News Room

Press Releases

May 2008

Suzanne Grefsheim, FMLA, To Be Inducted as an MLA Fellow at MLA '08
MLA to Induct Betsy Humphreys, AHIP, FMLA, as an MLA Fellow
Linda Garr Markell, AHIP, FMLA, to Become and MLA Fellow at MLA '08 in May
MLA to Induct Diane McKenzie, FMLA, as an MLA Fellow at MLA '08
Lenny Rhine, AHIP, FMLA, to be Inducted as an MLA Fellow in May at MLA '08

Suzanne Grefsheim, FMLA, To Be Inducted as an MLA Fellow at MLA '08

MLA is pleased to announce that longtime MLA member, Suzanne Grefsheim, FMLA, will be elevated to Fellow status in the association. Grefsheim will be inducted at the Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in May at MLA '08 in Chicago, IL.

Grefsheim is a long-standing, devoted member of MLA who has served the association in numerous roles. She served as MLA treasurer while a member of the MLA Board of Directors (1998-2001) and has given tirelessly to several national MLA committees. Twice elected to the MLA Nominating Committee, Grefsheim is also a two-time member of MLA's National Program Committee and has served as chair of the MLA Bylaws, Continuing Education, and Oral History Committees. She also served as chair of MLA's Medical School Libraries (1992/93) and Technical Services (1986/87) Sections.

Grefsheim has also been a strong leader in her regional library community. She chaired MLA's Mid-Atlantic Chapter (1984/85) and from 1981/82, she served as chair of the District of Columbia Health Sciences Library Association. Most recently, she headed MLA's efforts to revise its research policy statement by serving as chair to The Task Force on MLA's Research Policy Statement (2005-2007).

Since 1992, Grefsheim has worked as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library where her leadership has significantly improved library services and use. As library director, she adopted evidence-based practice in the library and has implemented innovative programs and ways of working in the library. By restructuring the NIH Library staff, Grefsheim fostered development of staff skills and abilities. Her leadership and guidance as library director has earned her two of NIH's most distinctive honors, the NIH Director's Award and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Merit Award. In 1999, she received the prestigious U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Award for Distinguished Services.

A widely respected author, Grefsheim has written numerous articles for various publications including the Journal of the Medical Library Association, Medical Reference Services Quarterly, and Collection Management.

In support of her nomination as an MLA fellow, Rick B. Forsman, AHIP, FMLA, this year's winner of the MLA Marcia C. Noyes Award, states, "By virtue of her demonstrated record of significant research and scholarship, stellar reputation, and eminent leadership performance within MLA, Suzanne fills all criteria for the designation as a Fellow of the association. Although she never seeks the limelight and chooses to focus more on tasks than on personal visibility, Suzanne has amassed an incredible set of achievements that have benefited our association and each of its members."

MLA is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,500 health sciences information professional members worldwide. Founded in 1898, MLA provides lifelong educational opportunities, supports a knowledgebase of health information research, and works with a global network of partners to promote the importance of quality information for improved health to the health care community and the public.

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA to Induct Betsy Humbphreys, AHIP, FMLA, as an MLA Fellow

Each year, the Medical Library Association (MLA) bestows the honor of Fellow status on several of its most accomplished members. Fellows of the association are chosen based on their commitment to furthering MLA's goals and their contributions to the health sciences information profession. For her leadership and dedication to the profession and the association, Betsy Humphreys, AHIP, FMLA, has been selected receive the honor of becoming an MLA Fellow at MLA '08 in May in Chicago, IL.

Humphreys is known by her colleagues as a leader and innovator whose career has enriched libraries and library professionals worldwide. She rose through the ranks at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) from serials librarian to becoming deputy director, with responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the library. During her tenure at NLM, she has been at the center of development of NLM's public health focus and her efforts to extend public health information has made an difference both in the U.S. and internationally.

One of her most important contributions to the library community was in the development of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), recognizing the importance of diverse vocabularies for information retrieval for the development of workable electronic health record systems. A sought-after speaker and author, she has written extensively on the subject for several publications including the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association and the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science.

Twice elected to serve on the MLA Nominating Committee (1989 and 1998), Humphreys has lent her talents to the association in various areas. She served as chair of MLA's Medical Informatics Section (1992) as well as the Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award Jury (1983).

A Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP), Humphreys has received several of MLA's most prestigious honors. In 2001, she had the honor of presenting MLA's Janet Doe Lecture. In 2004, she received MLA's President's Award, and last year, she received MLA 's highest honor, the Marcia C. Noyes Award for her enduring contributions to the health sciences librarianship profession.

In addition, she has received numerous awards from other organizations and institutions including the NLM Director's Award (1988), National Institutes of Health Director's Award (1990), and the National Institutes of Health Award of Merit (1978).

In support of Humphrey's nomination as Fellow, Past MLA President Carol G. Jenkins, AHIP, FMLA, stated, "Betsy has an amazing ability to work at the highest levels of shaping information policy, working through complex issues with intellectual acumen, clarity and humor, while maintaining an eye for the details. She is a role model and leader in our profession, and most deserving of this honor."

