MAINE, Maine — The Maine State Library is launching the Libraries Well being Join Program.

Beginning in Could, residents who reside in 10 communities throughout rural components of Maine may have a brand new and handy solution to join with a well being care supplier nearly. 

This system gives the know-how, house, and gear wanted for telehealth companies by means of the general public library. The state library allotted $50,000 it obtained by means of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, to create the statewide telehealth initiative.

Marijke Visser is the library growth part supervisor for the Maine State Library.

She stated this system began in response to the group considerations library workers was listening to throughout COVID-19 concerning the issue of receiving well being care companies in some components of the state.

Visser stated there are 255 libraries throughout Maine, and half of them serve populations of fewer than 2,500 folks and 70 p.c serve populations of below 5,000.

She defined that most of the libraries are within the smallest and most rural communities in Maine, locations that overlap with equitable entry to well being care.

“In case you are in a small group you might must drive a protracted distance to see a specialist…basically libraries are attentive to the wants of their communities, so the libraries seeing that the folks had been scuffling with the pandemic and with receiving high quality well being care…we wished to step up and mitigate these challenges,” Visser stated. 

The pilot program will begin 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).  

“Should you assume once more concerning the communities that we centered on, they’re among the smaller and the extra rural communities in Maine,” Visser stated. “And so, folks might need to drive an hour or extra to a well being care supplier. And so we’re making it simpler and extra environment friendly for folks to have the ability to obtain the standard well being care that all of them deserve.”

Utilizing the rooms at these libraries for telehealth appointments is freed from cost.

“So they’re open to anyone that the library serves, and it is freed from price. All you need to do is that if your well being care supplier is collaborating in telehealth, you may go to the library and ebook your appointment by means of the library straight,” Visser stated.

The Maine State Library is offering gear (laptop computer, television monitor, white noise machine, headset, and a digicam) to all 10 libraries, the know-how is being put up now and might be prepared for folks to begin reserving the rooms for the start of Could.

Visser stated purchasers are in command of organising the telehealth appointment by means of a well being supplier. As soon as that’s arrange, purchasers can contact one of many collaborating libraries and arrange a time with them.

Visser stated the objective of this system is to make it simpler and extra accessible for everybody to obtain the well being companies they want.

“Maine’s libraries are dedicated to making sure their communities have entry to equitable companies,” Jamie Ritter, Maine state librarian, stated. “This implies providing applications that you simply won’t affiliate together with your library, like telehealth. We strongly consider that the place you reside shouldn’t dictate the standard of your well being care. These libraries are main the way in which for establishing libraries as one other manner Mainers can join with a well being care supplier.”