Augusta University Health’s Center for Patients and Families recently opened a Clothes Closet with new items for adult patients in need.
This service supports patients who might need clothes prior to being discharged from the hospital or whose clothes were destroyed during a medical emergency as a way to preserve the dignity of our patients. This service to patients was the brainchild of Dr. Vanessa Spearman and former nurse manager, Lisa Wilson. They received the 2021 PFCC IMPACT award to launch this service based on the unique needs of our patients. Spearman serves on the committee overseeing the Clothes Closet.
The Clothes Closet is stocked with new, seasonal clothing items and personal undergarments.
“A patient was preparing to go home and did not have anything to wear, so I was going to buy clothes after work for the patient. I told another nurse what was happening and she immediately told me about the new Clothes Closet,” said a nurse from 7S-med surgery. “The Clothes Closet is easily accessible and the clothes make patient discharging better.”
Offering the donated clothes assures that the dignity of patients remains intact, helping them be appropriately dressed upon leaving our facility.
To support patients in this way, access to the Clothes Closet is provided to staff. For information or assistance, please call the Center for Patients and Families at 706-721-7322. Also, if you are interested in donating new clothes or providing financial support to support the Clothes Closet, please call 1-7322 for a dedicated list of clothing needs.
The Clothes Closet is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. To access on weekends and after hours, contact the nursing supervisor at 706-840-0512 or 1-4740. You can also call Mike Fiedler at 803-275-7232; Regina Winters at 617-512-6469 or 706-721-9802; Nicole Boatwright at 706-721-6838; or Dennis Shock at 706-721-1186.
