› Johnson Auxiliary Supporting patients for 50 years. In 50 years, members of the John K. and Katherine Johnson Auxiliary have built a rich legacy of supporting Regional One Health patients, families and employees. Their half century of service was celebrated in April 2023 where it all began, at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. The idea for the Auxiliary started in 1972 after women from the Presbytery of Memphis toured what was then the City of Memphis Hospital. They found a facility the community had forgotten. In 1973, a group gathered at Idlewild to sign a charter to offi cially form the Auxiliary. They named the organization in memory of Rev. Dr. John K. Johnson, a Chaplain at the hospital and an Associate Pastor of Idlewild, and his wife Katherine. Their mission is to minister to the needs of patients, assist staff, promote community health and welfare, and provide a bond of understanding and service for people of all races and creeds. Early projects included a food cart for patients’ families, a pediatric clinic, a Slim & Trim Club, breast selfexamination and CPR classes, teen pregnancy counseling, and sickle cell programs. Over the years, the projects grew in complexity. The Alice H. Davies Chapel opened in 1981 and relocated to its current site in 1984. The hospital had never had a chapel, and Auxiliary members were inspired to spearhead the project after a mother of a trauma patient told them she simply wanted a quiet place to cry and pray. The Johnson Auxiliary Gift Shop opened in November 1983, with proceeds going to the hospital. Since then, the Auxiliary has given over $600,000 to various projects. The Mary Love Clothes Closet offers clothing, hygiene items, magazines and books for families who arrive suddenly, sometimes traveling many miles with only the clothes on their backs. The Jency Mitchell scholarship, named for a former chief nursing offi cer, supports children of Regional One Health employees who pursue education in medical fi elds. The Auxiliary also offers blood pressure screenings by inactive and retired registered nurses, and a Last Resort Fund to help patients and families with transportation, food, prescription copays, etc. when other resources are not available. The Auxiliary has also fundraised for projects including a meditation room in the critical care waiting area, burn rehab beds, adult special care and NICU equipment, furniture for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital and orthopedic clinic waiting rooms, and staff education and training. Regional One He alth F ou ndation 25
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