Library Update

04/01/2024

Sarah Olson

Open Access Resources

Spring Break!

Happy April! The newsletter is on spring break! In case you need some spring break resources, check out your public library for free access to e-books that you likely can download right to your device! If you have a library card for a metro area library system, you can access e-books using the MELSA website or your local library website.

Did you know that every resident has access to a large collection of resources, including e-books through eLibraryMN? Check out your tax dollars at work! No need for a library card to access these resources.

If you’re working over spring break this year, don’t forget about the Allina Library Services website and feel free to contact us for articles or literature searches – we’ll be working from the beach 😊

Library staff in a tropic setting wearing tropical clothes

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Library Services June Update

June is here and so is a new Library Update! This month's edition includes an exciting new addition to our team, brand new resources for you to access, and one of the many things Library Services has been up to.Meet Rachel Fields, Library Services’ Newest Knowledge Specialist0.7 minute read timeRachel Fields joined the Library Services team this May, taking over for Pamela Barnard who retired earlier this year.Rachel joins us after 10 years at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation as a research librarian. She received her Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) from St. Catherine University. Rachel describes herself as an “avid reader” and is on track to meet her goal of reading 60 books this year. When she doesn’t have her nose in a book, or her eyes on Browzine, she enjoys spending time with her family, hunting for treasures at antique malls and thrift stores, and getting outdoors. “So far I have loved getting to know the Library Services and Patient Education staff at Allina Health. They have been so welcoming!” Rachel said when asked what her favorite part of joining the team has been.Her final word of advice is: “When in doubt, ask a librarian!” Welcome to the team, Rachel! New eResources!0.7 minute read timeSummer is here and brought us a plethora of new eResources. First up we have the new version of Hale’s Medication and Mother’s Milk. This title has gone through some exciting changes as it is now its own website database instead of an eBook. It offers an easier to use searching experience and updated drug list including:GLP-1 medications for weight lossheart failure medicationsmedications for postpartum depression. We have also added the Sports Nutrition Care Manual to our collection. This manual focuses on nutrition for the athletic patient of any age and includesevaluations of popular athletic dietary supplements.access to SHPN, USOC and CPSDA nutrition fact sheets in one place.calculators for calorie and hydration, sweat loss, body composition and energy needs.We also have added new eBooks to our collection, including:Global LGBTQ Health Research, Policy, Practice, and PathwaysVoluntarily Stopping Eating and DrinkingLeifer’s Introduction to Maternity and Pediatric Nursing.Check out all of our 30 new ebooks. Library Services Gives Back with Opens Arms0.5 minute read timeLast month, Allina Health’s Library Services, Patient Education, Learning and Development, and Nursing Informatics teams joined forces to pack meals for Open Arms.Together, we:packed 386 meals and 120 nausea care packsmixed and bagged 487 bags of trail mixfilled 248 dressing cupsscooped 87 pork meatballschopped 50lbs of crystallized ginger and 18lbs of red bell peppers.Open Arms “prepares and delivers nourishing meals to critically ill Minnesotans and their families in need – 100% free of charge.”.Learn more:Open Arms of MinnesotaAllina Health’s Employee Volunteer Program.Learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier. Visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com....

