(ABC 6 News) – A rural health pilot initiative that started in Lanesboro and Whalen is expanding across Fillmore County with an at-home device that dispenses prescription drugs.
The pilot initiative is part of a study run by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation. The decision to bring the study to Lanesboro comes after the city’s mayor Alicia Pearson, who is not acting in her official capacity, issued a Community Healthcare Needs Survey in which she found of the 134 participants, just under 50% said they have difficulty accessing healthcare.
After multiple attempts to bring a health clinic to Lanesboro failed, Pearson figured, a home-health prescription hub, would be the next best thing.
“The idea is that if we can increase medication adherence, which I believe this can do, then we can keep people in their homes longer,” Pearson said.
The study will examine how effective Ōmcare’s Home Health Hub is in keeping people out of the doctor’s office, according to Pearson.
“During the course of the study, we’re connecting with (participants) to see, like, do they feel like their medication adherence has gone up? Do they feel more in control of their health care? Has this reduced any of their doctor’s visits or hospital visits or anything like that?” Pearson said.
The nearest pharmacy for some residents in Lanesboro is a HyVee in Preston, and one of the nearest health care clinics is an Olmsted Medical Center location, which is also in Preston. Both locations are about 10-15 minutes away for folks, which Pearson said can be a challenge for people with mobility issues.
“It might not be a big deal for some people, but for people who have mobility issues, for people who can’t afford the gas in their cars or don’t have a car or don’t have a way to get there, it actually makes a big impact,” Pearson said.
The CEO of the Ōmcare product, Lisa Lavin said the Home Health Hub is not meant to replace in-person care but to expand access in places where health care options are limited.
“All of them are struggling with this same issue of the need exceeding the capacity. And so we have to do things differently,” Lavin said.
Pearson approached Lavin seeking help and together the two worked together to pilot the Rural Health Innovation Initiative to collect data.
“It actually just what it speaks to is that Lanesborough is a forward thinking community that is willing to try something new,” said the CEO of Omcare.
Right now, the study is open to people who live in Fillmore County. If you’re interested in participating, Pearson says people can reach out to her and she can help you get connected: apearson@lanesboro-mn.gov
