Closure of the Consumer Health Information Service

With the loss of operating funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion (MHP), the Consumer CHISTPL_logo Health Information Service (CHIS), at the Toronto Public Library closed on May 8, 2009. 
 
The MHP decision was not a reflection on the value of the service. It came as a result of the government's current budget pressures and the Ministry's review of the OHPRS (the funding program for CHIS) and a realignment of that service to focus on a core mandate to build the capacity of health promoters.
 

The Toronto Public Library will continue to provide health information to local users.  Please visit the Business and Health Sciences centre at the Toronto Reference Library, call the library's centralized phone service at 416-393-7131, or visit the Toronto Public Library's health and wellness wiki at http://chis.wikidot.com/

 

CHIS began as an 18-month pilot project funded by the Premier’s Council on Health, Well-Being and Social Justice in November 1991.  The Service – located at the Toronto Reference Library – opened to the public in February 1992.  It included a walk-in service, local and toll-free phone line assistance, as well as the provision of tailored information packages to help consumer make informed decisions about their health.  In 1993, the Ministry of Health began funding CHIS.

 

Since CHIS opened in 1992, approximately 115,000 people have consulted CHIS for health information, and 350,000 users have accessed the CHIS website since it became available in November 1999.

 

The blog will continue as the Toronto Public Library Health and Wellness Blog:

https://blogs.tpl.ca/health-and-wellness/

Please stay tuned for future posts that should be starting sometime in July 2009.

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