Library Services May Update

Happy May Day! This European festival celebrates the beginning of Spring. Our May Day gift to you is our May Update. Keep reading to learn more about research at Allina Health, read about the impact and accuracy of the new medical drama “The Pitt”, and get to know NatMed Pro.Research at Allina Health1 minute read timeDid you know within the latest year Allina Health clinicians and staff have published almost 400 peer-reviewed articles in biomedical science?The number of publications from Allina Health authors grows year after year and this figure would likely be in the thousands if we included all known paper/poster abstracts, conference reports, book chapters, white papers, and research beyond scope of the biomedical sciences.Are you working on a research project? Library Services can help you. We are your access point for journals, publications, and research. Check out our resources and databases or request a literature search from one of our expert librarians.Impact and accuracy of HBO’s new medical drama, “The Pitt"4 minute read timeThe new medical drama series on HBO Max “The Pitt” has been widely praised for its portrayal of the challenges of working in a modern-day emergency department.The Pitt is set in the fictional Pittsburg Trauma Medical Hospital, starring a world-weary senior attending ED physician Dr. Michael Rabinovich(“ER” alum Noah Wyle). Each episode covers one hour of a relentless 15-hour shift with a team of residents, nurses, and medical students. Each episode shows them facing heavy emotional exhaustion and confronting real-life issues, such as: ED overcrowding, complicated patients, workforce shortages, race and gender inequities, and grim or grisly patient encounters.Clinician reactions (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025), critics (Holmes 2025), and researchers (Shaw 2025) have overwhelmingly praised the authenticity and depth of The Pitt as perhaps the most realistic medical drama on modern television. Cases featured in the show have been referred to as “classic ED cases” physicians and nurses learned about.For instance, full-time emergency physician Alex Slog, MD in Oregon spoke highly of the show. “As far as the medicine goes, this is probably the most accurate I’ve seen of any medical drama. Most of the time, if I’m watching a show set in a hospital, I can’t really focus on the story because I’m yelling about all the things they’re doing wrong that would kill the patient” (Shaw 2025). Dr. Michael Gotlieb of Rush University in Chicago said, “Not only is the show more realistic in its portrayal of emergency medicine in general, but also with how it shows our broader medical environment today—post-COVID times, ED boarding, contract management groups. All of these external factors that make it a unique situation. If you want to help your friends and family better understand what makes our work so challenging, physically and emotionally, I think this show does a relatively good job of that” (Shaw 2025). The Pitt is not without inaccuracies and sensationalistic storytelling. Dr. Kayla Simms from Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital described the depiction of a schizophrenic patient who is labeled as the “The Kraken” – not as a patient in distress, but as a monster lying in wait where his suffering becomes a spectacle. Instead of swift interventions, the ER team appears indifferent, lingering outside his room and debating restraint methods (Simms 2025).Other widely reported inaccuracies, much to the chagrin of clinicians, included poorly executed CPR, unprofessional interactions with interns, ignoring charting and documentation process, and multiple instances where life-saving care is delayed for heightening the suspense (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025). Medical dramas often influence public beliefs. The Pitt is no exception as the show has the potential to reshape the portrayal of US healthcare showing the strain and stress of all the components for ED patients on clinicians.Get to know NatMedPro1 minute read timeLooking for information on supplements or integrative therapies? We have a resource for that.Check out NatMed Pro. NatMed Pro (formerly called Natural Medicines) provides high quality, evidence-based information on dietary supplements (including herbs, vitamins, and minerals), functional foods, diets, complementary practices (modalities), exercises, and medical conditions. NatMed Pro also offers interaction checker (including pregnancy and lactation interactions), nutrient depletion tools and free CME.As supplements and integrative therapies become more common place, Natmed Pro is the place to start. Check out NatMed Pro. That is all for our May update! To learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier, visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com....

