Beverly Withrow |
By Pat Lawrence
The Health Information Center in the CAMC Memorial Hospital Complex
has the answers to everything you want to know - but didn’t
know who to ask- about health questions. In addition to a host of
brochures, pamphlets and guides, they have a lending library of books,
audio tapes and videos on major and general heath topics. They also
have Internet work stations that visitors can use to find Internet
information and staff to help them with their search. Visitors are
welcome to use the Center’s VCR or television. The website has
medically approved links to sites that offer additional information.
Visitors who find they have questions after getting home can speak
with a nurse by calling the toll free number. There is no fee or registration
involved; all of the Center’s services and information are free
to anyone in West Virginia.
Beverly Withrow, RN, is an education specialist for the Health Education
and Research Institute of CAMC. She says, “The Institute is
an integral part of CAMC hospitals. We provide education for the community
as well as medical professionals. The Health Information Center focuses
on cancer heart disease, lung disease and diabetes because they are
major problems for our community. But, we also have a tremendous amount
of information available for family and general health.”
The Health Information Center is on the first floor of the Medical
Staff Office building, on the right entering the hospital complex.
Bright, open and inviting, the Center welcomes about 5000 people each
quarter. Beverly is proud that “We do more than just hand out
literature. People come on their own or a physician refers them. We
assess what level of information they are going to need. A young woman
newly diagnosed with diabetes, needs different information than an
older woman who has lived with the condition for years. The older
woman may just need recipes. We will talk with them, find out what
they need to know, and get them to the right sources. Sometimes, we
can just pick up the phone and get questions answered. We will recommend
programs and services that might be helpful. People with longstanding
conditions have changing needs. We can help them address the changes.”
Besides convenience and no cost, Beverly says there are many other
advantages to getting information from the Health Information Center.
“The information is up to date. It has been reviewed by health
professionals. It can be trusted for accuracy. Most importantly, we
offer a professional to make sure that you are getting the right information
for your situation. We want people to understand their health, to
have the information -and the vocabulary- they need to ask questions.
We don’t give medical advice or treatment, but we encourage
people to talk with their doctors and be involved in the care they
receive.”
Beverly says another important contribution the Center offers is
consultation and notary service for advanced medical directives, wills
and medical power of attorney. “We are all notaries and it is
a free service.”
The Health Information Center opened in April of 1999, the product
of more than two years of research and planning. “We wanted
to find the best ways to get medical information out to people in
our community. Every day we do all that we can to make the Health
Information Center as useful and accessible as it can be.”
Visit the Health Information Center at www.healthinfocenter.org.
For health questions, call 1-888-HEALTHY.
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