MAINE, Maine — The Maine State Library is launching the Libraries Health Connect Program.
Starting in May, residents who live in 10 communities across rural parts of Maine will have a new and convenient way to connect with a health care provider virtually.
The program provides the technology, space, and equipment needed for telehealth services through the public library. The state library allotted $50,000 it received through the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, to create the statewide telehealth initiative.
Marijke Visser is the library development section supervisor for the Maine State Library.
She said the program started in response to the community concerns library staff was hearing during COVID-19 about the difficulty of receiving health care services in some parts of the state.
Visser said there are 255 libraries across Maine, and half of them serve populations of fewer than 2,500 people and 70 percent serve populations of under 5,000.
She explained that many of the libraries are in the smallest and most rural communities in Maine, places that overlap with equitable access to health care.
"If you are in a small community you may need to drive a long distance to see a specialist...fundamentally libraries are responsive to the needs of their communities, so the libraries seeing that the people were struggling with the pandemic and with receiving quality health care...we wanted to step up and mitigate those challenges," Visser said.
The pilot program will start with these 10 libraries:
- Alice L. Pendleton Library (Islesboro)
- Caribou Public Library
- Cary Library (Houlton)
- Fryeburg Public Library
- Henry D. Moore Library (Steuben)
- Paris Public Library (Paris)
- Peabody Memorial Library (Jonesport)
- Pittsfield Public Library
- Skowhegan Free Public Library
- Thompson Free Library (Dover-Foxcroft).
"If you think again about the communities that we focused on, they are some of the smaller and the more rural communities in Maine," Visser said. "And so, people may have to drive an hour or more to a health care provider. And so we are looking at making it easier and more efficient for people to be able to receive the quality health care that they all deserve."
Using the rooms at these libraries for telehealth appointments is free of charge.
"So they are open to anybody that the library serves, and it's free of cost. All you have to do is if your health care provider is participating in telehealth, you can go to the library and book your appointment through the library directly," Visser said.
The Maine State Library is providing equipment (laptop, tv monitor, white noise machine, headset, and a camera) to all 10 libraries, the technology is being put up now and will be ready for people to start booking the rooms for the beginning of May.
Visser said clients are in charge of setting up the telehealth appointment through a health provider. Once that is set up, clients can contact one of the participating libraries and set up a time with them.
Visser said the goal of the program is to make it easier and more accessible for everyone to receive the health services they need.
"Maine's libraries are committed to ensuring their communities have access to equitable services," Jamie Ritter, Maine state librarian, said. "This means offering programs that you might not associate with your library, like telehealth. We strongly believe that where you live should not dictate the quality of your health care. These libraries are leading the way for establishing libraries as another way Mainers can connect with a health care provider."