Funding Recipient Spotlight: Noorda College Of Osteopathic Medicine Library

Posted by liaison on October 9th, 2024 Posted in: All Members, Funding, Request for Applications

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We want to highlight the amazing work being done in our region by regularly featuring NNLM-funded projects in our nine states. This week, we are featuring Noorda College Of Osteopathic Medicine Library’s Rural Utah Community Osteoporosis Education project led by Director of Library Services Darell Schmick.

Schmick’s team has made significant strides in increasing awareness and understanding of osteoporosis among seniors in rural Utah. The initiative developed an evidence-based community osteoporosis curriculum overseen by Dr. Erika Noonan, a board-certified geriatrician. Using the curriculum, workshops were conducted by osteopathic medical students at various community centers, senior centers, and other venues in Summit, Utah, and Wasatch counties reaching a total of 221 attendees.

The workshops sought to “empower this population in finding reliable, authoritative, high-quality information about osteoporosis,” utilizing resources from the National Library of Medicine. Attendees not only learned about osteoporosis but also practiced finding trustworthy health information using tablets and iPads. The one-month post-workshop survey responses were encouraging: 80% reported they had spoken with or planned to speak with their primary healthcare provider and many expressed gratitude for the knowledge gained. Evaluations indicated that 70 participants intend to use NIA, NIH, and/or MedlinePlus to locate reliable health information moving forward, reinforcing the project’s impact. One workshop presenter noted, “We have had a few people come up to us afterwards thanking us for our time and saying that they are excited to make an appointment with their doctor and talk about this with them. Some even said that their doctor never brought up osteoporosis with them so they were excited to have questions ready and know that they could ask for a DEXA scan.”

Looking ahead, Schmick’s team hopes to expand their outreach, particularly to assisted living facilities, while still maintaining collaborations with local agencies. For more information about this project or the resources used, access the team’s poster from a 2023 research symposium as well as their osteoporosis guide.

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Looking to obtain funding to create or expand your outreach programming or technology resources? We are currently accepting applications for Year 5. The deadline to apply is coming up on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. MT. Please reach out to your state’s point of contact with any questions you may have.

• Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico – Dana Abbey
• Idaho, Montana, Utah – George Strawley
• North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming – David Brown

Planning on submitting an application? Reach out to John Bramble to assist you with a budget review. If you would like to learn more about the grant application process, check out the recording and slides from a recent NNLM webinar.