The Community Health Information Center is beginning to gain more attention on Weber State University’s campus as a resource for students and the community.

The CHIC’s purpose is to make sure the Northern Utah community has up-to-date and accurate safety information concerning various health issues. The center provides hundreds of free health pamphlets on women’s health, diseases, healthy lifestyles and many others. The CHIC answers questions, holds support groups, teaches health safety courses and rents tools and models for other health instruction activities.

Elon Jensen manages the CHIC, which is located in McKay-Dee Hospital.

“We are excited to help Weber State students and the community get information from an unbiased source. This is the next step after a doctor’s visit or even just a good place to go to learn about health issues and promotions,” Jensen said.

One of the CHIC’s best known resources is the car seat instruction and inspection technicians. Free inspections of car seats for children can be given by CHIC employees, and further advice and help is given Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“The car seat class always leaves parents shocked at the way they were previously using their car seats and has saved a lot of lives,” Jensen said.

All employees of the center are WSU graduates. The CHIC has internship positions each semester, and a large portion of those interns become employees directly after their internship. McKay-Dee Hospital is the largest employer of health care promotion graduates, and many are from WSU. The CHIC is funded by McKay-Dee Hospital to serve local universities and the community.

Another available resource of the center is its CPR training. It regularly holds classes for the American Heart Association CPR certification and First Aid. Cost for the classes range from $40-$50 dependent upon the class type, which is one of the lowest-costing CPR classes in Northern Utah. The cost also includes the class book.

The CHIC’s health library has books available for rent that cover a wide variety of topics, including diet-specific cookbooks for those in need of gluten-free menus and diabetics. It also offers DVDs and CDs on stress management, fetal development and the human body. The CHIC can also help students locate local support groups and interventions through its Community Resource Guide.

The CHIC also offers a large selection of models of skeletons, hearts, lungs, fat and muscle. Nutrition models, black light germ powder, drunk goggles and other tools for health instruction are also available.

Julie Barker, a WSU student, is currently interning at CHIC and said she has seen many diverse situations assisted by the information and tools the CHIC center has to offer.

“It is a fabulous place to expand your learning, get real world experience and build relationships with important people in the health field,” Barker said. “It’s the perfect thing to jazz up your next presentation.”

The 18-year-old center also offers a variety of childbirth preparation classes, including Lamaze, hypnobirthing and prenatal yoga.

Internships at the center are available each semester. The CHIC is located inside the McKay-Dee Hospital Visitors Entrance, across from the Gift Shop. More information is available at 801-387-7800 or online at www.intemountainhealthcare.org.