CHIS Spotlight: Trudy Jorgensen-Price  

Posted by liaison on November 11th, 2021 Posted in: #CC/Academic List, #Health Interest List, #Health Sciences List, #Public/K-12 List, All Members

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NNLM Region 4 is highlighting Trudy Jorgensen-Price, Library Branch Manager at the Salt Lake County Library—Holladay Branch, for her accomplishment of receiving her  Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) certification. Below Trudy shares her experience in receiving and having her certification. 

Can you give us the elevator-speech rundown of your librarian career?  

I had never worked in a library before when I graduated with my degree in library science.  I worked at Salt Lake City Public Library as a Library Aide and Library Assistant for a little while before getting my first librarian position as a medical librarian for Intermountain Health Care.  I love doing research so helping doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals find the information they needed to help patients was very exciting.  I started at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray but eventually moved up to the LDS Hospital Library.  I loved working with both medical professionals as well as patients and their families to help them find the information they needed.  I moved on to an opportunity to be an Assistant Manager with Salt Lake County Library at the Sandy Branch and from there came to be a Branch Manager at Holladay.

 How did you hear about the CHIS certification?

Working at the hospital library my supervisor told me about how was working on his CHIS certification and it sounded like something I really wanted to do.  I immediately started finding classes and working on them.  I added it to my annual goals to become CHIS II certified that year.  Before I switched to the public library I had started to try to figure out my pathway to AHIP, but that has been shelved with my new responsibilities at a public library.

How has your CHIS certification helped you in your current role?

Health information can be tricky.  There is so much of it available and it is sometimes difficult for people to tell what information is good and reliable.  People come to the library with questions about a diagnosis or some undiagnosed health problem and they are frequently frustrated or stumped because they have been looking and can’t find what they need.  My CHIS training has helped me find things for them in formats and at literacy levels that can be most helpful to them.  It has helped me teach them how to find and evaluate the information on their own.  I have had the opportunity to teach some community groups and librarian groups about finding and evaluating health information online.

Describe your experience with the CHIS certification classes.

I enjoy taking the classes.  This time is my 3^rd recertification of my CHIS II and I always learn something new.  Some new technique or the discovery of some new helpful website or organization.  I get new ideas for programs, promotions and collection additions that I could incorporate at my branch

Any advice for folks looking to earn their CHIS certification?

I recommend getting you CHIS.  It is fun to do and there are lots of classes to choose from—something for everyone.  If you don’t think you have the time to get your CHIS I recommend you take one or two classes towards your certification and see if you change your mind. I think you will change your mind, but even if you don’t change your mind you will find it is useful information and the classes are enjoyable.