VCU to open state's largest health education library for consumers

Richmond, Va. – A 2,225-square-foot multimedia health information center opens Feb.18 on the MCV Campus to make it easier and quicker for patients, their families and the local community to research health topics and get answers to health questions.

The Community Health Education Center, located on the ground floor of the VCU Health System’s new Gateway Building fronting MCV Hospitals at 1200 E. Marshall St., will offer print, online and video resources and librarian assistance – all at no charge. Nine computers connected to the Internet are part of the center, as is a computer room for private research. Two mannequins with organ systems and information cards are part of a special education area devoted to children. A Web site has been opened at www.vcuhealth.org/chec/.

CHEC will be one of the largest and most-comprehensive hospital-based health libraries for consumers in the country.

"We are a vital part of the community, so we have a responsibility to educate our patients, their families and anyone who wants to learn more about their health," said Donna Katen-Bahensky, executive vice president and chief operating officer of MCV Hospitals and the visionary behind CHEC. "It is exciting to be able to offer such a comprehensive library of resources to the people of Central Virginia."

The idea for CHEC was born in May 2000 when Katen-Bahensky was approached by the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary of the VCU Health System and asked for ideas on how to best spend $100,000 that the auxiliary had earned through vendor and hospital gift shop sales and donations. Katen-Bahensky suggested a community health center, reflecting the growing national trend of making it easier for consumers to access health information, particularly through the Internet. The VCU Health System matched the auxiliary’s $100,000, and another $50,000 was donated by the Richmond-based Theresa A. Thomas Foundation. The VCU Libraries also has contributed computers and staffing support.

"Some people are shy to seek information if they think they have a problem. They may be afraid of the answer. They might not want to expose themselves. We want to help people make an informed decision about their health care and their alternatives," said Judith W. Jones, past president of the auxiliary and CHEC project facilitator. "Our hope is that someone who comes to the center with a question will leave with enough information to make good choices about health care."

CHEC will complement VCU’s Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences – the largest health sciences library in Virginia. Jean Shipman, director of Tompkins-McCaw Library, said CHEC’s staff and computer resources will be a gateway to the growing body of health and medical information on the Web.

"Studies have shown that some of the most frequently visited locations on the Internet are health web sites," Shipman said. "We will be able to point people to the sites that will benefit them most and then support that information with what we have in-house. It really will be a wellness center for the whole community."

In addition to volunteers, the VCU Health System has hired a full-time director for the center, Patricia A. Hammond, M.S.L.S.

CHEC will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.