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Description

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Mission
Drawing inspiration from the pioneering women and community leaders who helped establish the Hospital in 1875 Lawrence General has remained focused throughout its history to serve the community as a private notforprofit acute care hospital

The Hospitals physicians and caregivers offer treatment to all patients regardless of race color creed or national origin Every member of the clinical team works to assure the quality and level of care the Hospital provides supporting community education and research to improve the health of the Merrimack Valley and its citizens

Values
To achieve the highest levels of quality and patient satisfaction the Hospitals philosophy of care focuses around these four core values

Quality
The Hospital continually strives for excellence in all areas of patient care enabled through an ongoing quality improvement process

Integrity
The Hospital builds honest and ethical relationships

Compassion
The Hospital through its physicians and caregivers offers care to address each patients unique physical emotional and spiritual needs

Service
The Hospital goes the extra mile to provide a level of medical care and customer service that exceeds the expectations of our patients and visitors

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History

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A Regions Need for Health Services
Formed from parcels of land from the neighboring towns of Andover and Methuen the industrial mill city of Lawrence Massachusetts was charted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1849 Its location on the Merrimack River provided plentiful hydroelectric power for the textile and other manufacturing industries that at the peak of the citys development employed more than 100000 workers

Many of those working in the mills immigrated to the city from other countries searching for a better life and opportunities for themselves and their families As this expanding labor force fueled population growth in the late 19th century the city and surrounding communities in the Merrimack Valley area lacked both facilities and organized resources to provide medical care to their residents Without basic health care and working in industrial occupations with a high risk for injury the need for a longterm solution to the regions health needs intensified Realizing this the Lawrence Provident Association and the Lawrence City Missionary began encouraging the creation of a City Hospital Fund to construct a permanent hospital

The Birth of Lawrence General Hospital
In 1875 a group of concerned women active in Lawrences churches and the wives of the citys prominent businessmen established the Ladies Union Charitable Society The groups objectives were to improve the lives of the citys workers through good works and social assistance To this end the groups initial efforts centered on establishing a day nursery to care for the workers sick children whose mothers unable to miss work out of financial necessity could not care for them during the day

The day nursery created to care for the children of the Poor during the absence of their parents at work opened with considerable demand for its services This early achievement encouraged the Society to focus on the larger goal of establishing a hospital in Lawrence and following an outbreak of scarlet fever in 1877 the group opened an Invalids Home on Montgomery Street Further realizing the need for these services the Society constructed a threestory brick building on Methuen Street that combined both of their services in one location and changed the new facilitys name from Home to Hospital Following the construction of an annex to the building in 1886 the Society officially changed its name to the Lawrence General Hospital

To establish the staff of professionally trained nurses that were needed to operate a formal hospital The Ladies Charitable Union Society established a Training School for Nurses in 1882 considered an ambitious program for a community hospital during that time The Lawrence General School of Nursing provided clinical instruction in nursing until 1977 and its 1500 alumnae have played a vital role in the Hospitals patient care and in supporting the health of the entire region Many of the Schools graduates continue to serve as clinicians and Hospital administrators today

The demand for services at the new Lawrence General Hospital increased throughout the last decade of the 19th century as the regions population and its acceptance of modern medicine and hospital care continued to grow In 1899 the need for more expansive facilities was answered when industrialist William A Russell founder of the International Paper Company made a bequest to the Society of his 11acre Prospect Hill estate along with the necessary funds to renovate the home for a new Hospital When construction finished on the site in 1902 Lawrence General had a modern facility that laid the foundation for its role in the health of the community over the next century and beyond

Providing Care for the 21st Century
Over the last 100 years the Hospitals physical stature and technology has grown with the support of individuals businesses and community groups The Lamprey addition in 1941 launched this expansion followed shortly after by the Stevens Building in 1958 Modernization continued with the Hamblet Building in 1963 and the new Russell Building named in honor of the original structure completed the current physical plant in 1972 Over the last three decades several internal renovations have facilitated new technology and functional requirements to keep the Hospital in line with emerging clinical demands and the patient needs of 21st century medicine

Historical information from Mill Owners and Missionaries A History of Lawrence General Hospital by Thomas W Leavitt 1975

A Healthier Community

Lawrence General commits to improving the health of Lawrence and surrounding communities through a comprehensive Community Benefits program Ongoing planning and review by a multidisciplinary Hospital team identifies key regional health needs and provides financial resources to address them by means of direct patient care to individuals and sponsorships to local programs and agencies

In 2001 the Hospital provided 5952000 for these efforts including 4161000 in individual charity care and 1791000 to support prevention efforts and community partnerships This commitment includes support for the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center providing access to primary care with a focus on the needs of the regions underserved population

To support preventative medicine in the community the Hospital collaborates with the Health Center through the Lawrence Family Practice Residency Program training medical residents who dedicate their training to providing primary care to less fortunate populations and increasing the pool of primary physicians serving the region