The Frontera Collaboration: A Preliminary Report of Health Sciences Librarians Promoting Evidence-Based Practice in U.S.-Mexico Border Communities

Abstract

This article reviews the formation of the Frontera Collaboration, a coalition of health sciences librarians serving clinicians and public health personnel in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Based on findings from an assessment of the target populations’ learning needs, the Frontera Collaboration participants developed a shared set of training materials that have been used in pilot training sessions. The Frontera Collaboration's participants learned several lessons related to collaborative health information outreach and increased their understanding of the concerns and needs of clinicians and public health personnel serving border communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Community outreach
• evidence-based practice
• frontera Collaboration
• health care disparities
• health sciences libraries
• health status disparities
• Hispanic Americans
• minority health
• U.S.-Mexico border

Acknowledgments

This project was funded in whole, or in part, with federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under contract numbers N01-LM-6-3505 with the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library and N01-LM-6-3507 with the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library. This paper was based on a presentation at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association, Minneapolis, MN, May 17, 2011.

Notes

*1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree.

*1 = Never; 5 = Daily.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Keith W. Cogdill

Keith W. Cogdill, PhD, AHIP ([email protected]) is Director, National Institutes of Health Library, 10 Center Drive, Room 1L25F, MSC 1150, Bethesda, MD 20892-1150. He was previously Director, South Texas Regional Information Services, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Libraries, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, M/C 7940, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900.

Lorely Ambriz

Lorely Ambriz, MSIS ([email protected]) is Specialist, Alliances Development and Knowledge Management, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), United States-Mexico Border Office, 5400 Suncrest Drive Suite C-4, El Paso, TX 79912.

Brooke L. Billman

Brooke L. Billman, MA, AHIP ([email protected]) is AZHIN Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, P.O. Box 245079, Tucson, AZ 85724.

Kathleen V. Carter

Kathy V. Carter, MLIS ([email protected]) is Medical Librarian, Mario E. Ramirez, M.D. Library, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Libraries, Regional Academic Health Center–Harlingen, 2102 Treasure Hills Boulevard, Harlingen, TX 78550.

Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu

Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, PhD, MLS ([email protected]) is Distance Services Coordinator, Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, The University of New Mexico, MSC09 5100, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.

Julie M. Trumble

Julie M. Trumble, MLIS ([email protected]) is Head of Reference and Educational Services, Moody Medical Library, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1035.

Yamila M. El-Khayat

Yamila M. El-Khayat, MA ([email protected]) is Outreach Services Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, P.O. Box 245079, Tucson, AZ 85724.

Annabelle V. Nuñez

Annabelle V. Nuñez, MA ([email protected]) is Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Liaison Librarian, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, P.O. Box 245079, Tucson, AZ 85724.