Genesis Dedicates Dr. C.B. Preacher Parkway
East Campus drive named in memory of pathologist
DAVENPORT, IOWA - During the Great Depression, a young Charles Preacher was in charge of sending the money order to a missionary in China from the women’s group at his mother’s church.
That initial experience with giving and compassion for others made an impression on him that would carry through his successful and charitable life. As a long-time physician in the Quad Cities, Dr. Preacher supported projects and groups in his field of health care and beyond.
In a ceremony Monday, the parkway that serves as a beautiful entryway to Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street, was dedicated as the Dr. C. B. Preacher Parkway. It honors his gifts to St. Luke’s Hospital, a predecessor to Genesis Medical Center, the Genesis Health Services Foundation and to health in the region.
He died in March of this year at the age of 84. A sign placed near the parkway will serve as a lasting memorial.
“By any standard, Charlie Preacher was an excellent physician and a great community leader. But first and foremost, he was a good and decent man,” said Leo Bressanelli, President and Chief Executive Officer, Genesis Health System, who called Dr. Preacher his good friend and mentor.
“He taught me a lot about health care, but he also taught me a lot of life lessons. He was a loyal friend, counselor and benefactor of Genesis and its predecessor organizations for more than 50 years.”
A serene gateway
The Dr. C.B. Preacher Parkway was constructed in 2003 as a serene gateway to the hospital campus. It was designed to be a space where employees and visitors could walk and enjoy nature’s gifts and take a break from the clinical environment of the hospital.
The trees, gardens and water features of the parkway are an appropriate memorial to Dr. Preacher. In his life, he owned property in South Carolina where he planted dozens of trees. He had a particular affection for the bald cypress.
Dr. Preacher was instrumental in improving health care in the Quad Cities. He initiated the use of electrophoresis as a method to quantify blood proteins; championed the testing of blood pH as a diagnostic tool; and, was a pioneer in computerizing laboratory operations. He also was instrumental along with Dr. Dow Edgerton, a close friend, in implementing a screening program for cervical cancer.
He established his practice in the Quad Cities in 1956, joining the Quad City Pathology Group. Immediately, Dr. Preacher was named Medical Director of the St. Luke’s Hospital Laboratory and served in that capacity through 1991.
Bressanelli recalled his early days as CEO of the newly formed Genesis and the difficult decisions that came in the wake of the 1994 consolidation of St. Luke’s and Mercy hospitals. One day, Dr. Preacher invited Bressanelli to have lunch with him and Dr. Edgerton.
“They were very gentle with me; shared different ways to look at things; and shared the benefit of their experiences in life,” Bressanelli said. “They shared their thoughts and their support for me. It was just an endearing moment, to have my colleagues coach me, give me perspective and support me.”
Bressanelli read a memorial proclamation presented by the Genesis Health System Board of Directors last July. “Today, we want to celebrate the contributions of a great man who really contributed to the development of a great health care system.”
Leadership and community devotion
Dr. Preacher’s leadership and expertise were recognized by his peers in his election as President of the Scott County Medical Society in 1971; President of St. Luke’s Hospital Medical Staff in 1975-1976; and, by his appointment as a Fellow of the American College of Pathologists.
In his service to the community at large, Dr. Preacher taught courses at Eastern Iowa Community College and St. Ambrose University. He served on the Board of Directors of First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Davenport; was a member of the Contemporary Club; and the Davenport Lodge #37, AF & AM. He also was a leader in his church, having served as a lay server of communion and a member of the vestry at Trinity Cathedral.
Dr. Preacher had a fondness for travel that took him to seven continents and a love for Mozart, Shakespeare and the cultural arts. His passion for these pursuits was exceeded only by his love and devotion to his family.
He also was an ardent supporter of the spiritual care needs of patients and a student of the Bible who preferred the King James translation, said the Rev. Marlin Whitmer, a retired hospital chaplain from St. Luke’s and a longtime friend. His favorite verse came from 2 Timothy: “Only Luke is with me.”
“For him, the physician did not abandon the patient, and he lived that text as he cared for his wife before she died at home. He walked the talk,” Whitmer said.
On a visit to Chartres Cathedral, Dr. Preacher purchased a stained glass window of St. Luke that also bears the verse “Only Luke is with me.” Today, it beautifies the hospital chapel on the East Rusholme Street campus.
“I will have many memories and stories of my friend to share when I visit this parkway,” Whitmer concluded. “I will remember a doctor who lived his faith and welcomed the discussions of the interaction between body, mind and spirit.”
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