Riverside Medical Clinic:
A Long History of Caring.


Surviving a world war, the Great Depression and managed care, Riverside Medical Clinic continues to serve the Inland Empire with 200,000 patients, including 80,000 HMO enrollees. Here is a brief walk through RMC's history:

1935 Drs. Philip Corr and Ray McCarty establish a practice patterned after the Mayo Clinic, located in the historic Mission Inn rotunda.

1938 Dr. Hobart Kelly, Dr. Richard Boylan and Dr. E. Danford Quick, all from the Mayo Clinic, join the staff.

1942 Dr. Hobart Kelly keeps the clinic running while his partners serve in WWII.

1958 Clinic moves to new 63,000 sq.ft. location near Arlington Avenue. Urology, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology and other specialties are added.

1979 RMC signs its first managed care contract with CommuniCare (now HealthNet).

1989 RMC opens outpatient surgery center, then the largest independent facility in the region. Also expands service area in Moreno Valley, Jurupa, Corona and Parkview.

1990 RMC expands Moreno Valley location by building a 68,000 sq. ft. multi-specialty clinic at Canyon Springs.

1993 RMC joins Pacific Physician Services, a medical management company with advanced practice management systems. In '96, PPS merges with MedPartners then one of the largest physician practice organizations in the country.

1999 Physicians repurchase practice from MedPartners, becoming largest independent group practice in the region.

2006 Grand opening of our  expanded main campus. Total of four locations in: Main (main campus with primary care, outpatient surgery, women's center, pediatric subspecialists, vision services), Canyon Springs, Jurupa Valley and Corona.

A Historic Mission
Spanning Six Decades


Riverside Medical Clinic has something most healthcare
providers lack: a long history of service.

As dozens of physician groups collapse throughout California, Riverside Medical Clinic, with its 65-year history, stands in stark contrast to its peers.

Doctors (and officers): Corr, McCarty, Boylan and Quick, June, 1944.

Modeled after the Mayo Clinic, which joins primary physicians, specialty physicians  and medical professionals into one healthcare organization, Riverside Medical Clinic was born in 1935 at the Mission Inn. At the time, the city had about 33,000 residents. Employer-based health insurance was a completely new concept. And managed care was decades away. Today more than 90 medical professionals serve a community of over half a million in five locations throughout the Riverside area.

The secret to Riverside Medical Clinic's success? There are many reasons, to be sure. But based on conversations with administrators, doctors and patients, it all boils down to two words: patient satisfaction.

Just ask Susan Gless, whose son Jeffrey was diagnosed with diabetes at just 14 months by Dr. Donald Childs, a pediatric endocrinologist. Thanks to his persistence, they made the startling diagnosis and got immediate treatment.

Or listen to Ingrid Ward talk about her son Jean, who was diagnosed at the age of six with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) by Dr. Michael Saito, a pediatric neurologist. The boy later developed Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism traits, leading to a complicated regimen of medicines and plenty of special care.

Or talk to Andrea Fricker, whose five-year-old son's abdominal pain remained undiagnosed by another physician group, which refused them a specialist referral. It wasn't until they switched to Riverside Medical Clinic and saw Dr. Ravi Berry that they learned what the problem was: abdominal migraines.

Mrs. Gless recalls "After Jeffrey was diagnosed with diabetes we had many panicked months. So much can go wrong with a diabetic child. But Dr. Childs was always available to us. He never rushed us and always took the time to explain everything."

Mrs. Ward has had a similar experience with Dr. Saito. Her son is prone to violent episodes, which makes him a danger to others, including his parents. Mrs. Ward says, "Dr. Saito is always there whenever we have problems," which can arise any time of the day or night.

Mrs. Fricker describes her family's experience with Riverside Medical Clinic as nothing short of wonderful. "We've seen a lot of doctors at RMC," she admits, "and we love all of them.

"We've had one kidney stone surgery, two knee surgeries, exploratory abdominal surgery and ankle surgery." Dr. Saito has been treating her 13-year-old daughter for migraines since she was about eight years old. Mrs. Fricker sees Dr. John King for her ob/gyn care. Dr. Berry sees the rest of her children for routine medical care.

Relationships like these - the rule at Riverside Medical Clinic, not the exception - are examples of why patients tend to stay with the group, often for generations. "Our patients remain with us, even when their employers change health plans," according to Dr. Steve Larson, chairman and CEO of the medical group.

President and COO Judy Carpenter says Riverside Medical Clinic has patients that date back to the original founders. "Our patients like having their own doctor," she observes. "And they like the convenience of coming to one clinic for everything." The clinic maintains one common chart for all of its patients.

It would be easy to attribute the clinic's long, successful history to its great physicians. But how has it attracted and retained top quality physicians for so many years?

"We let our physicians practice medicine," explains Dr. Larson. The clinic's administrators take care of all managed care procedures and other administrative tasks.

And that's just the way Dr. King prefers it: "I appreciate coming to work each morning knowing the only thing I have to worry about is my patients."

Dr. Childs feels the same way: "I like the fact that I don't have to block out part of my day for not seeing patients."

What's more, the referral process couldn't be easier: they are all doctor-to-doctor - even for HMO members.

"Because we're a delegated model," explains Dr. Larson, "we determine our own procedures and standards of care."

RMC staff and their families at the groundbreaking of the Arlington Avenue office, 1957.

Dr. Saito, for one, really appreciates the easy referral process. He knows he can always get a patient in to see another specialist the same day, if necessary. And he can see his young patients as often as needed, without having to obtain prior approval.

"Some of my ADD patients from outside the group have to kick and scream just to see me twice a year," he says. "So much can happen to these kids in six months." For example, a boy can have a growth spurt, diminishing the effects of his medication, which can lead to behavior problems in school.

"Another important factor in Riverside Medical Clinic's success," according to Dr. Larson, "is the mix of specialties we've maintained."

In addition to having 40 adult and pediatric primary care physicians, Riverside Medical Clinic's staff includes specialists in allergies; cardiology; dermatology; ear/nose/throat; endocrinology; gastroenterology; general, thoracic, orthopedic, vascular, and plastic surgery; hematology/ oncology; infectious diseases; neurology; nuclear medicine; pulmonary medicine; ob/gyn; podiatry; rheumatology; and the full range of vision care, as well as a complete array of women's health services.

What's more, the clinic has pediatric subspecialists in gastroenterology, hematology/ oncology, neurology and endocrinology. And it has urgent care and pediatrics after hour clinics.

Riverside Medical Clinic provides a wide range of testing and diagnostic imaging services. Its Health Education Department offers a program for diabetics, among others aimed at keeping patients healthy.

Born in a historic mission with a mission to serve the healthcare needs of its community, Riverside Medical Clinic can be proud of its long history and confident of a bright future. That future includes plans to expand its main campus, strengthen its clinical departments and remain poised to respond to the ever-changing currents of the healthcare marketplace.