In August, PAH welcomed Michelle Bass, PhD, MSI, AHIP as its new clinical information librarian. In her role, Bass will partner with clinicians at the hospital, searching for and providing evidence for patient care decisions and quality and performance improvement interventions. Bass will also assist with conducting research and contributing to the publication of medical literature.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michelle to our team and have no doubt she will serve as an appreciated resource for our inter-professional team and the patients we serve,” wrote Florrie Vanek, MSN, RN, NE-BC, director of Nursing Education, Nursing Professional Practice, and the Magnet Program, in a welcome letter to staff.
Bass, who has worked in libraries since college, was first introduced to health services librarianship during her assistantship at the University of Michigan’s Taubman Health Sciences Library. It was there where she gained expertise in communicating with providers and the types of resources needed for medical care.
“Although I’m not directly working at the bedside, I know that identifying a resource or collaborating on a literature review can make a difference in patient care,” said Bass.
At PAH, Bass is currently working to improve the navigation of resources. Rather than having a clinician search through the extensive Penn library catalog, named Franklin, for a specific topic, Bass is curating library guides to organize topic-focused resources, including electronic journals, print materials in the Pennsylvania Hospital Medical Library on the third floor of the Pine Building, and biomedical databases, for clinicians and staff across the hospital. They will be highlighted on the Library Services’ team’s new SharePoint site.
“It can sometimes be frustrating or complicated to find something in such a massive catalog,” she said. “We want to make information a little easier to access and more digestible for providers.”
Prior to joining PAH, Bass served as a manager of a team of research and instruction librarians at Harvard Medical School. She also held previous roles at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago. Bass graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester, received a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan, and acquired a Master of Science in Educational Psychology and a PhD in Education Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Although she was born and raised in Maryland, Bass is a Philadelphia sports fan at heart, thanks to her father, who grew up in the city. As a Big 10 graduate twice over, she is also a fan of college football and basketball. Her parents have since returned to the city, along with her sister. Bass is excited to be close to family, with her dog Norman, to fulfill her role as Aunt Michelle for her niece and nephew.
“I can tell how much everyone at PAH cares about the patients they’re helping,” she said. “Just to be a part of that makes me feel good coming to work every day.”
For questions about PAH’s Library Services, and to schedule appointments, Bass can be contacted via email: michelle.bass@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.