The purpose of the Library is to support Barwon Health in improving patient care and population health for the region’s population of around 350,000. The Library positions itself as Barwon Health’s dedicated and trusted source of evidence-based healthcare information and knowledge resources for clinicians and community health professionals, researchers, educators, managers and students on clinical placement from more than 30 educational institutions. It is easily-accessible online and physically, and staffed by a team of 3.5 professional librarians.
The Library is open to all 7,000 Barwon Health employees, and has 2,500 active members two thirds of whom are clinicians. In alignment with the organisation’s consumer engagement strategy, we are developing consumer health information literacy services for consumers, patients, families and carers. The Library is leading the development of Barwon Health’s Health Literacy Strategy.
The Consumer Engagement unit sits within the Library directorate, and Consumer Representatives are being trained as Health Literacy Champions who will advocate for health literacy within Barwon Health in committees on which they sit, as well as in their communities.