A lending library for medical and mobility supplies opened in Sioux Falls just last fall and now its parent nonprofit is making moves to go mobile.

Under the umbrella of The Legacy Foundation, Owen's Outfitters lends out a huge variety of medical equipment-from tiny syringes to hospital beds, as well as mobility devices and equipment for therapy and exercise. There is no cost to borrow items and no deadline for returns.

Since the library's October 2023 launch, nearly 4,000 items have been borrowed by roughly 430 clients, most of whom are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.

Eleanor Turner, co-founder and president of The Legacy Foundation, said the library helps fill gaps.

"We have a lot of folks say that Medicaid or Medicare does not cover these items," Turner pointed out. "Or perhaps their insurance will cover one type, but not another type of what they need."

Turner noted when the library received positive community response, the foundation started toying with the idea of traveling to reach more rural parts of the state. A 2024 AARP Community Challenge grant and a bus donation is jump-starting the project, which Turner added she hopes to roll out this fall.

The bus donated for the mobile library is a small school bus, which Turner stressed is beneficial because it does not require a commercial driver's license to operate, like a large school bus does.

"In terms of how far we go, really the state border is the limit," Turner emphasized. "If we have the volunteers to drive the bus, we see no reason to limit ourselves. Have bus, will travel. I think that's the new motto."

Turner explained Owen's Outfitters is modeled after a library in Milwaukee, which she used while living there with her late son, who was born with a rare chromosome disorder, and for whom the Sioux Falls library is named.


get more stories like this via email

Minnesota could see temperatures reach the 90s in the coming days and as residents try to stay hydrated, one health expert said consistency is key.

There is guidance for employers to keep outdoor workers safe.

Dr. Katie Loth, associate professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said if you are engaged in strenuous activity on a hot day, it is important to drink water throughout the day, and not front-load your water consumption before heading out or solely replenishing fluids at night.

She stressed consistency is one way to keep your body's internal temperature in check.

"Giving it water throughout the day is one of the best ways to manage that," Loth recommended. "The best way to know if you need more water is to pay attention to your thirst."

Dehydration signs include dry mouth, dizziness and reduced urination. Loth emphasized employers should ensure outdoor workers, especially those on a remote job site, have frequent breaks for water they do not have to go far to get. Other safeguards, such as shade, can reduce the need for water.

This past week, the Biden administration announced a proposed federal standard for protecting workers from excessive heat. The planned rule would be the first of its kind on a national scale as millions of workers around the country endure more stretches of extreme heat in a changing climate.

Loth noted workers can help themselves, too.

"A lot of people do really well to just have some kind of visual reminder," Loth observed. "Carrying a water bottle with them, having it with them at their work site, rather than sort of looking for water where they're at. You know, the more accessible it is, the more likely people are to drink water."

Another aid is to set an alarm or notification on your phone to remind you to drink water. Meanwhile, Loth also pointed out not sweating during vigorous physical activity could be a sign your dehydration levels are putting you at greater risk for heatstroke.


get more stories like this via email

The heat is already making it hard for Texans this summer with most regions reporting triple digit temperatures for multiple days.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center said temperatures will be above normal for the rest of July for much of the state, making it dangerous and even deadly for people doing outside activities.

Afra Evans, registered nurse and clinical educator at Children's Health in Dallas, said in addition to staying hydrated and avoiding sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages you should also take extra precautions to stay safe.

"Wide brim hats, having that water with you, having the snacks with you," Evans suggested. "You can even buy like the tents, any way to keep shade on you. You don't want to be in direct sunlight. You want to wear strong enough sunscreen that has SPF 50 and higher."

Some signs of a heat emergency include fatigue, lightheadedness, clammy skin and nausea and vomiting. Evans stressed in an extreme cases, you need to seek medical attention.

In addition to protecting yourself and your family from the heat, you may be called on to help someone else in distress. Evans recommended if you have not taken a CPR class recently, it is probably time for a refresher.

"The requirements where you were doing certain things in a certain cadence have changed," Evans emphasized. "Even the sequence that you render CPR has changed. One of the biggest things is that we tell adults that we need to call 911 immediately to get the additional assistance that you have from EMS or emergency services."

She added a portion of the CPR classes can be taken virtually through the American Heart Association.

Virtual medical visits are also a great way to stay on top of your health care needs this summer.

Dr. Donna O'Shea, chief medical Officer of population health for UnitedHealthcare, said most insurance plans provide virtual and urgent care at no additional cost.

"It's much less expensive and more timely than going to an emergency room, with all, you know, the copays that ensue," O'Shea explained. "But also just the time since we know emergency room visits increase in the summer, that means longer waiting time for you to find out If you really even needed to be there."

In May, Colorado ranked second in the nation for the percentage of residents dropped from Medicaid health insurance rolls - including 500,000 who were terminated for procedural reasons - according to new analysis by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

Bethany Pray, chief legal and policy officer with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, explained when people with disabilities lose coverage, they lose critical services they rely on every day to live independently, interact with their families, and work.

"When you have a system that drops people from Medicaid, it does endanger life, it endangers health pretty immediately. And it also puts people at risk of being put into institutions, because they can't operate at home without those services," she said.

Medicaid coverage was automatically maintained during COVID, but that ended in the spring of 2023. Nearly half of enrolled Coloradans have since lost coverage. After a civil rights complaint, Colorado reinstated protections for people with disabilities in April of this year. State officials have defended the renewal process, arguing that numbers have returned to normal. They also say many participants didn't return paperwork or now have employer-based insurance.

A legislature-directed audit found that 90% of notices sent by state Medicaid offices to beneficiaries contained significant errors.

Pray noted the agency has publicly admitted they don't know what happened to 42% of participants - some 300,000 people - who lost coverage.

"We've also seen that clinics and hospitals are reporting seeing many more patients who don't have any form of coverage. So, there's a lot of reason for concern that those people have not gone to employer-based coverage," she explained.

Pray said eligibility staff are putting in long hours to re-enroll people. She believes the state needs to admit there is a problem and review the entire operation, starting with decades-old data systems.

"But there are resource issues and there are IT issues that are not surmountable by people just putting in a lot of hours. This needs state investment, and higher leadership's attention, in order for those problems to be addressed," she continued.


get more stories like this via email