Greater Lawrence Family Health Center has launched its $3.5 million “Keeping Our Promise” capital campaign to renovate its flagship Lawrence location and provide better medical services.
The nonprofit healthcare provider, which opens a Haverhill location next month, made the announcement at a virtual ceremony Thursday on “National Stakeholders Day” which takes place annually during “National Health Center Week.” Health Center President and CEO John Silva discussed the goals of the campaign.
“The campaign is to make some significant changes, alterations and renovations at our Health Center hub at 34 Haverhill St. in Lawrence. Many of you know that that facility, right down the hill from Lawrence General Hospital, houses our largest pharmacy, provides the most patient visits and also serves as the headquarters for our nationally recognized Lawrence Family Medicine Residency Program,” he said.
The residency program was the first community health center-based Family Medicine Residency in the United States, established in 1994, and currently serves as the national model for primary care residency training based in underserved communities and focused upon understanding and treating area residents’ health care needs. Silva explained renovations are necessary to accommodate the growth of the training program.
“It was started with 12 residents. It is now 2020, we have 41 family medicine residents—in the same space, in the same location,” he said.
Other renovations include creation of a separate entrance and waiting area for the pharmacy and creating space on the second floor for a dedicated behavioral health suite to support the full range of expanded behavioral and mental health programs.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Deborah J. Wilson, GEM Group President Jonathan G. Isaacson and Princeton Properties President and CEO Andrew Chabin praised the plan. Chabin, who signed on as a leadership donor, explained his support.
Princeton Properties President and CEO Andrew Chabin spoke as a leadership donor during the program. (WHAV News photograph.)
“I have had an opportunity to watch first hand as clinicians have interacted with their patients and I’m incredibly impressed with the work being done at the Family Health Center,” Chabin said.
To learn more about the “Keeping Our Promise” campaign, contact Rich Napolitano, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, at 978-722-2870 or email [email protected].
GLFHC began with one location in Lawrence 40 years ago and expanded to six sites in Lawrence and Methuen—each with a pharmacy. The health center also provides addiction services, as well as health care to the homeless at 13 homeless shelters and through its Mobile Health Unit. It also operates two school-based clinic-only sites at Lawrence High and Greater Lawrence Technical School. A seventh location and pharmacy are scheduled to open in Haverhill in September.