March 12, 2002

A Wall of History

West campus Atrium will celebrate Genesis' predecessors

If the walls of Genesis Medical Center could talk, they would tell amazing stories of two emerging hospitals and a legacy of caring that spans 132 years.

They may tell about street clothes worn in operating rooms; coupons to get a hospital ward bed for $7 a week; and iron lungs that became the lifeline for polio patients. They could tell about courageous Sisters who worked to care for the poor; speak solemnly of the 41 lives lost in one of the worst hospital fires ever; recall demolitions and expansions; or capture the everyday lives of the nurses and doctors who made the medical advancements unfold.

In the next year, the walls of Genesis will talk. A renewed effort is underway to develop a Wall of History in the spacious West campus atrium. The exhibit will capture the religious roots, historical highlights and human strides of Genesis' predecessor hospitals - St. Luke's and Mercy - and continue on with the many successes since they united in 1994. In addition to photographs, the exhibit will show memorabilia, such as old medical technology and nursing uniforms, and may even feature the voices of current and former staff and volunteers as they recall the "old days."

Celebrating history
"We have a tremendously rich history in our two former organizations," says Jim Berg, Executive Vice President and COO of Genesis, and an advocate for the project. "Although there have been history books on both organizations written by various authors, there's interest in knowing more and actually seeing from where our parentage has come."

He adds, "Our mission and values today have evolved from the history of Mercy and St. Luke's. It's important for our current and future generations to understand and know our family history and be proud of it."

The idea for a Wall of History came about with the completion of the $23 million West campus renovations in 1998. To celebrate the opening and showcase the new Atrium entrance, Genesis hosted a 50-piece photography exhibit entitled "Medicine's Great Journey."

"Many people commented on how this exhibit warmed up the Atrium," Berg recalls. "When this particular display was offered for sale, we felt it was nice but that we should celebrate our own history instead. Our institutions go back to 1869 (Mercy) and 1895 (St. Luke's) and shaped the course of medicine in the Quad Cities. It's a great story to tell."

A new effort
The legwork began with a committee several years ago. Now, with a new direction, the committee - with Corporate Communications & Marketing as its liaison - has been resurrected. New members have been added, and the process of soliciting artifacts and memories for the exhibit has begun.

Chaplain Richard Roberts, Spiritual Care, was on the original committee that uncovered many photos and artifacts. He also is involved in the new effort. "At the time, there was a concern that we preserve the many artifacts and statuary around the hospitals, as well as tell the story of how we got there," Roberts says. "Then, it became an invitation to tell the story of the two really rich traditions at both hospitals."

The Wall of History is also an opportunity to affirm and celebrate the Episcopalian roots of St. Luke's and the Catholic heritage of Mercy, he adds. "They both started the same way: the Episcopal Church and the Sisters of Mercy saw the need for compassionate ministry to the sick and dying in this community," Roberts says.

"Compassion is a very important word in our mission statement. It's the word that grounds us in the spirituality of the care we give at Genesis. That word is the doorway and the touchstone into the religious and spiritual heritage that began from both of these hospitals."

In addition to Genesis staff members, the committee includes the outside expertise of John Willard, history reporter at the Quad City Times, and Eunice Schlichting, museum curator from the Putnam Museum. Auxiliary members who have agreed to catalogue old photos as part of the committee are: Peg Wells; Marian Branson; Jane Folwell, past president of the Genesis Health Services Foundation; and Gladys Bondi, who is the wife of the late Leon Bondi, a former administrator of St. Luke's Hospital.

"Not only is this Wall of History a call to action to build pride and loyalty, but the West campus Atrium is also a nice place to showcase it," Berg adds.

"Visitors who are waiting while their loved ones undergo cancer treatment or outpatient surgery can spend time there and embrace the Genesis history."