Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Story - Mary B. Keen

Mary B. Keen was born on February 5, 1938, in Toledo, Ohio. She was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants.  Mary received a scholarship from Heidelberg college where she met her husband Tom.  She took a break from school while her husband earned his Doctorate degree and the couple started a family.  However, Mary went back to Heidelberg to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology,  and on to earn her Master's Degree at Bowling Green State University.

While at BGSU, Mary joined a group of other university women to reach out to the mothers and families of migrant workers.  The women organized a weekly clinic where migrant families could access otherwise unavailable health care in the back of a pharmacy in Tiffin, Ohio. Eventually, they established a full-time migrant health clinic. 

Ultimately, with Mary's support and leadership, the clinic grew into Community Health services. Mary worked for Community Health Services for decades where she served as Chief Operating Officer and later Project Manager. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew her.  

On April 27, 2022, Community Health Services (CHS) held a dedication ceremony for the newest addition to our CHS main campus, the Keen Building. The building was named in honor of Mary Keen.  At the dedication ceremony, Joe Liszak, Chief Executive Officer who worked with Mary Keen for years said,  “Every company and organization has one person that they can attribute to its creation and beginning of its success.  For Community Health Services, that person was Mary Keen.  Her namesake on this building will be a constant reminder to us—and generations to come, of her courage, devotion and selflessness in helping those around her.”

Today Community Health Services serves approximately 12,000 people annually with 45,000 patient visits each year.  CHS has locations in six counties, and offers medical, dental and behavioral health services-- providing care for people of all walks of life.

Thanks to Mary Keen's vision to ensure that underserved populations in the region have access to quality health care, generations to come will benefit from her hard work and determination.  We are proud that Mary Keen is part of our story.