Mid-Atlantic Hospitals Expand Membership to "Innovative" Consortium

PRINCETON, N.J., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region are joining the ranks of economically-minded American consumers in an effort to be more cost-conscious by utilizing group purchasing power as a strategy.  Specifically, medical libraries that supply their respective hospitals with the latest medical information, research, journals and databases, have joined forces as a consortium heralded for its innovative approach.

The Group Licensing Initiative formed ten years ago under the umbrella organization Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey (HSLANJ) and currently links 75 hospitals throughout the Mid-Atlantic.  Known as the first consortium of its kind in the nation, the group is poised for a major expansion to include as many as 300 medical facilities within the year. 

Organizers tout two major benefits of membership:  access to current, high-quality electronic resources in the form of medical journals, books and databases; and the most cost-effective pricing available thanks to the organization's leverage of group purchasing strategy.  Members currently represent hospitals and medical facilities in NJ, DE and part of PA; outreach is underway to potential new members throughout PA and NY.

"Group licensing is charting a new, innovative course for Mid-Atlantic hospitals," said HSLANJ Group Licensing Project Manager Robert Mackes.  "Member hospitals are putting the latest interactive medical information at the fingertips of all staff, at a great cost-savings, which ultimately benefits patients and the general public throughout the Mid-Atlantic."

Current trends are moving hospital libraries away from traditional hard-copy materials, toward electronic resources which are brought to life via audio, video, interactive applications and links.  Electronic resources are also accessible 24/7 from point-of-care bedside to remote access, encouraging wider usage by medical staff.

"My library was very well supported years ago when we had 300 hard-copy resources.  But today we have access to 7,000 (electronically) thanks to the group licensing initiative," said HSLANJ Group Licensing member Patricia May, MLS, Director of Library Services, St. Joseph's Healthcare System, Paterson, NJ. 

Founded in 1972, HSLANJ is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging professional development and advancement of librarianship and improving the quality of library services provided by health care organizations in New Jersey.  The HSLANJ Group Licensing Initiative is endorsed by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Mid-Atlantic Region, as the lead organization capable of converting libraries to electronic resources.

For more information:  www.hslanj.org/gli.html.   

MEDIA CONTACT:
KAREN HENDRICKS
717-253-3553, [email protected]

SOURCE Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey