“Rejuvenate Old Home, Combine Efforts to Establish “Clinic”

Re-creating an old home, combining effort, time, and money, together with lots of hard work, was the beginning of a novel establishment now going into its twelfth year.

Though Niles has always been without a hospital, the need for such an institution has long been recognized. With this thought in mind, a group of doctors set up the next best thing–what is known as the Robbins Avenue Medical Group, more commonly referred to as the “Niles Clinic.”

In 1940, Dr. Desmore Thomas and Dr. A. L. Williamson combined their abilities to establish a medical partnership. Today, although Dr. Thomas is now specializing in obstetrics, the idea has been carried on. The “Clinic” is now owned and operated by four doctors: Dr. A. L. Williamson, Dr. Raymond H. Ralston, Dr. Louis G. Ralston and Dr. Charles Mathias.

Besides the four doctors, the staff is composed of four nurses, a laboratory technician, business manager, and two receptionists.

The general practitioners not only have well–equipped offices but also have made their living quarters above and around the office building. Housing no patients overnight, they do have facilities for minor surgery and a recovery ward for tonsil patients and the like. This minor surgery ward is valuable because it would take up much time unavailable in hospitals.

Another advantage is that the procurement of all their equipment offers the city a place where they can go in an emergency without involving too much distance. Since the doctors do not go by appointments except for new patients and those whose medical needs are not urgent, there are three large waiting rooms equipped with comfortable seating.

Niles Times November 1, 1955
Dr. Louis G. Ralston has lived in Niles the past 10 years, coming here after serving from 1942-1945 as a flight surgeon with a combat unit in Europe.

He was born and attended school in Slippery Rock PA., after which he did undergraduate work at Grove City College and attended Western Reserve University Medical School in Cleveland. He served his medical internship from 1940-42 at the North and South Side hospitals in Youngstown.
The doctor married Eleanor Whan of North Lima in 1942. They have three children: Louis, 10; Lynda, 8; and Patricia, 3.

Dr. Louis G. Ralston, 53, one of the original members of the Robbins Avenue Medical Group, who owned and operated the “Clinic” in Niles died after suffering a coronary attack. He is a member of the First United Presbyterian Church, the Sincerity Lodge, F&AM Daniel McMullen Post of the American Legion, Niles Board of Education, national and state medical societies, and the American Academy of General Practice.
In 1959, Dr. Ralston was appointed to a seven-man subcommittee for the mentally retarded by former Ohio Governor Michael DiSalle.

Niles Times December 22, 1951
Dr. A.L. Williamson was born in Kansas and took his under-graduate work in St. Joseph Missouri Junior College and Kansas University in Lawrence Kansas. He graduated from the medical school of the University of Kansas in 1938 after which he came to Youngstown to serve two years with the Youngstown Hospital Association. In August of 1940, Dr. Williamson started practice in Niles and since that time has been associated with a group practice in that town.

Niles Times April 27, 1944
Dr. Charles W. Mathias, Niles physician who received a first lieutenant’s commission in the Medical Corps, is scheduled to report for basic training which will cover a six-week period, after which he will be transferred to Charleston, South Carolina. Mathias attended St. Stephen School and was graduated from McKinley High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Mathias, 129 Hartzell Avenue. A partner of Dr. A.L. Williamson since 1940, they maintained a medical office at 421-423 Robbins Avenue.

Niles Times July 21, 1953
Dr. Richard W. Juvancic has started the general practice of medicine and will be associated with Drs. Williamson, L. Ralston, R. Ralston, and C. Mathias at their Robbins Avenue Clinic.

Niles Times August 25, 1970, By: Joan Cochran
Dr. Richard Juvancic can’t remember a time when he didn’t want to become a writer. During his senior year at Girard High School, he was a member of a journalism class which worked in collaboration with the Girard News. Richard submitted three articles which were accepted and experienced the heady pleasure of seeing his work in print.

Upon graduation, he took a job with the Girard News and developed a weekly column earning $5 a week. Feeling that his writing career was interesting but unlikely to make him rich, he left and became a truck driver. He later returned to Girard News as City Editor for $10 a week.

Realizing that a writer needed skills he went to college but soon received the ‘Welcome to the Army’ greeting in 1944. The Army put this budding writer in The Medical Corps and to his surprise he enjoyed the training where he mastered Anatomy in 18 days and got top grades.

He served in the China-Burma-India theatre in India working in a thousand bed hospital providing care for American and Chinese soldiers brought there.
After the war he returned to the Daily Times but by this time the idea of studying medicine had begun to take root. He started the long training at the age of 26, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He interned with Dr. Williamson, the two Ralston’s and Mathias.

He joined their practice spending part of his time in industrial medicine as plant physician to several businesses including Niles Glass Plant starting in 1953. After 10 years of private practice, he became the Director of Medical Education at Trumbull Memorial Hospital October 28, 1963. He and his wife, Rosemary, reside in Girard with their four children: Judith Ann, Richard, Janet Kay and Joyce.

Niles Times May 18, 1967
Niles will have two new physicians joining the Niles Clinic, Dr. Ulises Isalgue and his wife Dr. Catalina Iselgue in the general practice of medicine. Since August 1964, they have been resident doctors at Trumbull Memorial Hospital where Dr. Ulises Iselgue is chief resident in surgery and Dr. Catalina Iselgue is resident in pathology. Trumbull was also the scene of initial residency over ten years ago, following their graduation from medical school in their native Cuba.