Meet These Super Ostomy Nurses
They are all superheroes in our book. They come in on their day off for us, they heal us, they teach us, they empower us, they advocate for us, they volunteer for us, they learn for us, they run our support groups, they make us laugh and help dry our tears.
Charlotte Popovich, center, was awarded last year’s WOC Nurse of The Year.
April 14-20, 2019 marks WOC Nurse Appreciation Week hosted by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®). This year WOCN® Society is celebrating and empowering WOC nurses to discover the superhero that lives within them.
This celebration is a fitting time for us to begin our challenge of selecting a winner in a group that are all heroes. We know many still hide in the shadows and their good deeds remain unrecognized.
Prepare to be inspired by these testimonials from our Affiliated Support Groups who nominated this year’s amazing group of nurses.
Shirley Abraham
Ostomy Support Group at Baylor University Medical Center in Texas
Shirley has been passionately involved in the Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) Ostomy Support Group since its inception. As a member of the founding committee, she was instrumental in inaugurating the new and much needed support group in October 2018. BUMC is a large hospital with a substantial number of colorectal and urological surgery patients, and the need for such a support group was very evident. She works closely with the surgeons to provide a smooth discharge and post-operative recovery transition. She also works in Baylor’s out-patient ostomy clinic, serving patients with peristomal problems or pouching issues.
“She is well respected as an expert in her field, dedicated to her field and passionate about the quality of care that she delivers. She is a true example of a highly dedicated RN and skilled WOC nurse”
Janice Beitz
Philadelphia Ostomy Association
For close to 20 years Janice has been asking the Philadelphia Ostomy Association to periodically come speak to her WOC nursing class. We have never appeared at her class where the students haven’t thanked us for our time and loved the opportunity to speak to people with ostomies. The trickledown effect of being invited by Janice to speak at her WOC nursing class is that her students graduate and the ones that stay local to this area call us to visit their patients.
“Her strongest attribute would have to be her commitment to her student’s, UOAA as a support system that provides Information to patients and a Patient Visiting Service where ostomates visit patients pre and post op to assist in the rehabilitation of new ostomates in getting on with their lives by showing them they can still work, dress in stylish clothes, and basically live a relatively normal life after surgery.”
Erin Donohoe
Ileostomy Association of New York, Inc.
Erin distributes monthly meeting flyers to clients and family members who may benefit from our meetings, and posts meeting notices in a prominent location on the hospital floor. She participates in Board of Directors meetings and is on Ileostomy Association of New York’s (IANY’s) medical advisory board. Erin is available for contact by e-mail or phone if urgent situation/question arises. She has been willing to provide her services to home-bound ostomates and has been flexible regarding her fees for home visits. She has often provided these services gratis for patients in need.
“Erin has exhibited a high degree of professionalism and commitment befitting a representative of the WOC nurse profession. She is a strong advocate for IANY and believes in the positive impact that mutual support groups can confer. Since our BOD and general meetings are held on Sunday afternoons, she willingly sacrifices precious personal time to be present. She consistently shows compassion, understanding to persons with ostomies and their significant others who approach her for help and assistance.“
Diana Gallagher
North West Arkansas Ostomy Support Group
Diana started the group over ten years ago. It started out in a small room with about eight patients. It is because of her compassion, ability to educate and availability to both patients and doctors that our group has grown to a base of about 140 patients. We have patients that still come after ten years knowing they can always learn something new. Diana has extended our group hours for patients in need of education and information. Diana has a very prominent presence, and doctors and surgeons across the area rely on her expertise.
“Diana has a patients wellbeing in mind both physically and mentally. She is a constant in our ostomy community that is willing to help any ostomy patient. She is an advocate for patients!”
Joy Hooper
Ostomy 2-1-1 inc. and South Georgia Ostomy Association
As the only support group in South Georgia, Joy will make home visits to help patients in rural areas as well as bigger cities. She will teach patients everything about caring for their ostomy. She opened an office where patients can get one-on-one care. She helps others find solutions to their problems. Joy will call and talk to any doctor or nurse interested in ostomy care. She travels around the country to teach ostomy care to other nurses.
“Joy Hooper is the most dedicted ostomy nurse. She invented an anatomical apron for helping patients understand their ostomy. She has so much knowledge about ostomy and will teach anyone who wants to know. Joy is a wonderful ostomy nurse and someone I can call on anytime day or night.”
“Her LIFE is focused around not just our single ASG, but the entire Ostomy community. I would have to say that every attribute and commitment that Joy provides are CRUCIAL for not only our group, but to every other group in the ostomy WORLD.”
Charles Sloan
Boulder County Ostomy Support Group of Colorado
We have meetings in two different hospitals and Charles attends meetings in both facilities, even those that take place in the evening after he is off work. He makes time at the ostomy clinic for support group patients even when they have a full schedule. Charles developed a program for high school students and an in-house education program for the staff at his hospital to educate them in best practices at the bedside of ostomy patients. Charles is passionate about ostomies and designed WOC pins for those who complete his in-house ostomies 101 class. He also designed fun trading cards used for training programs.
“Our group takes a great deal of comfort knowing that Charles is always there for us. If there is an emergency we all know how to contact him and he will provide support.”
Angela Natale-Ryan, Stephanie D’Andrea, Ronnie Funke, Pam Hughes
Union County Ostomy Support Group of New Jersey
This group of four dedicated nurses interface with new members of the support group, and educates medical professionals on the importance of our visiting program. They have established our first Ostomy Center and attend meetings. From the moment I was marked my WOC nurse has been beside me and encouraged me to attend my first support group. In four years we have grown to a UOAA chapter with many members.
Our four WOC nurses are such a cohesive and dependable group of women who concur, coordinate and ensure that all ostomates are treated completely, they are determined to offer the best to all of us. They are problem solvers who never give up until all patients are comfortable. Ostomates are in the best hands possible with the four of them, who act as one!
United Ostomy Associations of America’s (UOAA) 2019 WOC Nurse of the Year Award will be presented during its 7th National Conference in Philadelphia this August.
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