This article was written by Lydia Witman, and edited by Kimberley Barker.

     The word “community” describes a group of people who are similar in some way. In the hospital, for example, we have a community of patients and their families, and we strive every day to meet and exceed their needs. We can also think of the community or communities who share Charlottesville as a home, or, more broadly, the larger community which includes the surrounding five counties. Even more broadly, there are those who live in the state of Virginia, and in our region, which includes West Virginia. Whether or not the people in these communities receive healthcare at UVA, UVA is working to improve their well-being.

     The Health Sciences Library supports UVA’s efforts to partner with the local, regional, and even global communities. Medical librarian Lydia Witman, MLIS, serves in the Health System’s new Community Health UVA Partnership, which focuses on the Department of Health’s Planning District 10 which includes Charlottesville and the surrounding five counties. She has administered two National Library of Medicine “information outreach” grants (totaling $19,500) to enhance “health literacy” capacity in Planning District 10. These grants were distributed in two phases over a 16-month period. Additionally, Lydia traveled to Guatemala on a Librarians Without Borders grant to work as part of the UVA-Guatemala Initiative with Dr. David Burt’s team.

     In Planning District 10, we are thankful to have a “map” to well-being for our communities; with input from the communities themselves, the Department of Health has drafted a “MAPP2Health” community health assessment and improvement plan, available on the Department of Health’s website. The MAPP2Health identifies region-wide priorities to:

1) Promote healthy eating and active living
2) Address mental health and substance use
3) Improve health disparities and access to care
4) Foster a healthy and connected community

Individual counties have also identified their own priorities specific to their local needs.

     The Library helps meet the health literacy needs of both the public and patient/family communities daily, whether in the Patient & Family Library in the hospital, or by providing online resources that are available at all times from anywhere. In alignment with the Health System’s education and outreach missions, the Library goes beyond providing health information to patients and families, and provides outreach to our communities – local, regional, and even global. No matter where you live or who you are, you will eventually find yourself wanting health information or needing healthcare. The Library is here to help.

     For more information on any of the services described in this article, please email Lydia Witman, MLIS: Lydia@virginia.edu