Lieutenant Governor Primavera Talks Telehealth on Sunshine & Stories

What is Sunshine & Stories?

Sunshine & Stories is a Colorado State Library podcast dedicated to all things public and school libraries. Our podcast aims to offer fresh insights, as well as spark creative and practical ideas for diverse public & school library settings. Whether you’re a veteran in the library world, a newbie looking for a little professional support, or someone who’s considering shaking things up in your library (a little or a lot), we hope this podcast will be a valuable resource for you. 

Ep. 204 “Health access should never depend on your Zip Code.”: Telehealth and Rural Communities

Episode Summary:

Kieran Hixon chats with Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera and Ashley Heathfield from the Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) about the “Connect to Health at Your Library” project in Colorado. This initiative establishes telehealth hubs in rural libraries to provide a private, safe, and free way for rural residents to connect with healthcare providers and other online services. Lieutenant Governor Primavera discusses the importance of health access regardless of location, and Ashley Heathfield emphasizes how this project leverages existing library infrastructure and provides critical funding to these community pillars, while also building digital literacy skills that benefit users far beyond just medical visits. (Full transcript available here.)

00:00 – Introduction
00:49 – Joy in Work
06:29 – The Telehealth/Library Partnership and Impact
08:19 – Visiting Julesburg and Future Hopes
10:05 – Patron Impact Stories  
11:19 – Closing 

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Resources:

Connect to Health @Your Library (https://telehealth.cvlsites.org/) 

Office of eHealth Innovation (https://oehi.colorado.gov/) 

For more about the Connect to Health @Your Library project, contact Kieran Hixon, Rural and Small Library Senior Consultant – [email protected] 

Colorado State Library projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government.