A New Hub of Health Information

What started as a lengthy conversation over breakfast turned into the beginning of a strong partnership for Ernest DiMattia Jr., president of and John Stewart, president and CEO of Purdue Pharma L.P.

"He's really one of my heroes — very few people I get together with have a two-hour breakfast with me, particularly when I'm there saying 'Can you support us?'" DiMattia laughed.

Purdue Pharma provided the library with a $50,000 grant to buy materials and provide library services for the creation of the Purdue Consumer Health Information Center — now located just to the right of the entrance to the Main Library.

The Center contains over 300 books on topics ranging from child rearing to cancer to health and fitness, as well as a new database, Consumer Health Complete.

"When you have your health, you really have everything," Stewart said. "It's a simple old adage, but in our increasingly complex world, health is not so simple. And one of the best resources we have to maintain our health is information."

Stewart hopes that providing this information right in the library will help everyone have access to the information they need to get or stay healthy.

Mayor Michael Pavia also had a memorable meeting with representatives from Purdue Pharma — a conversation that would help lead to the partnership with Ferguson Library.

"It was one of the more uplifting meetings that I ever expected... [Purdue Pharma] said "We want to be good corporate citizens, we want to help, what can we do?" Pavia said.

Pavia  praised Ferguson Library for finding ways to keep their doors open throughout budget cuts and find the resources to not only continue to provide services to the community, and to provide new services like the Consumer Health Information Center.

"This type of thing brings value to our community that the city side couldn't do alone, that Ferguson couldn't do alone and that Purdue couldn't do alone, but together, what happens is the awareness bar is raised," he said.

The shelves lining the Center are already packed with resources, including brochures for different conditions listing some of the best books, articles and websites available.

"Looking around here I see more wonderful materials than you would find in many medical bookstores, and our nearest medical bookstore is in New Haven," Dr. Harry Romanowitz said. "It's is a treasure trove."

Romanowitz, a pediatrician in Stamford, praised the new center for helping provide people with the right information. Too often, he sees patients who have done their homework using an internet search and come up with bad information about their health.

"It's important to have the right materials and what you have here is magnificent — long overdue," Romanowitz said.