Numotion offers new Ally

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – For patients, learning to use catheters is one thing; living with them every day is another. Numotion Medical Supply's new Ally program hopes to help close that gap. 

The program offers vital online resources, education and connection – all in one place, the company says. 

“There are a lot of resources out there, but most are product-driven,” said Neill Rowland, senior vice president of Numotion’s Medical Supply division. “We wanted a site and a platform where end users could go and get resources on all types of products and scenarios, but then also have a community-based program where they can network, talk with their peers, talk to clinicians and really have a forum of outreach and community support.” 

The Ally program combines podcasts, webinars, videos and downloadable guides. 

The goal, Numotion says, is helping catheter users handle the day-to-day realities that aren’t covered during hospital stays, including challenges like transferring in public. 

“I think catheter users have great resources during their inpatient stays, but when they discharge home, I think they run into a lot of real-life scenarios they need assistance with,” said Rowland. 

For Amber Foster, vice president of sales, the project is personal. While hospitalized a few years ago and struggling with an ostomy bag, she found herself scrolling online at night in search of support. She landed in a 20,000-member peer-to-peer group where the outpouring of responses reshaped how she thought about community. 

"It kind of took a personal experience that was dark for me and not enjoyable (and turned) it into something that could be life-changing for our entire community on the catheter side,” she said. 

How might the Ally program evolve? The long-term plan for the program, which spans three to four years, includes creating specific communities for subgroups, like parents of children with disabilities or people with spinal cord injuries. 

For now, Foster says, everything is online-based, but Numotion hopes to eventually expand into in-person offerings and grow in other ways guided by patient needs.