Telehealth Trailblazers Grant

This grant is made possible through a generous contribution from the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health.

Telehealth is defined as “the use of communications technologies to provide health care from a distance.” Libraries are uniquely positioned to virtually connect underserved and rural communities with health care providers and supportive resources. Facilitating these services in a library setting is a new and emerging practice and Idaho has the opportunity to lead the way in this exciting new field. The ICfL, in partnership with the Blue Cross Foundation, will be awarding a total of $40,000 in grants to public libraries across Idaho to pilot a variety of telehealth projects in their communities.

Learn more about our broader Telehealth in Libraries initiative by visiting libraries.idaho.gov/telehealth.

Grant Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to identify, test, and adapt a variety of methods, practices, and tools for public libraries to use in establishing telehealth services. The lessons learned by these pilot libraries, the challenges they encounter, and the solutions they develop through this grant will serve as guideposts for future projects. To this end, we encourage selected libraries to be creative, take risks, and explore a range of possibilities.

Qualifying projects must incorporate or facilitate a direct connection between users and health-care providers. Projects may also include additional resources and support materials to help patrons monitor or maintain their health. See “Allowable Activities” for an expanded list of allowable uses.

Grant Webinar

See below for recordings and slides from this event. Resources shared in the webinar chat have been added below under “Grant Application and Resources.”

  • Application released: February 7, 2022
  • Grant Info Webinar: February 16, 11am MST. See event page for agenda and link (located in the right column, under Details).
  • Application due: March 14
  • Funding decision: April 1
  • Funds dispersed: Early April
  • Grant period: April 1, 2022 – December 15, 2022
  • Interim report due – June 15
  • Final report due – December 15

The ICfL will be awarding a total of $40,000. The number of grants awarded will depend on the number and type of applications received, the quality of projects proposed, and the potential impact for the community. A high-quality project need not be large in scope, as the goal of the grant is to identify a variety of options and best practices. A strong application will reflect the needs of the community and the capacity of the library. We will consider applications at all funding levels within the indicated range.

  • Minimum funding amount $1,000
  • Maximum funding amount $25,000

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a grant under this opportunity:

  • Public or Tribal Library in Idaho (city or district)
  • Located in a rural or remote location with limited access to a major healthcare facility or healthcare services.
  • One application per legal entity. Multi-branch systems must submit a single application. The project funded by the grant may be carried out at multiple locations.

Is this the right opportunity for your library? When deciding to apply, please consider the following:

  • Short grant period – The grant period for this project will be approximately 8.5 months. Successful projects will be those that can be launched or completed in this timeframe.
  • Creative Pilot Project –Telehealth in libraries is an emerging field and funded libraries will be helping identify and refine best practices. Are you willing to think creatively, take risks, adapt and adjust as your project progresses?
  • Cohort Model– Libraries who are funded through this grant will be expected to participate as a member of a learning cohort during the grant period. Will you have the time and capacity to share successes and challenges, and to connect with other libraries who are part of the project?
  • Other Funding Opportunities – We anticipate a number of additional funding opportunities around telehealth in the upcoming year. If you think your library has a great project but aren’t ready to apply for this grant, we encourage you to continue developing your project to be ready for future applications.

Still not sure if this is a good fit for your library or the project you have in mind? Feel free to reach out to the project lead who will be happy to chat with you further.

Amelia Valasek: (208) 639-4138, amelia.valasek@libraries.idaho.gov

Qualifying projects must incorporate or facilitate a direct connection between users and health-care providers. Projects may also include additional resources and support materials to help patrons monitor or maintain their health.

This grant provides considerable flexibility in meeting the goals of the project. Grant funds must be used to support specific costs related to the library’s telehealth pilot program, however resources developed through this grant may be leveraged to support other library or community services such as tele-work, or tele-education.  Grant funds may be used to purchase items for use off-site or at another location in partnership with other community organizations. Grant funds may not be used to cover general expenses of the library or general expenses of partner organizations. A list of eligible activities is included below. This list is intended to illustrate possible uses for the grant and is not exhaustive or exclusive.

