142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

302654
Public Libraries as Community Centers to Improve Health Access and Increase Health Equity

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Tamara Michel, MPH , Special Programs and Services Department, Queens Library, Jamaica, NY
Savitri Seupersad, MPH , Special Programs and Services Department, Queens Library, Jamaica, NY
Public libraries serve as vital information sources for community residents.  Individuals, particularly in urban, medically underserved communities, including some of the most isolated neighborhoods of Queens, New York, rely heavily on their community libraries as trusted institutions.  According to Census data, nearly half of Queens residents are foreign-born, and more than half speak a language other than English in their homes.  Queens is incredibly diverse: approximately 21% Black or African American, 25% Asian, and 28% Hispanic or Latino. 

Queens Library serves as a model for developing strategic community-academic and community-medical partnerships that reach broadly and deeply into marginalized neighborhoods to provide information and resources that are accessible to those with the greatest need.  This presentation will present methods used to maximize the impact partnerships can have to: tailor interventions to raise awareness and increase knowledge surrounding the most common health issues through culturally appropriate education; increase access to cancer screenings in communities with disproportionately high rates of late-stage cancer detection; facilitate access to primary care in shortage areas through free health screenings and opportunities to obtain medical appointments (to take place at local Federally Qualified Health Centers) in various trusted community settings.

In the last year alone, through formal and informal partnerships, Queens Library has reached approximately 30,000 residents through health programming and outreach.  Of those, more than 1000 received health screenings, including more than 200 cancer screenings.  In addition, more than 100 were referred for primary care appointments in eight of our 62 community library locations.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Identify and define public libraries as centers for community organizing around local health issues. Demonstrate ways that community libraries allow for cultural tailoring of health interventions in order to increase effectiveness. Demonstrate the value of partnerships in developing successful models for community health interventions, staff capacity building, and customer referrals.

Keyword(s): Community Health Programs, Health Promotion and Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I coordinated daily functions for a public health intervention to link medically underserved communities with primary care through public library systems in a unique urban setting.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.