Health Bytes with Region 3

"The Future Will See You Now: AI for Healthcare, A Library’s Perspective"

Newly released AI tools are poised to dramatically disrupt multiple industries, including healthcare and libraries. We’ll explore numerous healthcare applications that use AI, both current and in development - from a new industry-saving “bot workforce” to self-driving microscopes. In this special edition of Health Bytes, we’ll discuss the criticisms and concerns this technology is garnering and its potential effect on jobs, education, and libraries. With AI, comes the need for more student–centered learning and greater information literacy needs which libraries can provide. Please come and explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI. Make sure to bring questions for our interactive discussion for this special edition of Health Bytes!

Elizabeth A. Gross, Associate Professor of Library Science and Technology at Sam Houston State University

"Making the link between structural inequities and health disparities: Implications for community based helping professionals" is presented by Dr. Emily Spence, Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity at the UNTHSC School of Public Health.

"Prime Time Nourish: Discussing Food and the Human Experience through the Lens of Children’s Books" is presented by Sarah DeBacher, Director of Curriculum Development and National Partners at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Through the lens of the humanities, we come to understand how food does more than simply feed us. Food evokes feelings and elicits memories, connecting us to our family histories through recipes passed down from generation to generation. Food connects us to our communities and ancestors through its central role in religious and cultural traditions. And food as a commodity, often a scarce one, has played a central role in the geographic movement of people, giving rise to wars, and bringing peace. Prime Time Nourish allows us to explore the big ideas that arise when we talk about food and the human experience. Prime Time Nourish was developed in 2021 as the culmination of a multi-year project exploring food as both fuel for our bodies and fodder for rich, intergenerational discussions among the audiences that attend Prime Time Family Reading programs. Launched in 1991 by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Prime Time Family Reading has since reached more than 50,000 families in over 40 partner states. Families who engage in the story-sharing, discussion, and center-based play sparked by Prime Time Nourish are able to articulate the significance of food in their lives and communities, and to make informed and thoughtful decisions about how they put themselves in relationship with food. This presentation will highlight program features, impact, and opportunities for partnership.

No MLA CE is available for this episode.

 "A Deep Dive into Systematic Reviews" is a three-part podcast series hosted by Prasanna Vaduvathiriyan and Margie Sheppard. The podcast was recorded at The University of Kansas Medical Center. In this Q&A podcast we explore in depth questions about Systematic Reviews.

No MLA CE is available for this episode.

 "A Deep Dive into Systematic Reviews" is a three-part podcast series hosted by Prasanna Vaduvathiriyan and Margie Sheppard. The podcast was recorded at The University of Kansas Medical Center. In this Q&A podcast we explore in depth questions about Systematic Reviews.

No MLA CE is available for this episode. "A Deep Dive into Systematic Reviews" is a three-part podcast series hosted by Prasanna Vaduvathiriyan and Margie Sheppard. The podcast was recorded at The University of Kansas Medical Center. In this Q&A podcast we explore in depth questions about Systematic Reviews.

"Improving Health Outcomes: Utilizing Integrated Behavioral Health and Value-Based Payment Modeling to Transform Healthcare with Older Adults" is presented by Jennifer E Hubbard, LCSW, LAC and Elle Markman, PsyD, MPH from One Medical.

"Creativity, Ideation, and Engagement: How a grant idea is formed" is presented by Lorraine Sheldon, Community Engagement Librarian for the Gibson D. Lewis Library at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Forming partnerships, thinking of grant ideas, and finding the time to execute projects can feel daunting, especially when it isn’t clear where to start. Gibson D. Lewis Library at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth dedicates full-time staff to outreach and community engagement, an intentional focus for over 30 years. Grants have been a central part of our efforts since 2002. This session will walk through a practical process of identifying grant ideas, provide real-life examples, and explore learned insights. Together we will demystify the creative process and gain confidence in building a grant that works for everyone’s situation.

"Campus Connections: A Solo Librarian’s Journey Launching a Satellite Health Science Library" is presented by Karina Kletscher, MLIS, AHIP, Reference and Instruction Librarian on the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

With the almost paradoxical shift towards decreasing physical footprints and funding and increasing satellite campuses (and thus constituencies), academic libraries are facing pressure to - in any combination - consolidate, launch, or close physical spaces and move towards digital collections. In the health sciences, this situation is compounded by the rapidly rising cost and amount of electronic health information, the urgency to open academic medical centers in areas with needs for health professionals, and pressures of programs and their professional learners. Karina Kletscher was hired as the solo librarian charged with launching a satellite library on Creighton University’s new regional Health Sciences Campus in Arizona, several states away from Creighton's Nebraska campus. While solo and distance librarianship are not new, these models with various versions of their own aren’t well understood outside of librarianship, especially as they evolve alongside the rapidly changing environment. Kletscher will share her experience as a solo librarian through her journey developing a primarily digital library with a self-service model.

"Social Workers: Building a Connection Between the Library, Service Agencies and Patrons" is presented by Beth Hill, MSW, Community Resources Sr Specialist at the Kansas City, MO Public Library.

It's hard for people to navigate complex systems to obtain basic needs when faced with life changing events. The Kansas City Public Library recognized that members of their community would benefit from a program that helps pave the way. To fill the need, KCPL launched Community Resources. The Community Resources Team provides individuals experiencing life challenges an inclusive place to access the connections, support, and services they need. Made up of social workers, education specialists and librarians, the team offers help to community members in a variety of ways, through multiple channels. This presentation will share how Community Resources came to be at the Kansas City Public Library, what the program consists of and how it has expanded since the pandemic and what the plans are for the future.   

"Farming for Public Health: Thinking Upstream" is presented by Audrey Tran Lam from the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education. Approximately 50 million pounds of pesticides are applied to corn and beans in Iowa annually.  As troubles of escalating pesticide use in Iowa and the Midwest are becoming more visible (weed resistance, pesticide drift, crop damage, etc.), there is a paucity of easily accessible informational resources for Iowans about the environmental and public health impacts of pesticides in our state. Furthermore, the system of agriculture that relies so heavily on synthetic chemical inputs has many other implications on ecological sustainability that ultimately impact human health. This podcast will help listeners think critically about the downstream implications of current agricultural practices in the Midwest and their impacts on human and environmental health. 

"Musicians' Hearing Health" is presented by musician health expert and freelance journalist Dr. Kensley Behel. Noise-induced hearing loss is a preeminent concern among musicians, educators, and researchers worldwide. National health standards for tertiary institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) mandate that faculty, students, and staff be educated on hearing health fundamentals.  Similar standards exist in Texas for junior high and high school educators. This presentation will introduce noise-induced hearing loss, current standards, prevention measures and ways to integrate prevention methods in the music classroom.