Community Health Center and Public Library Partnerships (CHC-PL) promote systems change

Background: In response to the DHHS Office on Women's Health RFP: Advancing System Improvements to Support Targets for Healthy People 2010 (ASIST 2010), the Utah Women's Health Information Network (UWIN) chose, as one of its goals, to provide patients with culturally sensitive, reliable health information. The CHC/PL program was developed among community health centers, university clinics and the public libraries serving the same neighbors. Methods: The partnership formed focus groups to ascertain provider and patient needs; tailored strategies to engage library and health care teams; employed social technology to disseminate training for partners; implemented a statewide TV media campaign to promote reliable health information, and has supported ongoing partnership development with project evaluation. Results: The partnership has developed open access tool kits to improve public librarians understanding of health information resources. The partnership has sensitized and engaged the public library system and enhanced their outreach efforts. It has extended the patient educator role to the library staff. It has introduced the community health care provider to a new partner in the delivery of health care information. It has built trust and a new relationship in the community. The common aim of the partners, to deliver reliable health information, has led to a sustainable project infrastructure.Conclusions: Forming CHC-PL partnerships can improve access to reliable health information in communities and provide enhanced resources for healthcare providers. Public libraries and community health centers are an untraditional yet effective partnership.