Convergence and Collaboration in the Year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): The UT Health Science Center Libraries’ Outreach to Communities in South Texas and the Story of Laredo. Pegeen A. Seger, MA, MLIS. Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Objective: It all started with such good intentions. In August of 2013, the UT Health Science Center Libraries began planning for the ACA and the beginning enrollment starting on October 1st. Our objective was to have our librarians and library staff ready to provide ACA information through the Briscoe Library in San Antonio, the Ramirez Library in Harlingen, and the Regional Campus Library in Laredo.
Methods: We started by gathering information and trying to decide on the role we would assume. We kept up (mostly) with the many great resources coming out from the NN/LM SCR. We ultimately reached out to community partners as ACA Champions for Coverage.
Results: We found, however, that our opportunities varied in each of our three geographic areas depending on a number of factors. (Enrollment and ACA controversy in Texas proved to be complicated.) Despite our initial expectations, we ended up with different levels of involvement and with different types of community and campus partners. In Laredo, we experienced the most direct contact with local community enrollment due to the level of outreach through the Mid Rio Grande Valley (MRGV) Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the Congressional office of Representative Henry Cuellar.
Conclusions: Just as all politics are local, we found that the role played by each of our Libraries was determined by the convergence of local conditions. Not surprisingly, a lesson learned was to plan as thoroughly as you can and then capitalize on the opportunities that arise through the powers of collaboration.
