The Origins of the East Liberty Family Health Care Center-The Call of God.

At the University of Rochester Medical School during the late 1970's, David G. Hall was a medical student, wrestling with doubts about his chosen profession and God's direction for the future. He had been studying under Dr. William Morehouse and had been impressed by how Dr. Morehouse was integrating his commitment to Christ with the practice of medicine, but now was having serious doubts about his own call to practice medicine.

In late winter of 1978, David attended a conference on healing led by Fr. Francis McNutt. In a special time of revelation and comfort, a small group laid hands on David and prayed for him. His sense of inadequacy began to lift and he felt that God was saying that He would hold His expectations for him, and would hand them to David just one at a time.

In June of 1979, David finished medical school and came to Pittsburgh for a family practice residency at Shadyside Hospital. While in residence, David prayed:
1. That God would use his gifts and the skills he had learned in an area of need: for the poor, either here or abroad;
2. That he would be able to share God's love, God's plan for salvation, and to pray for healing with his patients, wherever he worked.
3. That he would not be alone, but would be joined by others similarly called to encourage each other and support each other in a long-term commitment to ministry.

David and his wife, Suzie, remained unclear as to where they would go when he finished his residency.

Then, in October of 1981, after sharing some of his hopes and dreams with some other colleagues and friends, he took a trip with Attorney Frank Wiegand, Reid Carpenter of the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, Roger Tobin (David's Episcopal parish priest), and fellow resident Michael Hahalyak back to Rochester to spend time with Dr. Morehouse and see the Christian whole-person health care center that he ran. They returned with a desire to begin a similar Center in Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, on June 1, 1980, Suanne Craig, an intensive care nurse at Shadyside Hospital, had just made a recommitment of her faith in Jesus Christ. She developed a supportive relationship with the new Pastor at her church, the Rev. George Steffey, who got Sue involved in sponsoring a Vietnamese family that was relocating in Pittsburgh. In May of 1981, Sue took the Huynh family to the Shadyside Hospital Family Center to see Dr. David Hall for physicals, because she had met Dave at the hospital, and sensed that he would be sensitive to this family's needs. Over the next few months, Sue and Dave developed a friendship and began to develop their individual senses of vision for ministry as they served the Huynhs.

Sue had an interest in going overseas to minister, but through sharing with Dave, began to see how she might answer God's call in Pittsburgh. Sue began praying with her pastor and then sensed a calling to join David in his desire to serve Christ by making whole-person health care available for the poor.

Another thread in this tapestry was being woven as Reid Carpenter shared some of his conversations with Dr. Hall with the Rev. Doug Dunderdale, pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Liberty. Doug had been praying for seven years (interestingly, since just about the time that David entered medical school), for a Christian healing ministry to be connected with Eastminster Church. David and Doug discovered that they shared very similar dreams. Doug, Frank Wiegand, and Reid all agreed that if such a ministry were to survive, it would need a full-time administrator. Doug knew of Steve Paschal, a friend with a Masters of Social Work degree and medical administration experience. At this time, Steve was planning on moving his family back to this native state of Oklahoma, but decided to be open to what God might be saying. Steve was introduced to the others, and by the end of the year was asked to be the Administrator to begin a new Health Care Center.

On January 1, 1982, Steve Paschall began as a consultant with the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation through a special grant from Frank Wiegand to develop what would become the East Liberty Family Health Care Center. The same day, Sue was continuing to pray with Rev. George Steffey about her call to be the Center's nurse.

By March, Steve and the Board had secured commitments for enough funds to begin renovation of part of the basement of Eastminster Church. In May, they offered Sue Craig the nursing position, and she accepted.

So, on July 1, 1982, Dr. David Hall, Suanne Craig, and Steve Paschall made themselves available to "reclaim the healing ministry" through sharing whole-person healing through Christ to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. (The first patients were seen in the offices of the Church's Daycare Center because the remodeling took longer than had been anticipated!)

On July 28, 1982, a dedication service was held for the new offices. By September, the first receptionist was hired, and in October, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a homecare nurse were added to the staff. By the end of the first five months, the small team had seen about 1,000 patients.

In the nearly twenty years that have transpired since our humble beginnings, the Center has seen constant growth and innovation. We now operate two offices, with a staff of sixty, including 11 physicians, 4 of which are National Health Service Corps. (NHSC) participants. In 2000, we provided more than 27,000 patient visits for more than 5,000 patients in office, home and hospital. Of these patients, 16% were uninsured, 35% were on Medical Assistance, 11% were on Medicare and 27% were privately insured. The scope of whole-person care has also grown, to include obstetrics/gynecology, dental services, podiatry, addiction outreach services, parent education, social work and mental health counseling services. As the Center has grown, it has maintained accountability to the private charitable donors who have historically supported more than half of our annual expenses, while also maintaining compliance with Federally Qualified Health Center "look alike" (FQHC) requirements since 1991. In 2000, the Center became a federally funded Community Health Center.