Our History
In 1909, Dr. William Mowery, Sr., followed his father’s example and began his medical practice. Dr. Mowery believed that one of the best ways to offer specialty care was in a clinic setting, so in 1934 he established the Mowery Clinic, one of the oldest multi-specialty medical clinics west of the Mississippi River. Five specialty physicians practiced medicine from the clinic’s first home on the sixth floor of the United Life Building at Eighth and Iron Streets in Salina, Kansas.
In 1939, a new clinic building was constructed at Tenth and Iron Streets, across from Sacred Heart High School. Due to his untimely death, Dr. Mowery, Sr., never practiced medicine in the new building. However, at the age of fifteen his son already felt the desire to carry on the family tradition. Dr. William Mowery, Jr., continued his father’s goal to foster a group of compatible, well-trained and experienced multi-specialty physicians. More than seventy-five years later that goal is still being achieved. Although he probably never envisioned the clinic becoming this large, Dr. William Mowery, Jr., once stated that his father would be very pleased.
Mowery Clinic continued to grow. The building at Tenth and Iron Streets had a basement that housed a few of the clerical support staff. Most physician, laboratory, and radiology services were provided on the main floor, but two pediatricians practiced from the upstairs level. Pediatric patients were required to climb the stairs because there was no elevator in the building. Most of the doctors worked without scheduled appointments, so many patients brought their knitting and crocheting to pass the time while waiting to be seen. The radiology department had only one table, and the lab was not much larger than a janitor’s closet. The clinic was so busy that it was not unusual to work past 6 p.m., even on Saturdays. During the mid-to-late 1950s, Schilling Air Force Base was in operation, so many patients were military families, and several military wives worked at the clinic.
During the mid-1950s, the physicians decided the building at Tenth and Iron Streets was no longer large enough to meet their needs. Dr. William Mowery, Jr., recalled the multiplicity of meetings required to formulate the plan and ideas for the new building. The group’s decision to build on Crawford Street apparently created a lot of talk around town. People wondered why the doctors were going to build “way out there”, for the site was nothing but a pasture. Nearby Ohio Street was a dirt road. The physicians were very excited about the building and often watched it grow board by board during their lunch hours. At Christmas time 1957, the employees toured the new facility, and during January and February 1958, the old clinic was vacated and the new clinic opened. At that time, all services were provided on the main floor of the building. Seven physicians, five nurses, eight technical and support staff, and the lab and radiology departments occupied the original space.
Within two years, Mowery Clinic had outgrown itself again. Around 1960, the pediatric wing was added. During construction, another pediatrician joined the group and had to work from the radiology department. In 1962, a small portion of the basement was remodeled to house the transcription department and the switchboard. Later, the Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Medicaid clerks moved downstairs. The ladies took charge by coming in on their days off to paint the walls and create a nicer working environment. In 1968, the clinic was expanded again, and four more physicians joined the clinic. There were thirteen physicians practicing at the clinic by 1983, and the decision was made to expand further. With the addition of four new physicians in 1992, the clinic acquired the building owned by the Wedel family practice and leveled it to build a new physician facility. Two gastroenterologists and two pulmonologists were the first to practice from the building named Mowery West. Construction began again in 1997, and Mowery West was expanded to provide for the relocation of the clinic’s cardiology services. In 2001, Mowery Clinic merged with the obstetrics and gynecology practice of Dr. George Marshall and Dr. Joel Parriott and acquired the building located at 655 S. Santa Fe.
Today, Mowery Clinic is one of the oldest and largest clinics in Salina. The clinic has always been a multi-specialty group and has had laboratory and radiology departments since its inception. Physicians currently practicing at Mowery Clinic represent the specialties of Allergy and Immunology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Surgery. In addition to laboratory and radiology services, several other ancillary services are provided at the clinic including nuclear medicine, cardiovascular and bone densitometry studies, capsule endoscopy, and varicose vein procedures.
Mowery Clinic has a long and significant history of providing quality medical care and technical healthcare services. Although Dr. William Mowery, Jr., passed away in 2004, Mowery Clinic physicians continue to pursue the goals set forth by him and his father and to carry on their proud heritage and philosophy of providing quality medical care centered on the relationship between each patient and the physician of their choice.
