By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
The tragic death of Dr. Preston Phillips, who was one of four people killed last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma when 45-year-old Michael Louis opened fire on the campus of Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, has drawn concern, anger and outrage throughout the country and specifically in the field of medicine, as friends and colleagues are still in disbelief of his death.
Phillips, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, earned three degrees in four years – including a master’s in organic chemistry – from Emory University, has ties to Seattle as he was part of Swedish Hospital’s medical staff from 1998 – 2005.
In a statement released last week, Swedish Hospital said “Dr. Phillips practiced in Tulsa, but Dr. Phillips also had ties here in Seattle. Phillips formerly worked at Swedish Medical Center.”
Dr. John Vassall, former Chief of Staff at Swedish Medical Center, worked with Phillips during his tenure at Swedish and says that he was well-respected in the local medical community.
“Dr. Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon, and it is important to note that he was a very highly respected physician and surgeon and contributing member of the medical staff,” says Vassall. “He was also active here in Seattle in the Washington State Medical Association as a delegate from the orthopedic section and this indicates his involvement in the medical community.”
According to Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin, Louis intended to kill Phillips who had performed back surgery on him on May 19 because he was experiencing pain following the procedure.
“He blamed Dr. Phillips for the ongoing pain following the surgery,” Franklin said, adding the letter shows a “clear motive.”
Because of his close connection to Phillips, Vassall is still trying to get his head around Phillips’ untimely death.
“Dr. Phillips should not be dead right now,” says Vassall. “The thing that makes me so angry is this narrative that if you have a grievance that you have to get a gun. My problem is that people have been given this idea that if you have a problem, you settle it with a gun, and we have elected leaders who are using that same narrative.”
Dr. Runako Whittaker, a pediatrician in Tulsa, who is originally from Seattle and a graduate of Garfield High School, was friends with Dr. Phillips and his family and says that he was very active in the community.
“Although we never worked together, him being an orthopedic surgeon and I a pediatrician, I knew him more on a personal level as I met him through my association with the Links organization,” says Whittaker, who had formed a friendship with Dr. Phillip’s wife over the years.
According to Whittaker, Dr. Phillips was very instrumental in helping the Black physicians’ group in Tulsa work to form a local society of the National Medical Association.
“Dr. Phillips was instrumental in help guiding us younger physicians as we tried to form this group,” said Whittaker. [He] was a mentor to all of us younger physicians. Every time I saw him, he had a big smile and kind word. He was tall in stature but he more importantly he was a giant in generosity, kindness and humanity.”
According to a profile on the clinic’s website, Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon with an interest in joint reconstruction and spinal surgery. He once served as lead physician for Tulsa’s WNBA team before the franchise moved out of state, according to reports.
“Dr. Phillips was known as a meticulous surgeon and also well-known as gentlemen,” says Vassall. “A bright, a brilliant medical mind and a meticulous surgeon and we can’t afford to lose Black physicians. We are already still less than 3 percent of the total population of physicians and we can’t lose any, particularly through foolishness like this.”
