Early Life
Forrest Lee Preston was born on March 22, 1933, in Massachusetts. His father, Benjamin M. Preston, was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Forrest was raised in a religious household and attended Adventist schools. He initially intended to become a medical doctor and became a certified X-Ray technician.
Rise to Success
Preston moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, in the late 1950s. There, he co-founded Hospital Publications with his brother Winton Russell Preston, creating patient booklets and public relations materials for hospitals. While working in the healthcare industry, Forrest Preston observed the conditions of elderly patients in hospitals and identified the need for better long-term care. This observation led him to found Life Care Centers of America in Cleveland in 1970. Under his leadership, Life Care Centers of America grew to become the largest privately owned long-term care facility chain and the third-largest privately owned long-term care facility in the United States.
Key Business Strategies
Life Care Centers of America operates over 200 skilled nursing, rehabilitation, Alzheimer's and senior living campuses in 27 states. The company's focus has been on providing excellent care to the residents in the communities they serve. Two foundational principles have been at play: patients and residents are the highest priority. The company has expanded its services to meet the needs of residents and patients across the country, adding Alzheimer's and dementia care, assisted and independent living facilities, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and on-site physicians.
Philanthropy
Preston is known for his philanthropy and has donated millions of dollars to various charitable organizations. In 1994, Preston endowed the Benjamin M. Preston scholarship at Atlantic Union College, of which his father was an alumnus.