NetWellness Receives Federal Funds

The University of Cincinnati (UC), with partners Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and The Ohio State University (OSU), will receive $750,000 in federal funding to support NetWellness (netwellness.org), the Internet health resource founded at UC in 1995.

Funding was secured in the federal budget through the leadership of Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-OH), Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) and Rep. Dave Hobson (R-Springfield).

"The Internet provides widespread, anytime access to information," said Voinovich.  "Using this tool to help people become more informed about their health can help people lead healthier lifestyles, make better decisions, and learn where to turn when they need more help.  Ohio has been a leader in this area and I'm glad to continue to support this important health outreach with these funds."

The use of the Internet as a medium for providing information has propelled NetWellness' reach far beyond the boundaries of Ohio.  Funding first secured from the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Commerce has aided NetWellness in its ability to cater to diverse populations throughout the state as well as those with an in-home Internet connection.

Faculty members from the three partner universities volunteer to answer questions submitted through the anonymous, confidential, and free "Ask an Expert" service, and respond to all legitimate questions within two to three days.  In the "Ask an Expert" feature, over 150 university physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists and other allied health professionals have answered over 20,000 questions on hundreds of topics ranging from allergy to infertility to newborn care.  NetWellness archives the "Ask an Expert" questions and answers for visitors to browse, preserving complete anonymity and privacy.

For more information, visit the NetWellness Web site at

http://www.netwellness.org

or call (513) 558-8766.