DETROIT LAKES — Prosthetics, oxygen tanks, walkers and other medical accessories will be on full display as Sanford Health Equip opens in Detroit Lakes on Tuesday.

Their grand opening and ribbon cutting, scheduled for July 12 at 1 p.m., will begin a new era of home and assisted medical care for patients all across the lakes area who may have difficulties driving to Fargo or Alexandria for their medical accessories, said Justine Behm, store manager for Sanford Health Equip in Detroit Lakes.

"We really work to keep people mobile and in their homes, we want people to stay at their home for as long as they can," said Behm. "It's really going to serve this community here in town, but also the Perham area (and) Mahnomen, we'll just be able to expand that service. And, it helps out a lot of our other locations, too, because our bubbles meet and so we kind of share some areas, and also give some relief to some of our other stores, which is nice."

Their certified prosthetic/orthotist, a medical technician who molds and fits medical braces and prosthetics, will be in Detroit Lakes every Thursday to see patients in person, she said. That technician, Behm added, will be shuttling between the Alexandria, Perham and Detroit Lakes locations during the week, but regular fittings can be done at anytime with their staff.

"I'm just focusing on training the staff, so they are up and running," said Behm. "We're actually hiring for one more sales rep."

Anyone interested in applying for the open position should check out the online Sanford Health jobs portal.

She also said some of the store's items, like oxygen supplies and C-Pap machines, will still require a prescription, but the store accepts all major types of health insurance and you don't need to be a Sanford Health member to get accessories from the store.

"If it's an insurance-covered item, you have to have that prescription to make sure we can file to insurance," said Behm. "But a lot of stuff that is on the floor, like walkers, wheelchairs, those lift chairs, you can just come in and buy that."

Other items that will also be sold at the store are:

The new Detroit Lakes location will be prototype store for Sanford Health, said Kirsten Schaffer, director of business development and strategy. The new store is the first one built from start-to-finish under the new Sanford Health Equip brand, she added. "I have been working on this since early 2021," said Schaffer. "We recommitted to what means the most to us, and that's our patients."

She also said the goal of Sanford Health Equip is to shape the best possible experience for the patient from the moment they come in the door, to training with the accessory item and being available for follow-ups, if that patient has questions.

"I certainly hope it's busy," said Behm. "I'm just going to go with the flow. Whoever comes in, we're just going to help them."

No appointments are necessary and walk-ins are welcome, she said.