The ongoing pandemic has put a spotlight on inequities in the healthcare system, especially among those most vulnerable. There is a need for public libraries to play a role in advancing health equity that can be bridged through the NJHealthConnect @ Your Library, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) opportunity.
This new program, administered by New Jersey State Library, and implemented by Just For The Health Of It! at East Brunswick Public Library, addresses inequities through a combination of technology that offers links to telemedicine apps for doctor appointments, and links to COVID and high quality health literacy resources. Most importantly, it features a team of certified consumer health librarians who will facilitate and train NJ librarians to implement a telehealth program in their communities.
Project Description
Just For The Health Of It! at East Brunswick Public Library will serve as a statewide hub to promote health equity by disseminating iPads to interested partner libraries throughout the state that will be used for the purposes of telemedicine, and to provide access to multilingual health information that promotes health literacy and patient empowerment.
Presenters
- Michele Stricker, Deputy State Librarian for Lifelong Learning, NJSL
- Karen Parry, Director East Brunswick Public Library
If you have any questions, please contact Betsy Beavers at ebeavers@njstatelib.org .
