Region 6 State Advisory Groups (SAG)

Illinois SAG Action Plan

The Illinois SAG Outreach Award was designed to improve health literacy and increase health equity throughout the state of Illinois. The award closed 15 May 2023 and was awarded Northern Illinois University School of Nursing for the Smart Tablet Education for Healthy Living (STEHL) Project in the amount of $10,000. Primary Investigator, Dr Anitha Saravanan, will direct the project, built on a previous project recently funded by an NNLM and All of Us research award which was completed in April of this year. The project will engage older adults to help them become more comfortable with technology designed to assist them in finding quality health information online. Dr Saravanan and her team launched the project August 2023 and completed it this summer A blog article, STEHL Project Smart Tablet Education For Healthy Living for Older Adults; a webinar recording; and the STEHL Website are all available for review.

Illinois Toolkit

Coming soon!

Illinois SAG Members

Adam Roloff
Reference and Education Services Librarian
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Felicia Barrett
Regional Head Librarian
University of Illinois Chicago, Library of the Health Sciences at Rockford

Gregory Scott
RN Manager-Faith Community Health
Carle Health

Joe Filapek
Director of Continuing Education and Consulting
Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS)

Monica Rodriguez
Senior Director
Pyxis Partners

Q. Eileen Wafford
Research Librarian
Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center

Sharon Comstock
Teaching Assistant Professor University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Tracy Smith
Director of Community Health and Programs
Illinois Public Health Association

Jacqueline Leskovec
Network Coordinator
NNLM Region 6
jacqueline-leskovec@uiowa.edu

Indiana SAG Action Plan

Substance Use Disorder is one of the largest problems Indiana faces. There were 2,812 deaths due to drug poisoning in 2021 [496 deaths ↗ from previous year] with age adjusted rate of 43.1 per 100k population (IDOH, 2022). The Indiana SAG chose to address substance use disorder throughout the state in an effort to:

• Reduce health misinformation and the stigma associated with substance use disorder
• Introduce the social and environmental determinants of health that can exacerbate substance use
• Raise awareness of addiction and recovery community services and trusted health information.

Indiana Addiction and Recovery Information Program.

Indiana Project

Indiana partnered with Dr. William Cooke, physician and author of Canary in the Coal Mine, to publicly engage with communities throughout Indiana for addiction and recovery information. A series of presentations were given to:

• Raise understanding for the social determinants of health that contribute to substance use
• Explain interventions, such as harm reduction, that can lead to clinical treatment and recovery resources
• Help individuals and communities respond compassionately for persons living with and recovering from addiction. 

Listen to a podcast about the program and watch a short video covering one of the events!

Canary in the Coal Mine Community Events

Indiana SAG Members

Aisha Hallman
Librarian
Allen County Public Library

Amy Minix
Neuro- and Health Sciences Librarian
Indiana University Bloomington

Carla R. Clayton
Wellness Coordinator
Community Health Network

Helen Azarian
Reference Librarian
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Kara Cleveland
Director of Professional Development
Indiana State Library

Karen Strandjord
Family Caregiver and Nursing Educator
IU Health

Olanike Olaniyi
Collection Development Librarian
The Indianapolis Public Library

Rachel Ashcraft
Director
Flora Public Library

William Cooke
Physician, Foundations Family Medicine
Clark Memorial Health

Darlene Kaskie
Associate Director
NNLM Region 6
darlene-kaskie@uiowa.edu

Iowa Action Plan

Iowa's Community Partnerships for Mental Health initiative aims to achieve three key objectives. First, it focuses on developing a comprehensive toolkit as a valuable resource for promoting mental health in communities. This toolkit includes a user-friendly website/guide on NNLM.gov, customizable bookmarks with local information, a concise one-page guide for quick reference, and three programming ideas.

Iowa Toolkit

The Iowa Mental Health Information Community Partnerships Toolkit, is a comprehensive collection of resources designed to help community organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and other partners effectively address mental health information needs within their communities. It offers practical guides, templates, and strategies to establish and maintain partnerships, develop mental health programs, and promote community-wide mental health awareness and support. By leveraging these resources, you can create impactful mental health information initiatives that are inclusive, sustainable, and tailored to the unique needs of your community.

Iowa SAG Members

Abby Less
Community Health Consultant,
Iowa Department of Public Health, Office of Health Care Transformation

Angie Doyle Scar
Executive Officer
Office of Healthcare Transformation
Iowa Department of Public health

Becky Heil
District Consultant
State Library of Iowa

Cynthia J Fiester
Chronic Disease Coordinator/Registered Nurse
Linn County Public Health (LCPH), Cedar Rapids

Gina Schlesselman-Tarango
Science Librarian
Grinnell College

Jennie Ver Steeg
Director of Library and Media Services
Mercy College of Health Sciences and MercyOne, Des Moines

Lisa Johnson
Director
Orange City Library

Mara Strickler
Director
Pella Public Library

Riley Samuelson
Education & Outreach Librarian
University of Iowa

Sam Helmick
Community and Access Services Coordinator
Iowa City Public Library

Staci Stanton
Programming and Outreach Manager
Urbandale Public Library

Tyler Hahn
Director
Cherokee Public Library

Bobbi Newman
Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist
NNLM Region 6
bobbi-newman@uiowa.edu

Michigan SAG Action Plan

The Michigan SAG developed a mental health resource kit for NNLM member libraries in Michigan to serve as a blueprint for supporting people with mental health and substance use conditions: State of Michigan Advisory Group for NNLM R6 Project Mental Health Resource Kit for NNLM Member Libraries.

