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Health Connect to place community health workers in Beresford; library reports increased use
Summary
Fran Rice of Health Connect of South Dakota told the council her group will embed community health workers in local libraries and hold monthly office hours at the Beresford Public Library; Librarian Jane Norlane reported the library is open about 43 hours weekly and recorded roughly 28,971 visits last year.
Beresford — Fran Rice, executive director of Health Connect of South Dakota, briefed the council on her group’s consumer-facing medical library and a community health worker (CHW) initiative that will embed CHWs at partner libraries and other community sites.
“We just provide free health information and services that we can,” Rice said, describing Health Connect as “an independent free health information source” that helps residents navigate medical questions and connects them to community resources. Rice explained that CHWs act as frontline public‑health connectors who use the statewide 211 helpline network to refer residents to local services and to avoid repeating intake information already collected by other agencies.
Rice told the council that Health Connect is funded through grants, event sponsorships and partnerships (including a contract with a regional Savers thrift partner) and that the organization runs a festival on Oct. 17 at the Sioux Falls Arena with community vendors, flu shots and free meals. She said Beresford is not yet listed in the helpline partner directory and encouraged local agencies to join the network; she also said CHWs will have a presence at the Beresford Public Library with open hours.
Librarian Jane Norlane gave the library’s annual report: “We are open about 43 hours a week,” she said, and the library maintains roughly 24,000 physical items, reported 31,000 in‑house circulations (plus an estimated 40,000 digital checkouts through Libby), hosted 81 library programs last year with 2,780 attendees, and recorded about 28,971 door‑count visits. Norlane highlighted partnerships with Sanford for senior balance/strength programs and welcomed the planned monthly CHW office hours at the library (fourth Wednesday, 1–4 p.m.).
What happens next: Rice and city staff agreed to pursue listing Beresford in the helpline partner directory and to coordinate CHW monthly hours with library staff; library and Health Connect contact information will be provided for public notice.
