Small Stones Health Resource Center Relocated

In a step designed to reach more health information consumers, Small Stones Health Resource Center has moved to new, larger quarters adjoining the Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops Brookfield store in the V. Richards Plaza, 17145 West Bluemound Road.

Small Stones is a name drawn from a Chinese proverb: "Those who remove mountains begin by carrying away small stones."

Developed by Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin to serve the needs of patients and families, Small Stones offers health-conscious consumers access to a broad range of resources. Its unique services include:

• Nurse educators to answer health and wellness questions and direct clients to additional resources to meet their needs. These experienced and knowledgeable nurse educators provide advice and guidance on medical issues and conditions, fitness, nutrition and more.
• Assistance in finding a Medical College of Wisconsin physician to meet specific needs.
• A health resource store offering a consumer library and bookstore, hard-to-find and unique health-related retail products, and Internet access to leading sources of health information.
• Health screenings for disease detection and lifestyle change, educational workshops covering a range of health and wellness topics, and enjoyable and interesting events in partnership with community resources.
• A membership program with special benefits to help consumers meet their health and wellness goals.

Small Stones resources are available to anyone seeking health information, whether managing a medical issue or to improve overall fitness and well-being.

Joining forces with Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee's oldest and largest independent bookseller, links Small Stones to an experienced, innovative retailer with strong community roots, according to Kathleen Perlewitz, director of access services at Froedtert Hospital. Under the arrangement, Schwartz will manage the retail component of Small Stones while Froedtert handles the health education and resource aspect.

"Since its launch in early 2002, Small Stones has grown steadily as a reliable source of health information," said Perlewitz. "Annually, nearly 15,000 people visit the store for books, gifts and other items, to talk to our nurse educators, to participate in workshops and health screenings, and more than 3,000 are enrolled as Small Stones members. With the retail expertise of Schwartz Bookshops behind us, we can focus on what we do best - provide health information and resources."

According to Carol Grossmeyer, president of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, the collaboration is a first for Schwartz Bookshops.

"Teaming up with Small Stones will bring a richness to all of our shops," Grossmeyer said. "Customers are thrilled that nurses will be on site to answer questions, and our employees are looking forward to tapping into their knowledge of health books and other resources." She added, "David Schwartz would be so proud of this. He truly believed our stores should reach out to the community."

Small Stones leases 3,800 square feet of space, roughly triple the size of Small Stones' previous site at 8700 Watertown Plank Road. The new location is just east of the current Schwartz Bookshop. Small Stones has its own storefront and retains the soothing store personality that has become its signature. A pass-through between the two shops will enable customers to move freely between them.

The additional space allows Small Stones to add inventory as well as a private consulting room for nurses to meet with customers and a community education room for classes and screenings. Small Stones' hours match the Brookfield Schwartz Bookshop's hours.

Froedtert Hospital is a 433-bed academic medical center staffed by faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin. It serves as an eastern Wisconsin referral center for advanced medical practice care in 37 specialties and subspecialties. It is a major training and research facility with more than 1,000 medical, nursing and health technical students in training and over 2,000 active clinical trials each year. Froedtert, a member of Froedtert & Community Health, operates the region's only adult Level One Trauma Center.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.