UOA dissolves

June 2005

Dear UOA Member:

The UOA Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cease operations of the United Ostomy Association, Inc. as of September 30, 2005. This decision was reached after months of research, evaluation and consideration of numerous alternatives. Ultimately, dissolving the UOA was realized as the only viable option.

UOA was founded to help improve the quality of life for people with intestinal or urinary diversions. Initial objectives were to improve medical and nursing care and ostomy products and to provide mutual support. In many significant ways, all of these goals have been achieved and we can be proud of our success. We have helped hundreds of thousands through the UOA Visiting Program, local chapters/satellites, www.uoa.org and the UOA National Conference. 

We should all be pleased with what UOA has accomplished since its inception in 1962. Much has changed in 43 years: advances in medical science, ostomy supplies and electronic communication have created less need for our programs and services. A declining membership base, inadequate financial support and increasing operating costs have also plagued our organization for several years.

Our complete range of support, programs and services will be offered through the national office until it closes on September 30, 2005. Please continue to support the 2005 UOA Youth Rally and come celebrate 43 years of success with us at the last UOA National Conference in Anaheim, CA this August 3–6. The final issue of the Ostomy Quarterly magazine will be mailed this October.

We hope that you will continue to work with your local support group to help future ostomates in your community. Thank you for your support these past years.

Sincerely,
The UOA Board of Directors

THE SAINT PAUL
OSTOMY ASSOCIATION
Archie Chapter# 103
PO Box 75365, 
St. Paul. Minnesota 55175 
Phone: Eileen at (651) 455-6467
http://www.ostomy.org/ostomy04.htm

End of an Era -  UOA dissolves

by Dean Arnold, UOA President

 As you have most likely heard by now, the UOA will be closing at the end of the business day September 30, 2005. This decision comes with a heavy heart. The organization has helped thousands of people in its 43 years of education, information, support and advocacy. Many strings will be tugging at our hearts as the organization winds down. The decision was not made in a vacuum; there have been signs of this possibility going back to 1998. At the UOA Semi-Annual Board of Directors meeting in March 2005, a task force researched options for the organization. The first and foremost issue facing UOA is lack of support for programs and services, resulting in inadequate funding.

Revenue Sources
How do we raise funds? The majority comes from dues and donations. Both of these are based on the number of dues-paying UOA members. During the last 10 years, membership has dropped from 36,800 to 21,100, reflecting a steady decline. We currently have an estimated three percent market share of potential members. Regardless of countless membership recruitment and retention programs, membership continues to drop at an average yearly rate of four percent—the reasons are many.

Medical advances have reduced the number of permanent ostomies. The latest statistics indicate that 40 percent of current surgeries are temporary. Ostomy management information that we have offered traditionally is available free from many sources including the Internet. The major manufacturers are publishing free informative newsletters and magazines, offer 24-hour “hot lines” have nurses on staff to assist with medical and product issues and assist with advocacy issues and reimbursement information.

While at one time UOA had close to 600 chapters, currently there are only 350 and more than 35 have disbanded in the past 12 months. In general, the chapters are disbanding for reasons related to age or health issues, lack of leadership, lack of new members and lack of interest by their members. We estimate that close to half of chapters do not open mail coming from UOA in a timely fashion, if at all. They are not utilizing the materials created for them to improve newsletters, programs and marketing, and they do not share news about the national organization’s services with their local members. Only 25 percent of UOA chapters vote in national elections to select the board of directors and officers. Thirty-seven percent of chapters currently have fewer than 15 members and 80 percent have fewer than 50. In the past, new members were recruited from the UOA Visiting Program. With the passing of patient information confidentiality laws, we cannot visit in the hospital unless the patient signs a permission form for the WOC nurse to call a visitor. With shorter hospital stays, most patients are still on medication and do not understand the significance of a visitor. In addition, as the role of the ET nurse has broadened and they generally spend only 20% of their time on ostomy care, fewer and fewer of them become UOA members or donors. These are only a few of the environmental issues affecting our organization.

 As for the internal factors, the level of membership is below the threshold that can support our programs and services. Our past leadership has tried to develop new sources of income without success. Industry has maintained their current support, but without additional support from fund raising, our revenue remains inadequate. Only ten percent of UOA members respond to our fund raising campaigns with a donation and only 12% of chapters donate to programs such as the Youth Rally, Parents Scholarship Program or other general fundraising efforts.

Additional issues include the rising cost of doing business in a highly technological society and operational costs such as rent, printing, postage and insurance also continue to rise. Despite the opportunity that technology provides to deliver information cheaper, faster, better, only 10% of UOA members have provided their e-mail address, making it difficult to communicate via this efficient medium. The UOA Board of Directors instructed the task force to look at the following options and make a recommendation:

Merger
The task force was challenged to determine if merging with another organization was feasible. We had dialogue with one, but it proved unattainable because our missions were not aligned.

Downsizing
We determined that all the significant, direct membership benefits could not be done for much less than what we currently spend. Even with a substantial dues increase that we knew would not be well received, we could not raise the funds needed to support the programs and services most used by the membership. (In 1995, a $2 dues increase resulted in a 17% decrease in membership.)

Association Management Company
We spoke with an association management firm, as well as another organization that uses an association management firm to run their organization, regarding the cost of outsourcing programs and operations. The estimated costs of such an option would only save our organization less than 10 percent of our costs and could affect program quality and customer service.

“Virtual” Organization
The task force explored a UOA virtual organization and determined this concept would require state-of-the art technology and several new electronic services. It could not be supported by a volunteer-dependent organization like ours and the costs are prohibitive. In addition, a large percentage of ostomy patients do not have access to the Internet and would not be served by technology.

Dissolution
In the end, we had to accept that we met the goal of the organization to help those who have or will have ostomy surgery, to the best of our ability. We can proudly state that $.88 of every dollar we spend goes directly to that goal today. Our organization was founded in 1962 to disseminate information to all who joined. Support for individuals having ostomy surgery was nonexistent at the time our group was founded. Supplies were less than adequate (if any) and came with no support. Today the support umbrella is as close as the Internet. Supplies are modern and support by the manufacturers is a priority for them. People get the information they need and move on. Society has changed to a culture of “non-joiners”; our organization is based on joiners (members).

What Does This Mean for UOA Chapters?
UOA will do all it can before September 30 to assist chapter transition to independent support groups. Regional Coordinators from the Field Service Department will be sending a letter to chapter presidents in late June. Additional materials will be sent to chapter leaders, along with a final list of members and expiration dates, later this summer to inform them how to apply for their own tax-exempt status, change their name if necessary, revise newsletters, etc. Special sessions for chapter leaders will be held at the conference in August and additional information will be sent via The Insider newsletter and the last Ostomy Quarterly magazine. It is expected that these independent support groups will continue their good work in the community to serve new ostomates and their caregivers.

We can proudly claim victory and accept that we have changed the world for past, present and future ostomates. To all of those who contributed their time, talent and treasure to the UOA over the past 43 years, I want to THANK YOU for all you did from the bottom of my heart.

Dean Arnold
UOA President
June 2005

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