LYNN — Terence “Terry” McGinnis, Lynn native and former banks commissioner, was honored by Salem Hospital with the E. Augustus Holyoke, M.D., Award for his service to the healthcare needs of the North Shore community on Friday.
McGinnis was recognized as a champion for Massachusetts’ most vulnerable populations for helping to bridge gaps in healthcare, legal services, and education.
“I am so humbled to receive the Holyoke Award as I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment for all we — my fellow board members and colleagues — have accomplished to help the city of Lynn to grow and thrive,” says McGinnis. “To know that I have helped enable residents to access such exceptional healthcare is a wonderful feeling.”
McGinnis, the grandson of Irish immigrants, grew up in one of the poorest sections of Lynn.
“My friends were all children of immigrants from Italy, Canada, Poland, Russia and Ireland, and so I assumed our way of life was the norm, where we were all mixed and appreciated our diversity,” says McGinnis. “It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that people needed help accessing basic needs and advocating for themselves. This is why I work with organizations that serve the most vulnerable. Everyone deserves a seat at the table.”
McGinnis went on to create a successful legal and banking career. He held senior legal positions within the Bank of Boston and Fleet Bank before becoming the executive vice president and general counsel at Eastern Bank and then the commissioner of the Division of Banks in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. However, some of the most rewarding moments of his career have been watching the city of Lynn embrace new faces and grow, said McGinnis.
He has been involved with Salem Hospital since the 1990s. McGinnis was chair of the Board of Trustees of the former Lynn Hospital as it became Union Hospital, and then merged with Salem Hospital and the Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners HealthCare) network in 1997. He was a member of the Salem Hospital Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2021, including four years as chair. Currently, McGinnis is the chairman of North Shore Physicians Group, a physician organization associated with Salem Hospital. He was also a board member of the Lynn Community Health Center for 10 years.
“Terry was a leading voice in the Union Hospital merger discussions and has been a long-time champion for the underserved,” says Lori Long, former general counsel for Union Hospital and community benefits director for Salem Hospital. “He was effortlessly able to navigate the legal intricacies of the merger while fully understanding and advocating for his Lynn neighbors. He has continued to bring that insight to countless challenges that have faced Salem Hospital over the years and has been an effective advocate for improving health care for all in this community.”
In addition to his accomplishments in healthcare, McGinnis was president and board chair of the Children’s Law Center, a legal-services organization that serves low-income children and youth in educational advocacy, child welfare, and immigration. For many years, he also chaired the Human Rights Committee for the Bass River Program for the differently-abled, who lived in group homes and worked in sheltered workshops. Currently, he serves on the Finance Committee of St. Anthony’s Shrine in Boston.
McGinnis currently works as the senior counsel in Nutter, McClennen, & Fish LLP in Boston, focusing on corporate governance, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance for financial institutions.
