The award will be presented May 18 at the awards luncheon during the annual meeting of the 1,000-member Medical Library Association.
Staggs’ nomination cites many accomplishments in her 36-year career with the Biomedical Library, but the nomination documents focus on her role in helping educate patients who are about to undergo open heart surgery, says Judy Burnham, the recently retired library director who nominated Staggs.
“I believe in the mission of this hospital – to help people live longer, healthier lives,” Staggs said. “I really think the library has a place in patient care and patient education. “It goes beyond helping a physician find information about an esoteric problem or a nurse care plan."
Staggs' nomination cites her participation on 10 committees and in helping with research for some of the hospital’s key evidence-based practice improvement projects.
When the open-heart surgery team was created in 2012, Staggs was invited to join that team, too. “Research shows that if patients are educated on the front end, they do much better after surgery,” Burnham said.
Being part of the education program “is not something I had to do,” Staggs said. “I could sit in my office and wait for people to come in and ask questions. But I’m not that kind of person."
Since the start of the heart surgery program at USA Medical Center, she has worked with more than 50 patients.
