The Compassion Closet

The Compassion Closet was born out of a strong desire to return patients to the community with not only improved health but restored dignity.  Too often patients present to the hospital with only the clothes on their back. It is not uncommon for patients to not have a strong support system of friends or family to bring in clothing and shoes for them if they require hospitalization for a variety of reasons.  
The Compassion Closet at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital is a collection pulled together by the staff of new or gently used t-shirts, comfy pants, socks, sturdy walking shoes, PJ sets, and new underclothing. “The resources in the Compassion Closet allow staff to enhance our already established patient centered care continuum by bolstering our patient’s confidence and self-esteem”, stated Jennifer Elick, Nursing Manager for the Medical Surgical Unit. Patients light up when they don a new outfit to head to the therapy gym or prepare for discharge. The staff at PAH are often just excited as the patients and are excited to see this program grow in the coming months. The generosity of the staff for this program has been overwhelming and PAH is excited to be able to provide this resource to patients in need. For more information about the Compassion Closet or PAH, visit www.pah.org  or email [email protected]