Dr. Edward Keenan, PhD, is being remembered as a very kind man who listened to everyone’s opinion and taught his medical students the professionalism important to their growth.
Vicki Fields, who shared those comments with The Lund Report, knew Keenan well, having initially worked for him at Oregon Health & Science University before joining The Foundation for Medical Excellence as director of education.
“He was absolutely the kindest person I have ever met, and had a positive word to say about everyone,” she said. “And he never blamed people for making mistakes but listened and figured out a good way to fix things. He was very respectful to everyone and considered everyone’s needs first and foremost.”
In 2008, Keenan became president of The Foundation for Medical Excellence, a non-profit entity established in 1984 and dedicated to promoting excellence in medicine, improving the quality of healthcare and advancing sound health policy through education programs, collaborative initiatives, research and the The Foundation for Medical Excellence John Kitzhaber MD Health Policy program.
On Dec. 2, the Foundation hosts its annual Kitzhaber dinner featuring guest speaker Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, who will discuss the current status and future of healthcare reform in the U.S.
Before joining the Foundation, Keenan was associate dean of medical education at OHSU where he taught all incoming medical students until his retirement on June 30. He also created its Hormone Receptor Laboratory, a nationally recognized breast cancer diagnostics laboratory, which he ran for 18 years.
Keenan, who was 65, earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees majoring in Biology at Creighton University. He received his Ph.D degree in Pharmacology from the West Virginia University School of Medicine where he studied the androgen regulation of cell growth and androgen dependence of prostate cancer.
His funeral service was held Aug. 20 after Keenan died of natural causes at home Aug. 14.
Donations to the medical student scholarship fund can be made by either sending a check to The Foundation for Medical Excellence, One SW Columbia #860, Portland, OR. 97258, or visiting its website at www.tfme.org. For questions please contact Vicki Fields at [email protected] or call 503.222.1960.
Diane can be reached at [email protected].
