CT city library receives nearly $200K to increase access to health, wellness appointments

Hartford Courant – Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Staff Report

Hartford Public Library has been awarded a grant of $198,476 from The Cigna Group Foundation through its Health Equity Impact Fund.

The grant will aim to increase access to transportation for customers to attend health and wellness appointments, according to a release.

The primary objective of this program is to “increase access to transportation and reduce the barriers of cost, reliability, and limited routes for Hartford residents,” according to a release. The library will implement a transportation program that allows customers to connect with a social worker and outreach worker at the library to coordinate free transportation to health and wellness visits. The library is hiring a part-time outreach staff member to join its social services team. This part-time staff person helps “coordinate access to transportation for health visits, creates a list of physical activities that customers can attend, and provides access to transportation,” according to a release.

“Thanks to The Cigna Group Foundation, we will be able to provide free access to health and wellness appointments for Hartford residents,” said Bridget E. Quinn, Hartford Public Library president and CEO. “Our efforts aim to address health equity through free transportation to those who need it. We are grateful for the health equity grant from The Cigna Group Foundation to support our strategic plan and vision of strengthening and expanding our free resources.”

“To reduce health disparities and target the root causes, we need strong partnerships with local nonprofit organizations committed to ensuring positive health outcomes for all people, especially those who are underserved,” said Melissa Skottegaard, board chair of The Cigna Group Foundation. “This work includes expanding access to key resources, including transportation. We are privileged to partner with Hartford Public Library to enable their efforts to bring about equitable outcomes in the communities we both serve.”

The Cigna Group Health Equity Impact Fund is focused on specific geographies where health inequities are significant, according to a release, and will “work collaboratively to support, convene, and collaborate with nonprofit organizations serving local community members. The fund operates on a hyper-local level in select U.S. cities, starting with Hartford, CT, and Houston, TX. The first grantee cohort will receive a total of $3 million across the two cities.”

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