DR. VIOLA STARTZMAN ROBERTSON REMEMBERED AS PIONEER IN MEDICINE Published: August 28, 2013 4:33PM WOOSTER — Dr. Viola Startzman Robertson, the namesake of the Viola Startzman Free Clinic, was remembered as a pioneer in medicine who cared for the underprivileged. She died Wednesday at age 99. “Dr. Vi,” as Robertson was known to many, graduated from The College of Wooster in 1935. She earned a master’s degree in organic chemistry from Western Reserve University in 1941, and was admitted to the Western Reserve School of Medicine the following year, graduating in 1945. She was one of four women in her class. Robertson completed her residency in pediatrics in what is now Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital-University Hospitals. She later became a staff physician with the Cleveland Clinic and helped start its pediatric department. In 1950, she became the first pediatrician in Wooster, and in 1956, she became the medical director of the Student Health Center at The College of Wooster, retiring in 1979. David Noble and Bobbi Douglas remember her providing them with health care while students at the college. Because Roberston was friends with his parents, Donald and Alice, Noble has had a passing acquaintance with Roberson since his high school years. “She was a real pioneer,” said Noble, president of the Donald and Alice Noble Foundation. “When she was at the College of Wooster, she was a tremendous physician.” Noble recalled a time when a section brother fell out of a third-story window. “She saved his life,” Noble said. “She was incredibly compassionate and competent,” said Douglas, executive director at Liberty Center Connections. “I admired her greatly. She went to medical school when that was not an easy thing to do.” Because of that, she was a great role model for women, Douglas said. “She was a true visionary and had a strong belief everyone should have access to health care.” In the 1990s, Clyde Breneman, then Wooster’s mayor, along with the Wooster Community Hospital’s Board of Governors appointed Robertson to head up a committee to look into Wayne County’s health care needs. That led to the Healthcare 2000 Community Clinic opening in August 1995 in a building owned by the hospital. The name was changed to the Viola Startzman Free Clinic in 2000. In a letter to free clinic volunteers, Jaime Parsons, executive director of the clinic, said, "Dr. Vi’s dedication to advocating for high quality healthcare for the under served in our community was a lifelong passion, and one that she carried with her to the end. Today, we honor Dr. Vi for the amazing woman, mother, physician and community member that she was. We honor her for her passion, her caring, her dedication and her compassion." "Dr. Viola Startzman was indeed an amazing woman in many ways," said Stanley Gault, former CEO and chairman of the board for Rubbermaid. "Especially during these recent turbulent economic times, it is difficult to imagine how many people would not have had the opportunity for medical consultation or attention. Mrs. Gault and I were proud to say we were avid supporters of her. Her interest and contribution in the community will be missed." Want to leave your comments? Sign in or Register to comment.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 07:22:10 +0000
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