BELLE — The Osage Ambulance District has installed a community risk reduction and healthcare vending machine outside Sinks Pharmacy in Belle, providing residents with free, around-the-clock access to health and wellness supplies.

The machine is located at 206-D S. Alvarado Ave. and was placed through partnerships with Sinks Pharmacy and with permission from Legends Bank.

Sinks pharmacist Dr. Kimberly Litton said the pharmacy does not operate or manage the vending machine but agreed to provide the electricity needed to operate it. Pharmacy employees will also help monitor the machine.

“I think it’s a great idea because it has a lot of resources for the community,” Litton said. “It has the resources for the community, and it’s all completely free.”

Legends Bank had to authorize the placement of the machine because the bank owns the property where the pharmacy complex is located, according to Litton.

The vending machine may contain overdose prevention supplies, personal health and hygiene products, educational materials and other resources intended to promote healthier outcomes and reduce barriers to care.

All items available through the vending machine are provided free to residents.

“This project is another step forward in our commitment to meeting people where they are and providing accessible healthcare resources throughout our community,” Osage Ambulance District EMS Chief Joshua A. Krull, program director of the Osage County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program, said in a press release. “By placing these machines in convenient locations, we hope to improve access to critical health resources, support individuals in need, and continue our efforts to address substance use disorders and other community health challenges.”

Litton encouraged residents not to dismiss the machine or the supplies it offers simply because they may not personally need them.

“I think everybody should keep an open mind because I think a lot of people automatically have a negative opinion about resources that might be in there,” Litton said. “But just because you may not need it doesn’t mean that your neighbor or a loved one might need it. And so, it’s there if anybody needs access to it 24/7.”

Litton said the ambulance district’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare program offers additional assistance that may not be widely known throughout the community. She said Sinks Pharmacy has previously worked with members of the mobile program to help residents obtain needed services.

“They can help deliver medications if, say, we can’t, or maybe somebody can’t afford something at the time being, all the way down to helping deliver food pantry items if there’s an elderly person who can’t get to the food pantry,” Litton said.

Legends Bank Chairman-CEO John A. Klebb said, “Legends Bank is proud to partner with Sinks Pharmacy and the Osage Ambulance District Integrated Mobile Healthcare Program team to provide Belle with this health care vending machine. I want to especially recognize Josh Krull for his work in getting this program off the ground, which will provide potentially lifesaving resources to people in the Belle area.”

The Belle installation completes the final phase of the district’s risk reduction and healthcare vending machine initiative. Three machines are now located throughout the region to expand access to healthcare resources and support services. One machine is located in Linn and the other is in Chamois.

The initiative was made possible through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Osage County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program is funded in part through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) grant focused on expanding access to behavioral health services, substance use disorder prevention, recovery support and community-based healthcare initiatives.