Funding from the Ford Foundation and the James M. Cox Foundation to kick off with a training event to help more people access and prepare for telehealth services

Northwest Arkansas – Today, Heartland Forward – a policy think-and-do tank dedicated to serving states and local communities in the middle of the country – announced an initiative to expand telehealth access in Arkansas and Oklahoma by teaching librarians how to prepare community members for a telehealth visit. The collaborative effort is kicking off with a training event at the Fayetteville Public Library today.  

This event is part of Heartland Forward’s multi-state, multi-pronged Connecting the Heartland initiative. This effort seeks to boost internet availability, affordability and adoption rates for participation in online services that are key to economic opportunity. Heartland Forward’s goal is to be a resource to states and communities by emphasizing affordability and adoption alongside expanding infrastructure. 

For many in the heartland, health care access is limited. A Heartland Forward report found 25 percent of counties surveyed in the region had a population-to-primary care physician ratio more than double the U.S. average. Telehealth helps to address this gap by allowing patients to visit health care providers using a computer, tablet or smartphone. This can be done at home, a health clinic or a place with computers available for public use, like a library. To effectively improve access to care and outcomes, communities must increase patients’ and providers’ comfort levels and ability to effectively use telehealth services. Increasing access to telehealth at scale is especially critical for seniors, people with chronic conditions and disabilities and those who live in rural communities far from health care providers. 

“Telehealth is a vital tool for improving how health care is delivered and accessed in the heartland. This is just one of many opportunities for improved health and economic outcomes by connecting the heartland to affordable high-speed internet,” said Angie Cooper, executive vice president at Heartland Forward. “We’re excited to meet heartland communities where they are and are grateful to James M. Cox Foundation  for supporting today’s event and to the Public Library Association and Ford Foundation for the creation of the module. Together, we look forward to making a meaningful difference in health care access and outcomes across the heartland.”

“We are grateful for this $25,000 gift from the James M. Cox Foundation, and the opportunity Cox Communications has been provided to partner with Heartland Forward to expand telehealth access in Arkansas and Oklahoma,” said Cox Arkansas Market Vice President Tina Gabbard. “Whether through our investing of $12 billion in our fiber-powered network over the past 10 years nationwide or continuing our longstanding commitment to Cox’s unique affordable internet programs Connect2Compete and ConnectAssist, Cox is dedicated to connecting the communities where we work, live and serve.”

Today’s event will educate librarians on the comprehensive, online Telehealth DigitalLearn module, which teaches users how to access and prepare for a telehealth appointment. Available in English and Spanish, the module offers a complete training package, with slide decks, trainer scripts and handouts and covers four lessons: introducing telehealth, navigating patient portals, technical requirements and the telehealth visit. Following the October 2 event, librarians can use the module to help community members learn more about telehealth solutions and ultimately, improve health care access across the state of Arkansas. 

For more information on Heartland Forward and its work to build thriving, resilient communities across the American heartland, please visit www.heartlandforward.org.

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About Heartland Forward: 
Heartland Forward is a policy think-and-do tank dedicated to being a resource for states and local communities in the middle of the country. We do this by studying broad economic trends and building data-driven and community-tested partnerships, programs and policies to address the needs of the heartland – all while helping to change the narrative about the middle of the country and kick-starting economic growth.

About the James M. Cox Foundation:
The James M. Cox Foundation is named in honor of Cox Enterprises’ founder and provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where the company operates. James M. Cox was Ohio’s first three-term governor and the 1920 Democratic nominee for president of the United States. The Foundation concentrates its community support in several areas, including conservation and environment, early childhood education, empowering families and individuals for success, and health.