Blue Ridge AHEC - Project REACH II

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DESCRIPTION: (provided by the applicant) Project REACH (Regional Electronic Access = Changing Healthcare) Phase Two proposes the maintenance and expansion of an electronic health care information and education network which was established by Phase One of Project REACH. This network links the offices of the Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Floyd Medical Center Medical Library, Hamilton Medical Center Medical Library, Kennesaw State University Library, and ten health care facilities. Phase two of the project proposes the expansion of the network to include eight additional sites. This proposal continues to respond to the identified needs for resources, information access and training of rural and urban health care professionals and institutions in 20 counties in Northwest Georgia (an area slightly larger than the state of Connecticut and the same size as the island of Hawaii), of which 18 have been designated as HPSA (Health Professional Shortage Areas) and 16 as MUA (Medically Underserved Areas). This mountain area attracts a rapidly aging retirement community with the unique problems and attendant health care needs of the elderly Growing with this population is the demand for geriatrics and gerontology information among health care professionals. Project REACH has three broad objectives: 1) to provide access to health care information resources to health care facilities that have limited or no library services; 2) to improve access and communication among network members with supportive electronic resources providing linkage to information technology; and 3) to provide education to health care professionals on new information technologies. The specific aims of this collaborative project are: 1) to maintain the employment of an Outreach Librarian to help provide services, training and promotion; 2) to upgrade, add or introduce computer equipment at the new sites; 3) to provide Internet connectivity and access to electronic resources; 4) to develop electronic resources to support -communication and provide linkage to information technology; 5) to provide training opportunities on electronic access, information retrieval and emerging technologies to health care professionals; and 6) to support the recruitment and retention efforts of hospitals and clinics within the Blue Ridge AHEC service area.