By Michelle Malizia

Greysi Reyna has provided librarian services along the Texas-Mexico border in Cameron and Hidalgo counties since 1995.
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Greysi Reyna, assistant director of the Mario E. Ramirez, M.D., Library has received national recognition —the 2009 Michael E. DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award from the Friends of the National Library of Medicine. The Ramirez Library is located at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen.

Award honors librarians in underserved communities
The award, which was established in the early 1990s to recognize contributions to medical education and librarianship by Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., honors the work of a health sciences librarian who works in underserved or rural communities. Reyna received the award during the annual dinner of the Friends of the National Library of Medicine in Washington, D.C., this spring.

“I was very honored to receive the award,” Reyna said. “I guess I still cannot believe the Friends actually chose me for the award. There are many librarians doing wonderful outreach programs in their communities.

“I accepted the award not only for me but on behalf of all my coworkers,” she continued. “The work I do actually takes a lot of planning and behind-the-scenes work. Having received the award also means additional responsibility in continuing with the library’s health literacy drive to keep our community well informed.”

Rajia Tobia, AMLS, executive director of the Health Science Center libraries, said, “I am thrilled that Greysi was chosen to receive the prestigious DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award. It is a fitting recognition of the many years of service that Greysi has given to the Health Science Center and to the community in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Greysi Reyna accepts the 2009 Michael E. DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award in Washington D.C.

Providing health information along the border
Since 1995 Reyna, working through the Health Science Center’s Circuit Librarian Health Information Network, has provided librarian services along the Texas-Mexico border in Cameron and Hidalgo counties.

Hospitals and clinics in this area serve predominantly Hispanic populations in urban and rural communities, as well as in the colonias, unincorporated areas that frequently lack potable water, have inadequate sewage systems and a shortage of safe and sanitary housing.

Over the years, Reyna has responded to hundreds of requests for literature searches, and has provided thousands of documents in response to requests for information about the latest disease treatment, diagnosis and quality improvement. Without circuit librarian services, access to high-quality health information by hospitals and clinics in the region would be considerably more difficult.

Training promotores
A key focus of Reyna’s career has been the strengthening of community-based health information resources. Using materials and online resources developed by the National Library of Medicine, she has trained many groups of promotores — community health workers — to provide reliable health information in their communities.

Reyna honored in 2005 for peer tutoring project
In 2001 Reyna worked with librarians in the South Texas Independent School District to develop the MedlinePlus Peer Tutor Project at the South Texas High School for Health Professions, also known as “Med High,” in Mercedes, Texas. Med High is a health professions magnet school serving the Rio Grande Valley. This project was so successful that it was awarded an Institute of Museum and Library Services Award in 2005.

“Greysi just keeps on going,” Tobia said. “She recently received a contract from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to host a conference in October for promotores in the Rio Grande Valley region.”

Previous national recognition for HSC Library
Reyna’s recognition by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine marks the second time that a Health Science Center librarian has been recognized for outreach efforts. Mary Jo Dwyer received the first DeBakey Library Outreach Award in 1993.

Michelle Malizia is associate director of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region. HSC News Editor Rosanne Fohn also contributed to the story.