Meet the Region 1 Team, M.J. and Tony!

Posted by fsteele on April 6th, 2022 Posted in: Uncategorized

---

Meet our leadership team of the Region 1 Medical Center, M.J. Tooey and Tony Nguyen.

What is your title and brief job description? 

For Region 1, I am the Principal Investigator and Director. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, (UMB) I am Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Executive Director, Health Sciences and Human Services Library. Focusing on my role in Region 1, I mostly stay out of the way and let the experts do their work! I attend meetings, share ideas, and encourage. And mostly Region 1 staff humor me and graciously make me feel I am important.

Other than COVID, what medical/health topic is on your mind? 

Health disparities – the lack of equitable health care, equal access to basic services, a level playing field for all U.S. citizens starting with prenatal vitamins and care and moving to end-of-life issues.

What advice would you give others who are interested in doing health outreach work in their communities?

Make it meaningful and authentic. Don’t just breeze in for your project and leave. Develop long term relationships and collaborations.

Unrelated to health librarianship, what is your favorite indulgence? 

I have so many! I will drop everything I am doing to spend time with my granddaughter. Then there is wine and chocolate and Dancing with the Stars.

 

What is your title and brief job description? 

Executive Director at the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) in the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. I oversee the planning, implementation, management, and evaluation of the overall regional medical library program, office operations, and identifies regional opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations to support NLM priorities and NNLM initiatives.

Other than COVID, what medical/health topic is on your mind? 

Mental health and emotional labor. Health disparities highlighted by the pandemic, including substance misuse, food insecurity, and the digital divide.

What advice would you give others who are interested in doing health outreach work in their communities?

Don’t start from the ground up. Try to connect with others who are already doing the work and collaborate to enhance both of your strengths for successful health outreach. People you may know may have other connections and those six degrees of separation may help you find the right ally to help build trust in the community.

Unrelated to health librarianship, what is your favorite indulgence? 

I love going to the theatre, symphony, and movies. Being able attend those again, safely, has been refreshing