How University Hospital’s Care Closet is transforming patient care beyond the bedside

By Michelle Ryan-Day
[email protected]

What began as a small, personal act of compassion has grown into a hospital-wide mission to restore dignity and meet a basic, often overlooked, need for patients at USA Health University Hospital.

For more than four years, Josalyn Lofton, RN, quietly maintained a makeshift “care closet,” storing clothing in bins tucked above breakroom lockers and in equipment rooms. Using her own time and resources, she personally washed, pressed, and organized every item, ensuring that patients leaving the hospital had something clean and comfortable to wear. Prior to this year, discharged patients would meet with Lofton, a wound care nurse, to access a rack of clothes in her office, an effort she managed entirely on her own.

“Over the years I have tried to maintain some form of a charity closet. It has been the most successful for me in the last four years,” she said. “But this current effort has superseded all my efforts.”

Her inspiration came from both inside and outside the hospital walls. While she could help patients she encountered during her workday, she realized there were many more she wasn’t reaching.

“I was out in the community one day when I saw a man get off a city bus. He had on paper scrubs, and there was a rip in the leg side seam,” Lofton said. “I was embarrassed for him because it felt so undignified. I didn't know where he got the paper scrubs, but they were the same type that we used. At that moment I realized there had to be a better way to reach more people.”

Driven by the belief that healing begins with dignity, Lofton envisioned a centralized, accessible space where clothing could be organized and readily available to anyone in need. What started as her individual effort soon became something much bigger.

That transformation accelerated as others began to take notice. Rachel Beebe, PA, with Inpatient Wound Services, stepped in to help, and collaboration quickly expanded

“What started over four years ago as Josalyn's individual effort to provide clothing for patients evolved into a coordinated, interdisciplinary mission,” said Kristy Gentry, RN, certified wound and ostomy nurse and team leader for Inpatient Wound Care. “In October of last year, Rachel and I accompanied a local Christian medical ministry serving the unhoused population to provide skin checks and wound care. During that outreach, we recognized a need for appropriate footwear and clothing.  

“We also saw this need reflected within the hospital, as many patients leave the ER or units without adequate clothing or shoes. Some of these patients had to leave the hospital and return to the unhoused community that we served on this particular day.”  

While early donation efforts helped, they did not allow clothing to remain readily accessible within the hospital. Recognizing the need for a more sustainable solution, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director Brant Weindorf organized a meeting that brought together Inpatient Wound Care Services, Internal Medicine, and Lofton. From that meeting, a committee was formed to merge separate humanitarian efforts into a unified vision.  

With the support of Yun Coronado, M.D., MBA, and hospital administration, space was secured in the Moorer Building. Three empty rooms became the foundation of a dedicated Care Closet. Over the past several months, the team worked together to organize logistics, secure funding, and establish operations.  

Generous donations funded racks, storage systems, and supplies, while volunteers helped sort, wash, and prepare more than 50 bags of donated clothing, each weighing up to 10 pounds, from a drive in December. The team continues to collect additional resources, including racks and shoe-cleaning supplies.

Today, the University Hospital Care Closet is a testament to teamwork and compassion. A multidisciplinary committee, including physicians, nurses, administrators, and volunteers, is committed to growing and sustaining the initiative.

Plans are underway to host clothing drives throughout the year to support and expand the mission, ensuring the University Hospital Care Closet remains a lasting resource for patients and the community.

"Being able to see and facilitate the growth of the Care Closet has been very impactful for me,” Weindorf said. “This small idea, starting in various parts of the hospital, has grown into a unified effort to improve the lives of patients through something often overlooked.”

For many involved, the mission is deeply personal.

“The University Hospital Care Closet matters because it helps our patients leave the hospital with dignity,” said Haris Manan, M.D. “Many come in with very little, and clean clothes or shoes can make a meaningful difference.”

Volunteers have also played a critical role, from sorting donations to rallying community support.

“This project reflects the very heart of volunteerism,” said Ashley Peyer, Volunteer Services manager at University Hospital. “Our volunteers love to give back to their community and hospital. Especially when it helps meet the needs of our most vulnerable patients and makes a real difference to a patient's experience."

Rebecca Burson, M.D., a second-year internal medicine resident, sees firsthand how much these resources are needed for patients.

“The Care Closet is an incredible initiative, and I’m happy to donate and support the team who put in so much work to make this possible for our community," she said.

At its core, the Care Closet is rooted in a simple but powerful belief passed down to Lofton from her family.

“My mother and grandmother were deeply religious,” she said. “They said, ‘You don't have to have everything you want to be blessed. You are blessed if you have everything you need. And if you have everything you need, help someone else.’”

Reflecting on the Care Closet’s transformation, Gentry recognized the impact of one person’s vision.  

“Our hospital-wide Care Closet initiative was inspired by one individual who independently recognized a need to maintain patient dignity and took action,” she said. “Her efforts exemplify servant leadership and demonstrate the profound impact one person can have when compassion is paired with action."

For those interested in donating, contributions can be made on this webpage. For additional information or volunteer opportunities, email [email protected].

Founding team members also include trauma surgeon Thomas Capasso, M.D., and wound care nurses Amy Lynn, RN, Sara Myers, RN, and Sarah Nylen, RN.