Library Services April Update

Spring has sprung! We’ve been busy here in Library Services and we are excited to share our updates with you. This month’s update includes a retirement announcement from a long-time staff member, information on navigating federal health data and misinformation, and a tool you can use to keep your research organized. Let's spring right in!Pamela Barnard retired April 1st1 minute read timeCongratulations to Pamela Barnard on her retirement! Pam’s last day was Tuesday, April 1st. Pam has been with Allina Health for 30 years as a Knowledge Consultant Librarian. Pam supported and served countless numbers of clinicians, leaders, staff, patients, and families throughout Allina Health. Her expertise, insights, kindness, humor, and hard work ethic have made her an amazing colleague and friend. Pam’s strong connections and foundational knowledge will be greatly missed. We are excited for her to start her next chapter. Navigating Changes in Federal Health Data Access4 minute read timeThere are many questions and much uncertainty around the state of health data from the CDC and other health departments. Library Services is here to help you in the ever-changing federal government landscape.The New England Journal of Medicine published “Disappearing Data at the U.S. Federal Government | New England Journal of Medicine” last month, offering their perspective on this topic and its possible consequences. What we knowMany data sets were removed and/or altered.Some of these data sets were made available after court decisions. Find more specifics about this on the STAT website, an online newspaper reporting on health, medicine, and life sciences.There are resources available to find missing data sets, or other data sets that may suffice for your research purposes.How can I access removed data sets or other health information?STAT and the Internet Archive, another online resource, have archives of federal health data sets. However, these platforms are not the easiest to use. Library Services is here to help you find potential alternatives. Email us at library@allina.com.More informationThe Medical Library Association, our professional organization, published a statement. Read “Protecting Access to Health Information: the Critical Role of Libraries, NLM, and NIH Funding”.Library Services will continue to watch the situation and provide updates when relevant.Check out our new subject guide: Health MisinformationFrom our media ecosystem to dinner table conversations, health misinformation is pervasive in our lives. It is more important than ever to be alert and respond to health misinformation to keep our patients, our communities, and ourselves safe and healthy.Library Services can help you do that. Our new Health Misinformation subject guide is full of resources to help you address health misinformation. Spring Cleaning with Zotero1 minute read timeSpring is a time for cleaning. Do you need to clean up your research? Zotero is a free, easy-to use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. With Zotero you can:Obtain citations about any websites or references with a single click. Research can be sorted into collections and tagged with keywords. References and bibliographies can be seamlessly added to any text editor including Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs. Zotero lets you build a collaborative bibliography and share a library with as many people as needed at no costs. For more information about Zotero, visit our Citation Tools page or request training by emailing library@allina.com. That is all for our April update! To learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier, visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com....

Library Services March Update

March brings spring and new updates from us here at Library Services. Take a couple minutes to read about our Clinical Practice Guidelines, how you can support Minnesota's Health Library, and learn about our new e-book offerings!Easily access trustworthy clinical guidelines0.9 minute read timeLibrary Services offers easy access to Clinical Practice Guidelines to help stay current with the latest research standards and recommendations when caring for patients with specific conditions. How to access our Clinical Practice GuidelinesGo to our Library Services webpage.Select the down arrow under Subject Guides from the top menu and select Guidelines.From here you can:Browse more than 20 specialties and subspecialties.Search all database guidelines for all disciplines and specialties under the Quick Links section.Still need help?Schedule a 15- or 30-minute consultation with a librarian on the Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com to learn how to use our library resources and tools.Help us expand Minnesota's Health Library to all Minnesotans1.4 minute read timeThe University of Minnesota and Minitex (Minnesota Office of Higher Education) is looking to develop the Minnesota Electronic Health Library (MeHL), but state funding is needed. Why it matters:Free online health information resources are often incomplete or inconsistent with results.Licenses for professional-level health information are costly and vary between institutions.Our state’s health care providers, educators, students, researchers, patients, and caregivers don’t have access to the information they need to support their work and training, or to promote patient engagement and informed decision-making.This 24/7 online library will help people access: clinical support tools (e.g. DynaMedex)prescription drug referenceslearning and development tools (e.g. Dynamic Health CDS & Skills)full-text books and journals (e.g.CINAHL/Medline Ultimate).Take actionCheck out the following ways you can help us secure additional funding:Share your personal or professional story on how access to health information has helped you. Submit your story here.If you have questions, visit MeHL or email us at Library@allina.com. New eBooks!0.5 minute read timeLibrary Services has recently acquired over 30 new eBooks. Some of our newest acquisitions include:2025-2026 Perianesthesia Nursing Standards, Practice Recommendations and Interpretive StatementsDemystifying Integrated CareGlobal Health and NursingGuidelines for Perioperative Practice 2025Handbook of Basic and Clinical Ocular Pharmacology and TherapeuticsTranscultural nursing: assessment & interventionView all of our new eBooks.All eBooks can be accessed on an Allina Health computer. If you are attempting to access eBooks remotely, contact Library@allina.com for further assistance. That is all for our March update! To learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier, visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com....

Library Update

Spring Break!

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Library Update

Spring Break!

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