Michigan Toolkit

Mental health is a significant public health concern impacting all demographics in Michigan. According to 2021 data from the National Alliance of Mental Illness, over 1,4600 adults in Michigan experience mental health conditions, while 119,000 adolescents aged 12-17 in Michigan are affected by depression. The Michigan Mental Health Training Kit was created to address this gap. This resource is designed to support librarians, library workers, and front-line library staff across Michigan by enhancing their understanding of both crisis and non-crisis mental health situations. Its goal is to increase their confidence in responding to the mental health needs of library visitors.

Michigan SAG Members

Anne Heidemann 
Tribal Librarian 
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries

Chana Kraus-Friedberg 
Health Sciences Librarian 
Michigan State University

Deborah Smith 
Director 
Wellness Inx

Jarrod Irwin 
Behavioral and Health Sciences Librarian 
Eastern Michigan University

Kevin King
Director
East Lansing Public Library

Susan Kroll 
Librarian
Charlevoix Public Library

Sherri McConnell 
Head Librarian
Stockbridge Branch, Capital Area District Libraries

Erica Lake
Health Sciences Librarians Outreach Specialist
NNLM Region 6
erica-lake@uiowa.edu

Minnesota Action Plan

The State of Minnesota Advisory Group for NNLM R6 bonded to promote crisis resource information: Partnering to Promote Mental Health Crisis Information Across Minnesota. 

Minnesota Toolkit

Minnesota Crisis and Mental Health Resource Handout
We are excited to share a valuable resource with you - the Crisis and Mental Health Resources handout. It is specifically tailored for Minnesota residents and is available in five languages. The following will download each handout: English, Hmong, Ojibwe, Somali, and Spanish.

Minnesota SAG Members

Julie Flathers
Statewide Health Improvement Partnership
Clearwater County Public Health

Katherine Chew
Associate Librarian
Research/Outreach Services & Mortuary Science, Center for Allied Health Programs and Center for Bioethics Librarian
University of Minnesota Health Sciences Library

Lisa Sanders
Patient Education Specialist
Essentia Health

Monica Taylor-Desir
Consultant Department of Psychiatry and Psychology
Mayo Clinic

Naomi Carlson
Development Specialist, Transportation Planner, SHIP School Coordinator
Headwaters Regional Development Commission

Nicole Miller
Library Director
Cannon Falls Library

Rosemond Owens
Director of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Center for Prevention
Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota

Erica Lake
Health Sciences Librarians Outreach Specialist
NNLM Region 6
erica-lake@uiowa.edu

Ohio SAG Action Plan

Half of our population menstruates or has menstruated, so period products like pads and tampons are a basic and constant necessity – equivalent to toilet paper. However, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of menstruators in the United States can not afford period products. In 2021, Forbes reported that one in ten college students couldn’t afford pads or tampons. And while government aid offers forms of financial relief to those who need it, neither food stamps or WIC, unfortunately, cover the cost of period products. 

Ohio Menstrual Health and Period Poverty Information Project

Ohio Project

Ohio partnered with Aunt Flow, a Columbus-based organization, to develop culturally- and age-appropriate health information using MedlinePlus.gov to educate about period poverty and menstrual health. The goal is to promote the toolkit to public libraries throughout the state. The campaign will help:

• Raise awareness for period poverty and how it negatively impacts population groups

• Reduce stigma associated with menstruation

• Share trustworthy and easy-to-read information for making informed decisions about one’s personal health, including menopause information.

The link leads to the Know Your Flow website.

Ohio SAG Members

Julie Chaya
Director of Community Health and Prevention Sciences
Richland Public Health Department

Margaret A. Hoogland
Assistant Professor, Clinical Medical Librarian
University of Toledo

Monique Mason
Manager, Science & Technology Division
Akron Public Library

Neil Nero
Medical Librarian
Cleveland Clinic

Rhyanne McDade
Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow
Northern Kentucky University

Sharon Purtee
Cataloging Librarian
University of Cincinnati - Health Sciences Library

Tiffany Grant
Assistant Director for Research and Informatics
University of Cincinnati - Health Sciences Library

Yvonka M. Hall
Executive Director
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition

Darlene Kaskie
Associate Director
NNLM Region 6
darlene-kaskie@uiowa.edu

Wisconsin SAG Action Plan

Research has shown that Amish children have high levels of untreated tooth decay. The prevalence for three to five-year-olds was 4-fold higher in the Amish than in the national data, in other words, 88.6% in Amish vs. 20.48% in national data. Why? Plain Community families generally do not prescribe to preventive dental care and drink non fluoridated well water. Since Wisconsin has the fourth largest Plain Community population in the United States, comprised of 24,105 persons living across 64 settlements, the Wisconsin SAG wanted to improve access to trustworthy, easy-to-read information to help this population make informed decisions about their oral health.

Wisconsin Dental and Oral Care Health Information Project and Logic Model

Wisconsin Project

Elizabeth Miniatt, Library Director for D R Moon Library in Stanley, Wisconsin, has a long-standing relationship with the Amish in her region. She coordinated the project with the help of Caitlyn Mowatt from the Northern Highland Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (AHEC). A dental student and a local artist developed the content and illustrated the book with approval from the local Bishops. The books were distributed to the local parochial schools along with floss, toothpaste, and toothbrushes that were donated from a local dental practice. The local parochial teachers also were offered instruction for how to use the book with their students and their caregivers.

Wisconsin SAG Members

Bhumi Khambholja
Project Manager
Wisconsin Health Literacy

Elizabeth Miniatt
Library Director
D.R. Moon Memorial Library

Caitlyn Mowatt
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Northern Highland Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

Anna Perez-Pelaez
Case Manager
Capital BlueCross

Darren Rausch
Health Officer/Director
Greenfield Health Department

Ashley Zeidler
Reference Librarian
Medical College of Wisconsin

Darlene Kaskie
Associate Director
NNLM Region 6
darlene-kaskie@uiowa.edu