Medical care in the Grand Rapids and Centralia area developed from an 1855 hospital above Otto Drugs and early physicians including Dr. G.W. Whitney in Grand Rapids and Dr. Patrick Hurley in Centralia to a physician-owned hospital in Grand Rapids by 1905. That hospital included Frank D. Humphrey, M.D., as surgeon-in-chief, Harriett O. Blanchar as superintendent of nurses, Wm. O. Blanchar, M.D., as the first physician, and W. Melvin Ruckle, M.D., specializing in eye, ear, nose, and throat. In 1912, a community association was formed to ensure healthcare for the future through the Riverview Hospital Association, with George W. Mead and Miss Emma Dahlke, R.N., and Riverview Hospital Nurses’ Training School operated from 1912 to 1923. The hospital expanded in 1917, with Agnes Dunigan, R.N., and in November 1940 Riverview had three sets of twins, including Coba Kelly, Norma Markworth, and Mildred Demitz. A hospital addition followed in 1942, and in 1954 the Hospital Auxiliary was founded, including a tele-care program associated with Mary Rezen. On May 12, 1954, the Salk polio vaccine is noted with Bonnie Sorensen, R.N., Edna Bach, R.N., and Joan Muth, R.N. Physicians named in this history include N.W. Arendt, M.D., C.J. Arendt, M.D., F.X. Pomainville, M.D., L.C. Pomainville, M.D., H.G. Pomainville, M.D., W.L. Nelson, M.D., Rogers Garrison, M.D., Otto Backus, M.D., E.E. Debus, M.D., E.C. Glenn, M.D., George Handy, M.D., J.W. Schaller, M.D., A.W. Hulme, M.D., J.E. Thompson, M.D., R.L. Johnson, M.D., A.M. Lucas, M.D., L.R. Pfeiffer, M.D., Cliff Starr, M.D., A.W. Wittchow, M.D., C.F. Wood, M.D., William Allen, M.D., Hugh Waters, M.D., Donald Waters, M.D., and George Pomainville, M.D. A new hospital opened in 1967, and by 2007 Riverview Hospital was busy meeting the health-care needs of south Wood County and the surrounding area.