Cooley Medical held an open house Thursday to introduce the community to its medical supply facility located in Harlan. Until the Harlan office opened in Woodland Hills, the closest location available to residents of Harlan County was in Hazard.

Dawn Nunez, who is a board member of the Harlan County Chamber of Commerce, said she was thrilled to see a branch had opened in Harlan.

Nunez became familiar with Cooley Medical in 2002 when her husband, area physician Dr. Al Nunez, suffered a serious illness.

Nunez said her husband's doctors in Lexington recommended additional nutritional items that were only available through Cooley Medical.

Dr. Nunez returned home after spending 11 weeks in the hospital.

“They were waiting for us in our driveway when we pulled in,” Dawn Nunez said. “They came all the way from Hazard - there wasn't even an office here.”

“I just remember coming in and seeing them sitting in my driveway,” Dr. Nunez said, noting it was late at night when they arrived.

Cooley Medical offers a variety of medical services and equipment for purchase or rental. A respiratory therapist is available to provide in-home clinical respiratory assessment.

Equipment and supplies listed in the company brochure are:

-- Home medical equipment: Custom power wheelchairs, hospital beds, bedside commodes, walkers, braces, ambulatory aids, diabetic testing supplies, diabetic shoes, mastectomy products, enteral feeding pumps and supplies.

-- Respiratory services: 24-hour emergency services, oxygen services, concentrators and tanks, oxygen conservers, home adult/pediatric ventilators, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, pulmonary disease management and follow-up.

-- CME I.V. Inc. offers patients and physicians high-quality service throughout eastern Kentucky. Infusion services are made available 24 hours a day. Infusions therapies and supplies include: IV fluids and medications, nebulizer medications, antibiotics, chemotherapy, pain management, cardiac inotropic therapy, various disease related infusions, infusion administration supplies and state-of-the-art infusion pumps.

-- CME respiratory connection/pulmonary disease management (in addition to the respiratory therapist): Patient education in the diseases of chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, black lung, COPD, etc.; complementary in-home oxygen level assessment when ordered by physician; comprehensive unit dose nebulizer medication program.

-- Sleep apnea management: CPAP/BiPAP equipment, auto CPAP units, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, complete line of masks and headgear, equipment set-up and education in the comfort of the client's home, and compliance monitoring and follow-up calls by a respiratory therapist. Cooley Medical is a member of the Kentucky Sleep Society.

-- Home ventilator services available include: In-hospital client assessment and evaluation with family and physician; ventilator set-up and training in the security of a hospital setting; thorough training and education of caregivers by a specialized team of licensed respiratory therapists; and weekly, monthly and PRN follow-up visits after ventilator set-up.

Darrin Marlowe, director of marketing, and compliance officer Teresa Kinzer are excited to serve the Harlan County area. They invite the public to come in and view the products Cooley Medical has to offer.

The business is located on U.S. 421, directly across from the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 24-hour emergency service available seven days a week. To contact Cooley Medical, call (800) 489-0000.