Libraries Expand Health Care Access: St. Luke’s, Idaho Libraries, IDHW Ignite a Telehealth Revolution
A partnership among the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the state’s libraries, and St. Luke’s Health System offers library patrons a new place to receive remote medical care.
// By Althea Fung //
Libraries are the heartbeat of communities. Serving as more than just book repositories, they are vital hubs for education, connection, and support. In rural and underserved areas, libraries often bridge the digital divide, offering internet access that can open doors to job opportunities, education, and even health care.
Deana Brown, adult services consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries
During the pandemic, the Idaho Commission for Libraries saw an opportunity to help its library customers, especially those in rural areas, receive medical care closer to their homes.
“When the pandemic hit, libraries in Idaho, and across the U.S., stepped up to be a hub of reliable and up-to-date information. We got an opportunity to do something that was literally lifesaving for some folks during the height of the pandemic,” says Deana Brown, adult services consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries. In 2021, the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation gave the Commission a $30,000 grant to pilot a program to outfit the libraries in two remote towns with a telehealth space.
Donna Eggers, public information officer at the Idaho Commission for Libraries
“We chose two towns in Clearwater County because of their need and because they are very remote areas. So, people often can’t get to a medical appointment —especially an appointment in one of the larger cities — for much of the year because of weather or geography,” says Donna Eggers, public information officer at the Commission.
Following the success of that pilot, and with the funding available at that time, the Commission was eager to offer the program to all the 104 public libraries it serves.
Read on to learn more about this program and how public spaces in your community could double as hubs for community health.