Need information to guide decisions about your health or the health of a family member or friend? Are you looking for health services or facilities in your community? Do you need to find a support group in your area?
The McGoogan Library of Medicine at UNMC provides such information to every Nebraska resident free of charge through the Consumer Health Information Resource Service (CHIRS).
If you have questions like these, you can visit your local public library, or you can directly call or e-mail the expert medical librarians at the McGoogan Library and they will search and evaluate medical information sources to find the answers for you.
The search results, made up of health professional and consumer journal articles, book chapters, pamphlets and web resources, are combined into a tailored package of information that is delivered to you via e-mail or regular mail at no charge.
The McGoogan Library has provided this service to Nebraskans directly and through cooperative efforts with the Nebraska public libraries since 1984. This personalized service is unique to Nebraska and offers valuable information support to anyone with a health question.
The materials provided by the medical librarians are intended for informative purposes only and should be discussed with your health care provider. Only a health care provider can interpret and individualize the information for an individual’s condition and specific situation.
In 2006, the McGoogan librarians created a Web directory of health information specific to Nebraska — Go Local Nebraska. They work hard to keep it up to date and well-maintained, making sure that it includes information that Nebraskans need for their health care decisions.
The Go Local Nebraska directory includes Web sites, contact information and service descriptions for hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups and many other health resources listed by Nebraska cities and counties.
The Go Local Nebraska initiative is part of a nationwide movement to create directories for each state. Learn more about other states’ Go Local efforts at MedlinePlus, the premier health information site created and maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
CHIRS and Go Local Nebraska link Nebraskans to quality health information and services in their area. These services are a cooperative initiative among the National Library of Medicine (NLM), part of the National Institutes of Health; the McGoogan Library of Medicine; the Nebraska Library Commission; and Nebraska’s public libraries. For more information, you can visit your local public library, or contact the McGoogan Library of medicine directly at 559-6221 in Omaha, 1-866-800-5209 for those outside of Omaha or via e-mail at askus@unmc.edu.