MedlinePlus Go Local Going ... Going ... Gone!
Nine-Year-Old Program Axed by NLM

(Bethesda, MD) — Citing redundancy and budget concerns, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) announced the termination of its wildly popular MedlinePlus Go Local efforts on February 18, 2010.

MedlinePlus, NLM's consumer health Web site, was launched on October 22, 1998. It has since grown in size and scope to become nearly as successful a Federal government program as the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Go Local Web sites were added in 2001 in order to connect users to health services in their local communities.

"The Internet has evolved to the point where Web sites, search engines, blogs, Twitter and other social media points can do the job, perhaps even better, than we've been doing," said an NLM spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Besides, we're trying to follow President Obama's suggestion of working harder, not smarter."

Protests condemning the shutdown were sporadic and nowhere near the level of violence seen with the implementation of the Library's Integrated Library System (ILS) in 1999. Or the Library's Reference Section Open House in 1999. Or the shutdown of Internet Grateful Med (IGM) in 2001. Or the switch from the original PubMed in 2002.

Given the current level of mistrust in the Federal government, it is no surprise that some users aren't buying NLM's claims of redundancy. Many believe the project's demise is directly attributed to confusion over its name. The name "Go Local" has apparently been mistaken for "Go Lo-Cal" and not used as a health-related Web site but rather as a dangerous crash diet. Allegations are surfacing that the diet is as controversial — and perhaps as deadly — as Fen-phen (an anti-obesity medication, consisting of fenfluramine and phentermine, which caused potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension and heart valve problems) and Ayds (an appetite-suppressant candy with a name unfortunately similar to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)).

The late supermodel Grini went from a Size 2 to a Size -4 after just a few months on the program. "This is a great diet to follow," said the supermodel shortly before her death, according to a spokesman speaking on condition of anonymity. "It really works. Make no bones about it!"

FLATLINE's recurring feature "SeñorHealth Says ... "¡Go Loco!" feature will not be affected by NLM's announcement.