Cedric Lowrey, first RRMC Medical Director, remembered

Cedric Warren Lowrey, M.D., served as the inaugural medical director of what was known in 1990 as Rapides General Hospital. He was a Tulane School of Medicine graduate and orthopedic surgeon who also served as the hospital's chief of staff and as part of The Rapides Foundation.

He passed away on May 15, 2020, at age 90.

Lowrey joined Alexandria Orthopaedic Clinic with Drs. T.E. Banks and Paul Davis in the early 60s, coming here from Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

"Early in his career, Dr. Lowrey developed an interest in hand surgery," said former RRMC Medical Director Babson Fresh, M.D. "Although he was trained in general orthopedics, he soon established himself as 'the' hand surgeon in Central Louisiana."

Dr. Lowrey, though his work at The Rapides Foundation, also found a passion for his community's wellbeing. That passion led to his work in helping create the Working People's Free Clinic.

"Dr. Lowrey always had a smile of his face," Fresh said. "It was the first thing you'd see. His affable and engaging personality made for excellent professional relationships which served him well when he became the first medical director at Rapides General.

"He set the standard for those who followed. A professional, a gentleman, a physician, he was all of them."