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Appleton Today
By the People, for the People
ThedaCare Hospitals Offer Clothing Essentials to Help Patients
New clothing closets aim to restore dignity and comfort for patients in need
Published on Feb. 11, 2026
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ThedaCare, a healthcare system in Wisconsin, has created clothing closets at all 10 of its hospitals to provide patients with new clothing items when their own clothes are damaged or unavailable during a hospital stay. The closets, filled with shirts, pants, undergarments, and other essentials, are intended to help patients leave the hospital with dignity and comfort after emergency or trauma situations.
Why it matters
Patients who are rushed to the hospital due to emergencies or trauma events often have their clothing ruined or removed for medical treatment. Without access to replacement clothes, these patients can feel embarrassed and uncomfortable when being discharged. The ThedaCare Clothing Closets aim to address this need and ensure all patients can leave the hospital with their basic dignity and comfort restored.
The details
The ThedaCARES Clothing Closet program was created by Amy Mitchell, the care management social work lead at ThedaCare. The closets are stocked with brand-new clothing items ranging from shirts and pants to undergarments, shoes, and socks. The $25,000 in startup funding came from the ThedaCare Family Foundation. While the closets are not currently accepting community donations, the goal is to open them up to public contributions in the future.
- The ThedaCARES Clothing Closet program launched in February 2026 across all 10 ThedaCare hospital locations.
The players
Amy Mitchell
The care management social work lead at ThedaCare who led the creation of the ThedaCARES Clothing Closet program.
ThedaCare
A healthcare system in Wisconsin that has established clothing closets at all 10 of its hospital locations to provide patients with new clothing items when their own clothes are damaged or unavailable.
ThedaCare Family Foundation
The foundation that provided a $25,000 grant to get the ThedaCARES Clothing Closet program up and running.
What they’re saying
“It's all about ensuring dignity, respect and comfort for patients in their time of need. We want them to feel seen. We want them to be treated as a whole person and make sure that it's not just their medical concerns, but we're looking at the person as a whole person and treating their needs fully.”
— Amy Mitchell, Care Management Social Work Lead, ThedaCare (fox11online.com)
What’s next
The ThedaCare Clothing Closets are currently not accepting community donations, but the goal is to open them up to public contributions in the future.
The takeaway
The ThedaCare Clothing Closet program demonstrates a compassionate approach to patient care, recognizing that restoring a person's basic dignity and comfort can be an important part of the healing process, especially for those facing emergency or trauma situations.
