KENNY'S CLOSET: COMMUNITY OSTOMY SUPPLY CONNECTION....making ostomy supplies available to those in our community who are in need

Ostomy supplies are expensive!  Many of the 475,000 ostomates in our mid-Atlantic community do not have the financial resources to cover supplies. Calls to the regional hospital’s CWOCNs from physicians, ostomates and community clinics often inquire about resources for ostomy patients in need. Calls increased with population growth and economic downturn.  Research of community resources yielded no agencies to meet their needs.

The regional healthcare system, it’s chief CWOCN, local UOAA support groups and the American Cancer Society collaborated to design and implement processes to address the issue with four 2012 major objectives:

1. Develop processes and mechanisms to accept donated supplies,

2. Locate a non-hospital space for volunteers to accept and distribute ostomy supplies for those in need,  

3. Provide focused CWOCN nurse oversight, and

4. Ensure no financial screening is required; those presenting imply need.

Processes to accept and distribute supplies are under the auspices of the American Cancer Society.  Training of 12 volunteers fulfilled requirements for accepting new, donated supplies from the community.  Healthcare system leadership facilitated use of space in the regional cancer center as a distribution location.

All great community resources have specific links to the community served. Kenny’s Closet (KC) is named as a legacy tribute to a fellow ostomate, a renowned community member, who constantly voiced concerns for ostomates in need. Formal ribbon cutting and local newspaper publicity in January 2013 heralded the KC implementation phase.

2013 Outcomes include:

• Volunteers manage KC every Thursday 10-12, and one Saturday/month.
• To date 50 ostomates have received supplies; estimated retail value of $10,600.
• Contact point is CWOCN to ensure patient safety and route to Kenny’s Closet, or link with CWOCN nurse-managed free ostomy clinic.
• Creating positive experiences for donors versus discarding unused supplies.
• Per community request, the Health System Foundation accepts Kenny’s Closet monetary donations.