In early 2000, Blue Ridge AHEC was awarded an Information Access
Grant from the National Library of Medicine (Grant # 1 G07 LM06810-01).
Information Access Grants promote a dynamic link to relevant
health information resources, such as NLM online databases, and
to information services such as document delivery. Information
Access Grants emphasize the use of digital information resources
and encourage arrangements which promote sharing of information
resources, particularly important in rural and underserved areas.
The Blue Ridge AHEC project, entitled Project R.E.A.C.H. (Regional Electronic Access Changing Healthcare),
provided access and training in the use of online health resources
for Floyd Medical Center Medical Library, Kennesaw State University
Library, Hamilton Medical Center Library, Coosa Valley Technical
College, Chattooga County Public Library and sixteen healthcare
facilities. See a list of all REACH Sites
Project goals included:
- Introduce or add computer equipment at fourteen sites to
electronically link healthcare professionals with an established
information network in the Georgia Interactive Network for
Medical Information (GaIN) and the Internet.
- Hire an Outreach Librarian to help provide services, training,
and promotion
- Provide Internet connectivity and access to electronic resources
- Develop electronic resources to support and provide linkage
to information technology
- Provide training opportunities on electronic information
retrieval and emerging technologies to healthcare professionals
- Support the recruitment and retention efforts of hospitals
and clinics for health professionals by providing access to
resources, delivery of information, improved communication
with colleagues, (i.e. electronic mailing lists) and computer
training offerings in the Blue Ridge AHEC area.
All of the current sites have been connected to an electronic
network and have access to the Internet. The backbone of the
network is Mercer University's GaIN Network
(Georgia Interactive Network
for Medical Information).
You may browse the Project R.E.A.C.H. newsletters archive
by following the links below. Note: all newsletters are in PDF
format, which requires free
Adobe® Acrobat Reader - get
it here.
| Year 2000 Newsletters |
Year 2001 Newsletters |
| August (PDF
format, 63 KB) |
January (PDF
format, 69 KB) |
June (PDF
format, 85 KB) |
| September (PDF
format, 86 KB) |
February (PDF
format, 1.51 MB) |
Sept (PDF
format, 65 KB) |
| October (PDF
format, 74 KB) |
March (PDF
format, 75 KB) |
|
| November (PDF
format, 110 KB) |
April (PDF
format, 70 KB) |
| December (PDF
format, 100 KB) |
May (PDF
format, 98 KB) |
Please direct any questions to:
Erin Hernandez, Special Projects/Education Coordinator
706-235-0776, ext. 210
ehernandez@blueridgeahec.org
