Joy Hooper
RN, BSN, CWOCN

Joy Hooper RN, BSN, CWOCN is a nurse entrepreneur with twenty years of experience working in a variety of hospital and in-home care settings. A graduate of the Emory University WOCN program, she has been certified as a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence nurse since 2002. While working in acute care, she recognized the need for a simple bedside teaching tool that would help nurses to explain and teach about the many physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes that occur as a result of ostomy surgery. As a result, she developed, patented, manufactures, and distributes the Anatomical Apron, a teaching tool which enables nurses to teach patient what happens during and after an ostomy surgery more effectively. Since it's inception, Ms. Hooper's apron has been used worldwide in both clinical and non-clinical settings and has helped to establish her as an innovator and advocate for effective patient teaching.

Ms. Hooper's passion for advocating for ostomy awareness and bowel sensibility is at the heart of her personal clinical practice and ministry: she routinely visits referred ostomy and wound patients at homes all across south Georgia helping them to adjust and overcome the many changes and challenges that ostomy surgery or problematic wounds have caused in their lives. Her passion for bowel awareness also recently brought her to Washington, DC to advocate for colon health and awareness, and to promote better health care for Americans. She is a founder of the Southern Georgia Ostomy Association, a growing support group for ostomy patients and caregivers. She also frequently provides wound and ostomy lectures at colleges and hospitals across south Georgia and is a routine contributor to numerous online ostomy websites and magazines. Besides running her business, Joy is currently developing a line of patient teaching materials as well as other nursing projects currently in development.