Hospital Update

This is the second half of a two-part series on the history of healthcare in Garfield County with this week's focus on the Pomeroy Medical Clinic (PMC).

The origins of the PMC have ties to several families of Pomeroy. In 1886, the Schuelke family arrived in Garfield County. Alfred Schuelke was the grandfather of Louise Munday. He purchased a dairy farm in 1919 on the land where the clinic is presently located at 446 Pataha Street. Louise Munday has fond memories of watching the cows cross walk from the pasture (where the hospital is now located) to the barn where her grandpa milked the cows each evening. After Alfred's passing, the land was given to Louise's cousin, Francis Kucklick, also a native of Pomeroy, who became heir to the property in 1955 and later sold the land to Dr. R.J. Weiland, Sr. in 1964.

Richard John Weiland, Sr., MD, moved to Pomeroy in December 1947 to join practice with Dr. Sherfey who had served as a Pomeroy physician for 35 years. Louise Munday became an RN and worked with Dr. Sherfey and Doc Weiland in the Chard Building that was located above Gates Insurance. The community gladly accepted Dr. Weiland and he quickly became known to everyone as "Doc Weiland."

After Dr. Sherfey's retirement in 1950, Dr. Bond joined Doc Weiland for the next seven years until 1957. Doc Weiland advertised for a partner and Dr. Walt Herron joined his practice that same year. Dr. Walt Herron was the next to accept a partnership position with Doc Weiland until 1963, at which time he started his own practice in his home on Villard Street.

Following Dr. Herron's departure, Doc Weiland built the Pomeroy Medical Clinic in 1964. Doc Weiland and Louise Munday drew up their own plans for the clinic and the building was completed one month later by St. John's Construction. The clinic was made from cement blocks, forming the outer walls, while the inner walls and partitions are made of wood. There is no basement but a crawl space was incorporated at the time it was being built. The PMC was renovated about 15 years ago with help of a generous donation from the Shepherd Foundation.

For about a three-year period from 1967-1970, Weiland was the only physician in the county, but when the construction on the dam began and the influx of workers started, there was no way he could handle all the needs. In 1970, Dr. Stephen and Dr. Shirley Richardson started their practice in Pomeroy.

Doc Weiland retired on December 29, 1992, 45 years to the day he stared practicing in Pomeroy. This is the longest tenure of any doctor in the history of Garfield County. Louise worked for Doc Weiland for 33 years at the PMC out of 43 years of her nursing career.

The PMC remains a vital healthcare organization serving the community with one fulltime physician and one part-time physician, and one part-time mid-level provider. The hospital employs two fulltime mid-level providers to cover the Emergency Department and limited clinic hours for acute care needs. The clinic staff also includes two fulltime RNs, two part-time RNs, along with a fulltime receptionist and two billing staff that alternate shift coverage.