Telehealth services are essential for expanding health services and supporting our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic (Using Telehealth - CDC). The purpose of this Community of Practice (CoP) is to establish a support network to create opportunities for learning, sharing knowledge and resources, and reducing duplication of work for those creating and/or managing telehealth services at a library or other non-profit organization.

The Pottsboro Library is located in rural north Texas 90 miles north of Dallas, near beautiful Lake Texoma. The innovative library provides a number of non-traditional programs and services to the community, such as a Library of Things circulating everything from carpet cleaners to bicycles, 1-acre organic community garden with 100 individual beds, edible landscaping planted around the building, competitive high school e-sports team, seed library, virtual reality station, and a telemedicine room with accompanying health-related programming. Our role as a community catalyst brings people together with the information and resources they need.

Pottsboro Library launched a telehealth program beginning in January, 2021. A collaboration between the Network of National Library of Medicine – South Central Region, UNTHSC, and the Pottsboro Library created this groundbreaking program.

Participants connect with University of North Texas Health Science Center clinicians online. In a COVID-19 world, avoiding in-person visits not only adheres to self-quarantine and social distancing guidelines, but also lightens hospital and physician loads to focus on patients with the most acute sickness and symptoms.

Contact Information:

Dianne Connery, Special Projects Librarian
903.786.8274
PottsboroLibrary@gmail.com