Residents in Wake County have new reasons to visit their local library beyond books and learning resources. In a collaborative effort, Wake County Public Libraries is teaming up with Advance Community Health to offer a variety of free health screenings at 11 library locations. These services, which focus on connecting community members with essential healthcare access points, will be available from April through August, providing a span of five months of aid.
According to Wake County's announcement, this initiative is designed to "bridge the gap between residents and critical health services," said Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. The effort also feeds into the wider strategy of the Wake County Strategic Plan to focus on community health, which aligns with a persistent concern highlighted in both the 2022 and the upcoming 2025 Community Health Assessment—access to care.
The populace of Wake County stands to benefit greatly from this program, which offers a range of on-site services. These include A1C and glucose testing, blood pressure checks, and BMI screenings. Advance Community Health serves the county's health needs broadly, offering primary care, pediatrics, nutrition counseling, behavioral health support, and pharmacy access.
Having debuted in Morrisville Community and West Regional libraries, the initiative has experienced positive reception and growth. "We’re excited to grow this effort and make wellness more accessible to everyone in Wake County," said Cheryl Stallings, seeing its expansion to five library locations previously and now with weekly visits planned for 11 libraries. This scaling up suggests the pilot's success and underscores the local government's commitment to citizen well-being, as per the Wake County's announcement.
Each participating library provides a scheduled slot for residents to partake in these health screenings without any cost. Driven by the spirit of bringing healthcare resources closer to the community, Wake County seems set on establishing libraries as hubs of wellness, blending education with health. The service dates range from early April, with the first session at the Morrisville Community Library, to the end of August, concluding at Middle Creek Community Library.
