About Us
Heartland Wellness Connections was created to continue the trusted community work built through years of service in wellness, prevention, and access to care.
We are a lean, agile nonprofit designed to respond quickly to community needs while building strong partnerships with healthcare systems, schools, nonprofits, and local organizations.
Program Focus Areas
- Maternal health support through home visits, education, and connection to resources.
- Chronic disease prevention (diabetes, hypertension) using evidence-based models.
- Health navigation & referrals to hospitals, FQHCs, WIC, behavioral health, and social services.
- Bilingual and culturally responsive programming delivered in English and Spanish.
- Strong partnerships with hospitals, schools, and community agencies to support Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) goals.
Our leadership brings decades of experience in nursing, health equity, digital inclusion, and community-based care. We focus on sustainable solutions that improve outcomes for individuals and families, especially in under-resourced communities.
Our Mission
Create healthier communities through prevention, education, and meaningful partnerships.
Our Team
Coming soon!
Matt Tyrgiryn
Co Founder
Jenny Farare
Co Founder
Dwill Cofer
Lead Volunteer
What Makes Heartland Wellness Connections Different
Community-Based Model (Not a Clinic)
This initiative is not a clinical site and will not provide procedures.
Instead, it is a nurse-led, community-driven hub focused on outreach, health education, maternal support, digital navigation, and coordinated care, while ensuring it operates fully within our scope and capacity.
A Registered Nurse will provide oversight, while Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as trusted guides, meeting residents where they are: homes, schools, churches, and rural pockets where services are scarce.
Deep Alignment with Digital Equity
Building on the proven success of Tech Tutors, which will continue as a cornerstone of this new venture, the initiative directly addresses the rural digital divide by:
- Helping residents access and use telehealth, patient portals, and remote monitoring tools.
- Offering digital literacy support for maternal health, chronic disease prevention, and wellness programs.
- Assisting individuals without devices or connectivity—critical for modern health access.
- Training older adults, families, and new mothers on safe, effective use of digital resources.
This positions technology not as an add-on, but as a driver of health access, education, and equity.
Why This Matters
Cass County’s biggest barriers to health are geography, transportation, and digital exclusion.
By pairing CHWs with digital tools, training, and a trusted presence in the community, this new model:
- Expands access to telehealth and digital services for rural households.
- Helps underserved residents adopt and sustain technology use.
- Improves health literacy through hybrid (in-person + digital) education.
- Strengthens data collection, evaluation, and impact reporting.
A Sustainable, Scalable Path Forward
HWC is changing the game by moving away from a building-based model to a mobile, relationship-driven, tech-enabled approach that meets people where they are, physically and digitally. It reduces operating costs while maximizing reach, flexibility, and impact.
With Health Forward Foundation’s investment and strong community partnerships, the initiative is positioned to become Cass County’s leading model for digital health equity, maternal support, and community-based wellness.
Our primary need is a data platform with analytics, reporting, and dashboard capabilities that will allow us to monitor outcomes in real time and make timely program adjustments.
We also need strategic support to develop sustainable billing structures that align with value-based care and our community-focused model.