From left Annie Green, James Prendergast Library executive director, Madeline Engels, intern from State University of New York at Fredonia, and Danielle Bertolini, staff librarian and telehealth project manager, in front of the telehealth pod at the James Prendergast Library. Library patrons can now schedule time to use the pod for telehealth appointments with medical professionals. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

As a way of providing health care access to the community, the James Prendergast Library now offers a place where patrons can visit a medical professional via electronic information and telecommunication technologies.

The new telehealth program at the library started last week. Annie Greene, library executive director, said the library received the telehealth pod and equipment including lighting, microphone and a laptop computer from Western New York Library Resources Council. The council received a grant for the telehealth project, which is also being done in Buffalo.

“The library’s telehealth initiative is to improve health care accessibility in the community,” Greene said. “The need for virtual appointments has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic started.”

Greene said the library is working with local community health care organizations to communicate the new service now available at the library. She said the telehealth pod can be used for general health care, wellness visits, to receive a medication prescription, dermatology appointments, some eye exams and mental health counseling. She added that one example of how the new telehealth equipment can assist someone is if someone in Jamestown was scheduled to visit Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk. Instead of that person being transported to Dunkirk, the Jamestown resident could use the telehealth pod here in the city to receive the health care they need.

In order to schedule use of the telehealth pod, Greene said the person seeking medical treatment would need to schedule an appointment with the library digital health navigator, Danielle Bertolini, who can be contacted by calling the library at 716-484-7135, emailing her at telehealth@prendergastlibrary.org or by visiting the library’s website — prendergastlibrary.org — and filling out an online form. The pod is available from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Along with a digital health navigator, the library also has a medical intern from the State University of New York at Fredonia, Madeline Engels, who is assisting with the program. Greene said they are not medical professionals, but can assist people seeking telehealth appointments.

Greene said this is a pilot program that might become a permanent program at the library if it is successful.