PITTSBURG, Kan. — Glen Pearson and his crew at Your Hometown Medical Equipment, located at 1615 N. Walnut Street in Pittsburg, are celebrating a new expansion to their space as well as new store hours.

The medical supply store opened in Pittsburg two years ago, but Pearson, the owner, is no stranger to the industry, as he has spent the past 30 years in the field. His desire to start a business selling medical equipment grew from when he worked in nursing homes.

“My heart is in this, because I have seen a lot of people pushed into nursing homes and stuff like that who didn't know that they could get equipment like this through the insurance to make things better for them at home to stay at home longer,” he said.

Watching people go through this major transition stuck with Pearson and made him want to help keep people independent.

“They have to give up everything, they have to share a room with somebody,” he said. “But what would it be like if we could just keep them at home longer? I just wanted to see how long we can keep them at home, and it worked.”

Pearson opened his own business called Care 4 All in 2001 in Fort Scott, but he later sold the business to take care of his father. After his father died, he opened a medical supply store in Girard, then two years ago, moved it to Pittsburg.

For a long while, it was just Pearson and his daughter-in-law, Tiffany Zimmerman, who is also a registered nurse, working the business.

With the addition of new employees in recent months, Pearson decided to not only expand the office space but also add more hours of operation. Your Hometown Medical Equipment is now open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays as well as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Pearson said he wanted to add Saturday hours because he knows that many clients, who are helping their aging parents, typically work during the week.

“People my age, right now we're taking care of mom and dad,” he said. “So, if we can have a Saturday, when we can pick up stuff for mom and dad that makes it easier on us.”

Your Hometown Medical Equipment has everything from canes to hospital beds to portable oxygen concentrators that people can either rent or purchase outright. The business can also take most insurance, including KanCare programs, with the exception of Humana, United Health Care and Cigna.

Pearson said he has encountered misconceptions that patients must stay within their medical care network when purchasing or renting equipment. He is striving to inform people that they have a right to choose where to get their medical supplies. Your Hometown Medical Equipment services patients all over Crawford County, Chanute, Independence, Joplin and other places within 100 miles of the business.

Although they do have normal business hours, Pearson is on call 24 hours a day, seven days per week, mainly for patients with oxygen needs. But, he said, if someone needs different equipment, he is more than happy to open the shop.

Pearson said that he is looking forward to getting to know the community better and seeing new faces and community members.

“We're here, we're ready to service everybody, and if you need something after hours, give us a call,” he said. “We're happy to help anybody that needs anything. And if I don't have it, I will brainstorm with you until we find it. That's the way we are.”

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.