  • Construction costs related to converting or adding dedicated, connected, private space to support telehealth, tele-learning, telework, and other related activities.
  • Purchase and installation of made-to-order privacy pods/booths.
  • Purchasing technology and equipment for the purpose of upgrading, converting, or completing a dedicated physical space at the library or in the community. This might include wireless routers, computers, software, speakers, video cameras, and telephones.
  • Purchasing technology and equipment as part of a lending model to support tele-health at home for patrons.
  • Purchasing medical equipment, such as automatic blood-pressure readers, digital forehead thermometers, or sunlight therapy lamps that can be used, stored, and maintained on-site, or as part of a lending model.
  • Purchasing or expanding health-related materials for the library’s collection (physical and electronic)
  • Staff salaries for time spent researching, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the project.
  • Costs related to staff travel for project-related purposes. For example, traveling to meet with stakeholders.
  • Costs related to promoting the project in the community, including paid advertisements, posters, brochures, and launch events.

Participating libraries will be expected to:

  • Submit an interim and final report
  • Maintain adequate records of grant-related expenditures, such as receipts and timesheets, and be prepared to submit these with the final report.
  • Participate in a learning cohort with other funded libraries. (We anticipate hosting virtual cohort check-ins every 1-2 months, and communicate regularly via group emails to share challenges, offer support, and learn about best practices)
  • Keep in regular contact with the ICfL as the project progresses, and notify the ICfL promptly of any significant setbacks, changes, or opportunities.

Link to online application: (Opens February 7)

https://form.jotform.com/icfl/telehealth-trailblazer

We strongly recommend reading through all of the grant information and application questions prior to beginning. Applications cannot be saved online prior to submitting, so we suggest drafting and saving your responses in a separate document, such as Word.

We have provided resources below to help you think through how your library can provide telehealth connections in your community.

Planning Resources

Telehealth Toolkit: Visit https://libraries.idaho.gov/idaho-telehealth-and-libraries-toolkit/ for more information, resources, and research about telehealth!

Telehealth in Libraries – The Future of Healthcare – Recording. Webinar with InfoPeople. Featuring Nick Martin, Telehealth & Emerging Technology Consultant, Delware Division of Libraries. https://vimeo.com/654706499

Privacy Pods: See https://www.talkboxbooth.com/models or https://room.com/ for examples of models and price points. Note – TalkBox and Room.com are not preferred or required vendors. Information is provided for planning and budgeting purposes only. Libraries should conduct their own research regarding appropriate vendors, models, price points, and delivery timelines.

Check back here in spring 2022 for information about the grantee learning cohort and other resources to help selected libraries carry out their pilot projects.

Grantee Reporting information:

Interim Report – Due June 15. Provide written narrative and financial information via email to Amelia Valasek, amelia.valasek@libraries.idaho.gov. Narrative report should be submitted as a Word document, roughly 3/4 to 1 page. Financial information can be submitted in any format that is convenient, such as Excel, exported from accounting system, a table in a Word doc, etc.

  • Current progress toward project
  • Successes and oportunities to date
  • Challenges and setbacks to date, plus plans to address them
  • Anything you need from ICfL or the Trailblazer’s Cohort to help you succeed.
  • Summary of any expenditures to date. Report expenditures by budget category and include a grant total. Receipts do not have to be turned in with the interim reports, but should be retained for the final report.

Final Report – Due December 15. Provide written narrative and financial information via email to Amelia Valasek, amelia.valasek@libraries.idaho.gov. Narrative report should be roughtly 1.5 – 2 pages, plus financial information.

  • Project Summary. Describe what you did with the grant and whether you accomplished what you set out to do. If any elements of the project remain unfinished, be sure to address them under “Next Steps.”
  • Project Evaluation. What would you do the same? What would you do differently? What worked, what didn’t? Etc.
  • Next Steps. Provide information about your next steps for the project and whether/how you plan to continue.
  • Financial Summary. Provide final expenditures against the grant for the entire grant period by budget category, including a grand total. Provide copies of receipts, invoices, etc. for any items charged to the grant. If appropriate include a summary or description of other expenses for the project not charged to the grant (i.e. match).
Amelia Valasek

Amelia Valasek

Partnerships and Programs Supervisor
Email / 208-639-4138
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