MLA is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members worldwide. Founded in 1898, MLA provides lifelong educational opportunities, supports a knowledgebase of health information research, and works with a global network of partners to promote the importance of quality information for improved health to the health care community and the public.

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

Linda Garr Markwell, AHIP, FMLA, to Become an MLA Fellow at MLA '08 in May

The Medical Library Association (MLA) bestows the status of Fellow in the association based on a member's contributions to the health sciences information profession and the advancement of MLA's purposes. Past MLA Board member Linda Garr Markwell, AHIP, FMLA, more than meets this criteria, and the association is pleased to announce that she will be inducted as an MLA Fellow at MLA '08 in Chicago, IL, in May.

Her service to MLA has been immeasurable and sustaining. Markwell served on the MLA Board of Directors (2001-2004) as Chapter Council liaison. As Chapter Council Chair, she was instrumental in the growth of MLA annual meeting chapter sharing roundtables as well as the development of chapter and section joint programming at the meeting, which continues to this day. Markwell can count among her many professional honors, the MLA Hospital Libraries Section "Scroll of Exemplary Service" Honoree (2002) award and the MLA Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship (1994). She is currently a member of the Academy of Health Information Professional's (AHIP) at Distinguished level.

A former chair (1989) of the Southern Chapter of MLA, Markwell is considered one the chapter's most revered leaders and one of its brightest stars. She has served as chair of the chapter as well as chair of more than ten of its committees including bylaws, membership, nominating and strategic planning. Her work on the chapter's strategic plan continues to guide the chapter's activities today.

Markwell has enjoyed a long and successful career at Emory University School of Medicine, where she is currently head of Branch Library Services and of the Grady Branch Library. Overseeing three hospital libraries at Grady, she not only provides strong management skills, but has also developed innovative teaching programs.

Of her nomination, MLA member Diane G. Schwartz, AHIP, FMLA, stated, "I have known Ms. Markwell professionally for 15 years and during this time, I have been impressed at how thoroughly she exemplifies the attributes that we extol in today's health information professional. Linda Markwell is a serious individual who has made a commitment to our profession that is far and above that made by the average medical librarian. In addition, she is a highly ethical individual with a thoughtful, intelligent demeanor that serves as the cornerstone of our profession."

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA to Induct Diane McKenzie, FMLA, as an MLA Fellow at MLA '08

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that Diane McKenzie, FMLA, has been selected to receive Fellow status in the association and will be inducted in May 2008 at the Awards Ceremony and Luncheon during MLA's annual meeting and exhibition in Chicago, IL.

One of MLA's most dedicated volunteers, McKenzie's love of history (her major in college) has benefited the association and the profession in many ways. McKenzie, retired, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, has served on several MLA sections and committees including chair of MLA's History of Health Sciences Section (2006) and the Oral History Committee (1995). Her work on the Oral History Committee is one of her most significant contributions to the association. As director of MLA's Oral History Project, she conducted eighteen interviews with MLA leaders and edited eight of the interviews.

McKenzie is one of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter's (MAC's) most committed members having served on eleven of the chapter's committees, serving as chair or cochair on three. McKenzie also served as the archivist for MAC until her retirement in 2007 and co-wrote the history of the chapter for MLA's centennial celebration in 1998.

"Diane is a tireless volunteer who has given more hours to important MLA programs, committees, and sections than most of us have done in our entire careers. She is an excellent example of leadership and volunteerism within our profession. I feel that she definitely merits the national recognition and honor that MLA Fellowship confers," stated MLA member Joan S. Zenan, AHIP, FMLA.

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

Lenny Rhine, AHIP, FMLA, to be Inducted as an MLA Fellow in May at MLA '08

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that Lenny Rhine, FMLA, will be inducted as an MLA Fellow on Monday, May 19, 2008, during the Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at MLA '08 in Chicago, IL. MLA Fellows are selected among current members of the association who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of MLA's purposes and to the health sciences information profession.

"Unrivaled" is how his peers describe Rhine's contributions to and development of health information and library services in Africa and other developing countries. His passion for promoting international health sciences librarianship and the need to provide access to health information to the world's underdeveloped countries shows.

Rhine, university librarian emeritus, University of Florida-Gainesville, was instrumental in the establishment of MLA's partner association, The Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA), and has been highly influential in the development and growth of this association.

A founding member of MLA's Librarians without Borders Task Force and Librarians Without Borders SM Global Initiative, he is currently coordinator of MLA's E-Library Training Initiative, for which he has traveled all over the world to places such as Vietnam, Nigeria, and Nepal to conduct Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) training workshops. A former chair of the MLA International Cooperation Section (1992), he has remained one of the section's core members. In 2004, the section bestowed him with the International Cooperation Section Award for his leadership in international outreach.

Of Rhine's nomination to Fellow status, Tony McSean, immediate past chair of MLA's International Cooperation Section stated, "In many unfashionable and deprived areas of the world, Lenny Rhine is the welcome and deeply admired face of the US LIS community, and of the Medical Library Association. He has worked tirelessly an effectively to develop professional expertise where it is most needed and has been an ambassador of whom we can all be truly proud,"

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28