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PAMF 2000 Annual Report
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Community Health Resource Center
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"There are many problems in the world today, and there's no one person who can solve them all. But if you can do your part and offer assistance where you can, it's very gratifying. It doesn't take a lot of money or time. It just takes a desire to help." -- Helen Pillsbury, R.N., Volunteer PAMF Community Health Resource Center |
In 1995, while still at our old location on Homer Avenue, PAMF established the Women's Health Resource Center with support from an educational grant. At that time, the Center was located in a tiny room off the main lobby. When we moved to our new campus, a desire to reach a broader audience led to the opening of a much larger Community Health Resource Center (CHRC). The CHRC, open five days a week, serves as a free health-information resource for the entire community. People can make appointments for private consultations, or just walk in and spend as much time as needed.
The CHRC maintains a large collection of health-education resources, from medical reference books and videos to the latest brochures and newsletters from professional medical organizations. There are also computer terminals where patrons can look up health information on the Internet with guidance from the CHRC nurse educator and volunteers. "The Center provides wonderful opportunities for us to teach people how to use the Internet and be wise consumers of health-related information," says June Badal, R.N., who has managed the CHRC since its inception in 1995. "This is especially important because so many people are now going online for health information, and they need help finding information that is current and accurate." All resources at the CHRC are updated regularly and must be reviewed by a PAMF clinician before being made available to the public.
With assistance from her staff of seven volunteers, all of whom have backgrounds in health care or health education, Badal helps CHRC patrons find their way to the information they need. All volunteers are bound by the same strict confidentiality laws that apply to any health care provider. It is important for people to understand that the CHRC does not provide medical advice, but instead guides people to health information that may help. "We see this as an extension of the doctor's office," says Badal. "It's more than a library where you come and pick up a book or a brochure. It's a place that helps people utilize critical thinking skills about their own health. Any health decisions are between the individual and his or her physician."
Karen Handy, who started volunteering at the CHRC in 1997, has a master's degree in public health and health education. "I became a patient of the Palo Alto Clinic at birth," says Handy, who is now 41. "My mother took our whole family here. Now that my own three children are in school, I have more free time. Volunteer-ing at the CHRC is a great way to give something back to the community that has given me so much." Handy enjoys the one-on-one contact that volunteering at the CHRC allows. "I see patients and family members come in to the CHRC with a new diagnosis, or with questions and concerns about a current health issue," says Handy. "Often, they are overwhelmed, and we give them a place to start. People are so grateful that a place like this exists." Handy also teaches smoking cessation classes through the Education Division.
Since opening in 1995, the CHRC has served more than 16,000 patrons. Encouraged by its success, PAMF opened the Family Health Resource Center at the Fremont Center in 1999. After moving to its new, larger quarters on PAMF's new campus, Badal was able to expand the CHRC's collection by more than 50 percent, but the need for support is still strong. "Many individuals and corporations have made generous gifts to the Center," says Badal, "but we would like to expand our collection even more so we can continue to provide the latest health information, which is constantly evolving.
"It is very empowering for people to become active participants in the decision-making process around their own health care," explains Badal. "When they come to the CHRC, they can arm themselves with information and become more educated. It's really a huge gift that people give themselves."
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