Fifty years ago, a doctor from Scotland decided to set up a small medical practice, which has since blossomed into a thriving medical center with 30 providers, five medical buildings and more than 40,000 patients.
Little did Dr. Eric Anderson suspect when he opened his practice in 1964 that it would become Derry Medical Center, which has pumped $135 million back into the community through salaries during just the past 15 years and treated 800,000 patients.
Within a year of starting his practice, Anderson recruited three more British doctors: Peter Rumsey, Jeff Neilson and Keith Ballentyne, earning their office on Birch Street the moniker “The British Embassy.” By 1969, it grew to four doctors, an unusual model at that time, says Ted Brooks, a physician and senior partner, who joined Derry Medical Center in the early 80s.
In the past 14 years, the physician-owned practice underwent its most significant expansions, opening an office in Londonderry in 1986, an independent diagnostic imaging center in 2004, a wellness center in 2011, an office in Windham in 2012 and a gym and exercise studio in 2014. And it continues to grow to meet demand. The center is adding four new exam rooms to its Windham facility, which should be completed within the next five months.
“I always thought life would become easier if we added one more doctor. We just became busier,” Brooks says. “We’re still seeing about 250 new patients
every month.”
The center also offers nutrition programs, a diabetes and lipid center, and onsite weight loss and exercise programs. “About 75 percent of health care dollars in this country go to treating chronic illnesses. We are really looking more to prevention,” Brooks says.
Derry Medical Center has a call center with 15 employees allowing patients to be seen within two hours of calling or, minimally, in the same day. On Mondays alone, the practice tends to receive about 100 same-day appointment calls, Brooks says. The Center has also beefed up its website, adding links for prescription refills and to make appointments.
The Center has given out $36,000 in scholarships to high school seniors since 2006. This year it added Timberlane Regional High School to the list of local schools (Pinkerton, Londonderry High School, Windham High School, Salem High School) and increased its giving to two $1,000 scholarships per school. It also contributes more than $8,000 annually to area nonprofits and charities, including high school sports and music programs, scouting organizations, The Upper Room, CASA, and the American Red Cross.
Current Issue - April 2024