History

The mission of The Hospital Auxiliary is two-fold: 1) to render aid, assistance and comfort to the patients of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare and to their families and friends through an in-service volunteer program; and 2) to enrich the quality of life, health and education of the citizens and residents in the communities served by Hilton Head Hospital, Coastal Carolina Hospital and their associated facilities.

In 2024, the Auxiliary celebrated its 50^th year of support for Hilton Head Regional Healthcare and it continues to expand its programs and its impact on patients and their families in the area.  Our long-term vision is to assist Hilton Head Regional Healthcare in improving healthcare quality, access, and delivery throughout the region.

In 1973 a hospital on Hilton Head Island was the dream of Dr. Peter LaMotte, formerly Chief of Trauma in Orthopedic Surgery at Roosevelt Hospital in New York, and team physician for the New York Mets.  Dr. LaMotte and William Bethea, Jr. turned the community’s hopes for a hospital from a dream to a reality.

Even before the hospital was built, Dr. LaMotte convinced Mrs. Dorothy Hatch that an Island based organization such as an Auxiliary was necessary.  Mrs. Hatch had previous experience with Hospital Auxiliaries, but this was different…an auxiliary without a hospital.  The first steering committee of 17 ladies met to discuss the possibility of forming an auxiliary.  On December 8, 1973, 200 ladies gathered for coffee at the Children’s Center to hear Dr. LaMotte present plans for the hospital and hear from the steering committee about the Auxiliary.

A decision was made to seek government approval for non-profit status which was granted later that year.  The purpose of the Auxiliary was to raise money for hospital equipment, to serve patients and staff, and to serve the community.  The Auxiliary was to be an arm of the Hospital and the only volunteer group associated with the hospital.  All in-service volunteers were to be members of the Auxiliary.  In order not to preclude male members, the word “ladies” was dropped, and the official title became Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary.

Hilton Head Hospital opened its doors on August 8, 1975.  Governor James B. Edwards gave a speech, the Parris Island Marine Band played, the Hilton Head Community Choir sang, and 1600 people were in attendance.

In 1994 the Auxiliary faced a major problem.  The hospital was purchased by Tenet and became a “for profit” hospital. There was a question of whether the Auxiliary would continue to exist. After many meetings, the new owners determined that they wanted the Auxiliary to stay.

Decisions had to be made on how to best utilize the Auxiliary.  Our in-service volunteers stayed, for the most part, doing what they always did.  Some left, only to return later.  The Gift Shop funds changed from purchasing equipment to funding the Auxiliary Caring Touch Program (ACT) in 1994. ACT enabled us to help people leaving the hospital who were unable to pay for prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, or travel expense to another facility.  The program was extended to include VIM, the Clinics, and children at the Rehabilitation facility, as well as mammograms for those who otherwise could not afford it.

In December of 2009 our bylaws were amended to change our name from the Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary to The Hospital Auxiliary so that we could extend our mission to include Coastal Carolina Hospital and the area which it serves.

Then in 2020, the Covid-19 virus hit the entire country.  For a while, the Gift Shops were closed and volunteer work at the hospital came to a standstill.  Through it all, the Invitational Golf Tournament continued, and the Auxiliary continued to fund many of its charitable activities. Eventually, things got back to normal, but many of the volunteers had moved on, so the Auxiliary is smaller today than it was.

In February of 2024, Novant Health, a non-profit, acquired all of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare from Tenet Healthcare.  Under the new ownership of Novant Health, the Auxiliary looks forward to expanding our reach and increased volunteer activity with the support of a new Novant Volunteer Coordinator.