By Michele J. Kuhn
RED BANK – The more Terry Flynn learned about the Parker Family Health Center and his grandfather’s part in its founding, the more he knew he wanted to help.
Flynn, who grew up in Little Silver and graduated from Red Bank Regional High School, is the president of Market Chord, a marketing company that he founded while living in New Hampshire. He moved his family back to the area about 18 months ago and opened Market Chord on Broad Street. He has since volunteered his time and talents to help the free, volunteer-based health-care center get the message out about the services it offers and who can benefit.
Flynn is the eldest grandson of the late Dr. John Movelle, an area physician who volunteered his time when the clinic was founded by Dr. Eugene Cheslock and community members. It was Movelle, in fact, who saw the health center’s very first patients on July 31, 2000, when it opened in a doublewide trailer.
Movelle continued to serve as a clinic volunteer for several years until his own health deteriorated. He died in 2006.
“My grandfather was one of the original ‘black-bag’ doctors,” Flynn said. “I remember after he retired him saying, ‘I am going to this clinic.’ It was one of his favorite things to do later in life. He could go and still be an old-fashioned doctor taking care of people. He loved it … My memory is my grandfather, the consummate doctor, wanting to be in the community and helping people.
“What reconnected me to the Parker Clinic is reading an article in The Two River Times™. In it you mentioned my grandfather,” Flynn said. “I decided I needed to go there and stopped in there that very day. I said, ‘Hi, I’d like to help in any shape or form. This is what we do, we do marketing and websites and we can help you communicate.’ ”
Since then Market Chord has assisted the health center by redesigning its logo, updating its website and helping to promote the Dec. 23 Hope Concert at the Count Basie Theatre that benefited the Parker Health Center, which is located at 211 Shrewsbury Ave.
“The idea was to freshen up the logo and freshen up the website, do it all at once,” Flynn said. “What we ended up with was about a dozen different designs, all centered around the concept of being part of the community … a vibrant part of the community.”
The designs for the logo were voted on by Parker Family Health Center staff members. Flynn described the one chosen as “a cheerful logo with a kind of exuberant person and tree, that represents all the patients they serve. It’s about life, bringing life to the community.”
Flynn is also helping the health center get the message out to the community about its services. “The idea is to help them communicate more, more often. The biggest problem for years is that people just didn’t know about it and it’s right here in Red Bank. It’s a wonderful story. People should know about it and they should know that it’s a place that a lot of different people have relied on, that serves all different parts of our community … It’s not a negative to go there. They should feel good and bright about such a wonderful place.
“What they do with so little is great,” Flynn said. “I love that it’s all volunteer … It’s unbelievable how many they have helped.
“My goal is to help perpetuate this,” said Flynn, who is also reaching out to some of his clients, both in the area and across the nation, to assist the health center in whichever way they are able.
Flynn called Red Bank “a wonderful place to be” because of such dynamic charitable institutions as the Parker Family Health Clinic, Lunch Break and JBJ Soul Kitchen. He is thrilled to be back in the borough with his family and has taken to showing his daughters his old haunts.
The Parker Family Health Center has had more than 100,000 patient visits during its 12 years. Its focus is primary health care, promotion of good health and disease prevention. Patients – both children and adults – can get physicals, immunizations, chronic illness management, vision screening, affordable prescription medication, social service referrals and women’s health care. Patients must be uninsured Monmouth County residents who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid and whose income level is less that 300 percent of the poverty level.
Flynn is pleased to be able to continue the family practice of helping at the health center. “The only thing I wish,” he said. “is that my grandfather could be around so I could say, ‘Hey GrandPop, guess what? I’m going to help’ Parker Family Health Center.”
