If you have ever visited the halls of Effingham Health System, whether to see a friend or family member or as part of a personal medical situation, you may have noticed a number of women walking around in pink and white scrubs, also known as the EHS-Auxiliary.

This group of wide-smiling and friendly professionals has been roaming the halls of EHS since the hospital’s opening in 1969. Margie Sullivan, the current Auxiliary President, is a Charter Member of the Auxiliary and has been doing an exemplary job since the groups’ founding. Joining Sullivan as an honorary member is Martha Zeigler, who was also a Charter Member.

These ladies perform a number of tasks for patients and residents of EHS, but they are most known for their work in the beauty department.

The Auxiliary runs the EHS beauty salon in the care center for EHS residents and perform their services free of charge. Along with running the beauty salon, they also operate the gift shop, assist in the care center and help transport patients throughout the hospital, in the physicians center and in Morrison’s Café.

When they aren’t busy improving resident’s stay or helping patients in various ways, they are busy making donations.

When there are special projects or renovations that are being done, the Auxiliary will donate furniture, supplies or anything that is needed to complete the project. They also provide items that are needed, such as wheelchairs and other equipment.

They also make a number of financial donations.

They give out six $500 scholarships per year to local students and also contribute to the state Auxiliary Fund for the Bull Scholarship. They contribute to the Treutlen House, the Backpack Program (a countywide school program to send food home for those in need of meals on the weekends), and help with Christmas parties and other fun events for the Care Center residents.

This year, the Auxiliary chose to make a donation in the amount of $2,000 to the EHS Cancer Care Center – they presented EHS CEO Fran Baker-Witt with the check on Thursday.

The money for the donation was gathered through events and sales that the Auxiliary conducted, including uniform sales, bake sales, jewelry sales and from purchases made at the gift shop.

With the opening of the Cancer Care Center, the Auxiliary knew that there would be things that would be needed and they knew the donation would be helpful in providing this needed service to the local patients.

If you ever see them around the hospital, be sure to tell them thank you – you never know the good they’re doing behind the scenes.