jordan Valley Community Health Center and community partners will provide games, bounce houses, kids’ craft activities, drawings for prizes, free school supplies, refreshments and free books. The Mobile Library, the library district’s new bookmobile, will also be available outside.
Activities will be provided by partners including the WIC Clinic, YMCA, the library district, Safe Kids, Missouri 2-1-1, Caring Communities and the Springfield Urban Agriculture Coalition.
“We’re excited to become a home for the satellite health library,” said Jordan Valley Community Health Center President Brooks Miller.
“Through our partnership with the Library and additional support from the Missouri Foundation for Health, we’re pleased to provide space and equipment to set up a unique satellite service to bring health information to our patients, clinicians and to an area in overall need of health information,” Miller said. “It’s especially appropriate to dedicate it during Keep Kids Healthy, a day that we devote to improving the health of children, promoting educational opportunities, and providing a safe, healthy start back to school.”
The Health Library at Jordan Valley is funded through grants and resources of Jordan Valley Community Health Center and the Springfield-Greene County Library District.
About Jordan Valley Community Health Center:
Jordan Valley Community Health Center at 440 E. Tampa St. is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jordan Valley Dental Clinic, 618N. Benton Ave., is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jordan Valley’s comprehensive approach to care includes medical care, dental care, behavioral health services, a full-service pharmacy on site and a second location in Marshfield, Mo.