About Us
The United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. (UOAA) is a national network for bowel and urinary diversion support groups in the United States. Its goal is to provide a nonprofit association that will serve to unify and strengthen its member support groups, which are organized for the benefit of people who have, or will have intestinal or urinary diversions and their caregivers.
UOAA’s Mission
- UOAA is an association of affiliated, nonprofit, support groups who
are committed to the improvement of the quality of life of people who
have, or will have, an intestinal or urinary diversion.
- It is dedicated to the provision of information, advocacy and service
to, and for, its affiliated support groups, their members and the
intestinal/urinary diversion community at large.
- It is organized to grow and develop while remaining independent and financially viable.
Membership in UOAA is open to any nonprofit ostomy support group that chooses to affiliate with it.
The Phoenix magazine, the official publication of the UOAA, is published quarterly and serves as a major source of funding for the organization’s activities. All interested individuals are encouraged to subscribe.
UOAA has a IRS 501(c)(3) charity status that its affiliated support groups can use as an umbrella.
For current information about UOAA’s activities, see the UOAA Update newsletter.
UOAA’s Board of Directors:
| President: | Dave Rudzin, Illinois | |
| Vice President: | Susan Burns, Missouri | |
| Treasurer: | Renee Rodak, Illinois | |
| Secretary: | Esten Gose, Washington | |
| Director: | Lynne Kramer, Pennsylvania | |
| Director: | Diane Leigh Miterko, Pennsylvania | |
| Director: | Jim Moore, Arkansas | |
| Director: | Jim Murray, Florida |
Board of Trustees:
| Chair: | Ken Aukett, New Jersey, UOAA Co-Founder and Past President | |
| Member: | Shelley Dittmer, Florida | |
| Member: | Sherry Lessard, Oregon | |
| Member: | Marilyn Mau, Illinois | |
| Member: | George Salamy, New Jersey |
Board of Trustees, Industry and Professional Society Representatives:
| From Coloplast: | Ed Veome, Vice President, Marketing | |
| From ConvaTec: | Jason Fisher, Vice President Ostomy Care and Commercial Operations | |
| From Edgepark: | Scott Effertz, Director of Sales | |
| From Hollister: | Dan Yrigoyen, General Manager, Ostomy & Wound Care Division | |
| From Nu-Hope: | Brad Galindo, President | |
| From ASCRS: | David Beck, MD, Past President | |
| From WOCN: | Margaret Goldberg, Past President |
Historical Information
UOAA was founded in 2005 after the United Ostomy Association (UOA), the previous national ostomy organization in the U.S., closed its doors. In 2009, in recognition of their efforts, the Management Board of Directors conferred the title of UOAA Co-Founders on Kenneth Aukett and Linda King Aukett. For information on UOAA’s creation, see Ken Aukett’s New Beginning presentation (PDF file from June 2006).