Greater Lawrence Family Health Center Wednesday night celebrated the 45th anniversary of its founding in Lawrence and subsequent growth into Methuen in Haverhill, with a posthumous tribute to one its founders.
Those attending the 45th anniversary gala learned more about Rev. James P. Keller, a Presbyterian minister and activist for peace and social justice, who initially founded what became the Health Center in a five or six room house that formerly served as a funeral home. Keller died last November at age 93, but his children—sons James Jr. and Jonathan and daughter Christian—accepted the Health Center’s Making a Difference Award.
The elder son, reading from his father’s memoir, “Three Islands in My Life and Ministry,” explained his father’s interest stemmed from the poor receiving care only from a hospital emergency room.
“This is not a satisfactory arrangement because there can be no continuity of care for an individual or family with a rotation of physicians who take only a turn covering the emergency room,” he explained.
Keller and other founders found there was a shortage of primary care physicians, but successfully secured three physicians through the National Health Service Corps, but the initial center proved inadequate.
Christian Keller, continuing reading from the memoir, noted the new center could not sustain itself under the model of a physicians’ office. Instead, it would have to become a designated as a clinic, but rules required a minimum number of examination rooms per physician, a social service component and health education services.
“We scoured Lawrence for a suitable place and, confidentially, found a spacious Catholic school that had recently been closed in a funding shortage in the parish. We met with the priest and negotiated a fair price which we went into deep debt for,” she read.
She explained that her father and two other board members personally signed a promissory note for $10,000 each in 1980. A few years ago, Rev. Keller and his wife Gwen received a note about the progress Greater Lawrence Family Health Center made through the decades.
“They were both over the moon with what they had seen and heard, and it was impressive even from afar. While I’m so proud of my father’s role in launching the Health Center, I can’t forget the many people who worked together to bring it to fruition and turn it into what it is today,” she said.
The 45th anniversary celebration at North Andover’s Stevens Estate also brought thanks from interim President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Paris, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Zandra Kelley, Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Susan Kinney and others.