The Stephens County Hospital Auxiliary will soon come under the legal umbrella of Stephens County Hospital.
That’s after a motion approved at Monday’s meeting of the Stephens County Hospital Authority.
Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell says that since the Auxiliary was founded in 1962, it has been a separate legal entity with a separate federal tax identification number and so on.
However, the Hospital Authority voted unanimously on Monday to allow the Auxiliary to end that status and fall under that of the hospital.
Gambrell said this change comes after several months of discussions.
“In talking with our auxiliary members in the past few months and then talking with our attorney after that, we just decided that we can make it easier by legally dissolving as a legal entity,” said Gambrell. “We will still have an Auxiliary, but they legally will fall under the auspice of the Hospital’s Tax ID number.”
Gambrell went on to say that this legal move will not change what the Auxiliary does for Stephens County Hospital on a regular basis.
“They will still have their fundraising efforts like Love Light and the different sales,” said Gambrell. “The proceeds they raise from those efforts will go to the Stephens County Hospital Foundation, which was formed about five years ago and the Auxiliary members will still have a voice in how those funds are used within the Foundation.”
Gambrell added that the change is much less drastic than it sounds.
He did say that the Auxiliary supports the switch.
“There is less red tape,” said Gambrell. “You do not have to file a Form 990 with the federal government. There is the fiduciary responsibility that the officers have now that they will not have in the future.”
Gambrell called it a win-win situation for both Stephens County Hospital and the Auxiliary.