Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Graham Hadley and submitted by Ascension St. Vincent’s
Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair may have begun life as an in-patient facility. But by keeping up with technology and the latest in surgical techniques, the Pell City hospital has built a reputation as a go-to place for outpatient surgeries, too.
“I would say that we are a leader in outpatient surgeries,” says Lisa Nichols, hospital administrator. “We have excellent patient satisfaction and quality scores. Our outpatient volume continues to grow. “
Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair’s surgical services department has provided care to more than 5,500 patients in the past 12 months, with that breaking down to 2,691 outpatient surgeries, 171 inpatient surgeries, 706 infusion treatments and 1,932 GI procedures.
Surgeons who use the hospital are able to perform total joint replacements as outpatient procedures. Patients come in five to seven days before surgery, to meet with a pre-admission testing nurse to make sure that all the patient’s needed resources are ready when they go home, Nichols says. “Before the total joint patients have surgery we want to make sure they have everything they need so they can successfully recover at home.”
Ascension St. Vincent’s main entrance
Stacey Wachs, director of Surgery Services, says that in most cases, “We encourage patients to go home in one day.” Even total hip replacement and knee replacement surgeries no longer require overnight stays, unless the patient has other health concerns that the doctor wants monitored.
While physical therapists are lined up to make in-home visits the day after patients arrive back home, therapy actually starts before they leave the hospital. “We make sure they are up and walking the day of surgery,” Wachs says. “We have the patient’s caretaker come with them when they have their surgery, so they will know how to assist the patient when they get home.”
Same-day surgery involves many more operations than hip and knee replacements, though. Colonoscopies, cholecystectomies, appendectomies, mastectomies, thyroidectomies and colon resections are just a few examples. Many surgeries that used to require several days follow-up care in the hospital are often less invasive now. Some are handled through laparoscopy, which cuts down on recovery and healing time. “Patients themselves are wanting to go home as soon as possible,” says Nichols. “It’s better for them psychologically, too. Once they are home, we make follow-up calls to keep up with their progress.”
Having an outpatient surgical procedure can be a less expensive option than a surgical procedure that requires a hospital stay, Nichols says. “Of course, the patient’s insurance coverage determines the amount the patient is required to pay.”
Around 30 staff members are at work in the Same-Day Surgery (SDS) department on the high-volume days of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That number includes doctors, nurses and technicians who not only do surgeries but a whole lot more, such as infusion services and monitoring patients after their procedures.
“We have 10 SDS rooms that we use to get patients ready for their surgery, for those needing outpatient infusions and for the final stage of recovery prior to being discharged home,” Nichols says. “We also have one GI procedure room, three ORs (operating rooms) and a recovery room with eight bays.”
“We’re not a small-town hospital,” Wachs says. “We have the latest equipment and doctors who come here from Birmingham, Anniston and other cities for their procedures. We updated the systems in our GI lab recently, and doctors come to me daily about other possible upgrades they would like to see. We have a wish list.”
Robots that assist physicians with minimally-invasive surgeries are high on that list. “I think this facility has been kept up well,” Nichols says. “A lot of our employees live in this county and have pride in this facility.”
A new beginning
Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair opened on Veterans Drive near the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in December 2011. In its first incarnation, it was in a now-demolished facility on the opposite side of I-20.
Surgical scheduler Latasha Kidd at the check-in area for same-day surgeries
Nichols has been administrator there for eight years, while Stacey Wachs has spent her entire 25-year medical career at the hospital, including her time at its former location. Both Nichols and Wachs are registered nurses.
Contrary to what much of the public believes, Ascension did not buy out St. Vincent’s hospitals. Ascension has been the parent company to St. Vincent’s hospitals in Birmingham, Oneonta, Clanton, St. Clair County and throughout the U.S. since their inception, but only recently began branding them with the Ascension logo.
“Outpatient surgery at St. Vincent’s St. Clair bridges the gap between efficiency and patient care,” says Dr. George Crawford, a general surgeon who uses the hospital. “They have found a way to treat patients respectfully and how they deserve to be treated, while at the same time being efficient and effective in preparing them for their surgical procedure.”
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by David Smith and Carol Pappas
Dr. Alex and Janis Miller were never strangers to giving back to their community. They still aren’t.
In 1991, they founded Lakeside Hospice, a not-for-profit organization to care for the terminally ill, and they dedicated themselves to it financially and physically for the first years of its existence.
Dr. Miller has since passed away, but his legacy of giving back has taken the form of a community walking trail that bears his name. The winding trail outside the hospice headquarters on Alabama 34 in Pell City is “open to everyone. Everybody is welcome,” said Paul Garing, executive director of Lakeside Hospice, moments before cutting the ribbon on it.
It truly is a community gift to share, he said, noting that the entire community is welcome to not only walk there but “to hold events and fundraisers and further spread the word of Lakeside Hospice.” It was built from a vision to promote healthy living.
Miller served as the nurse on call 24/7 in those early days of hospice, and husband Alex served as medical director. It was the first not-for-profit hospice in Alabama, and that meant personal sacrifices of time and money to keep it going. “It was about Alex’s dream and what he wanted for his people – good, decent care to terminally ill patients,” she said.
And three decades later – “as long as we’ve been in business, it’s the same quality,” she said. “I’m so proud of our hospital, staff, volunteers and board.”
The trail, built by FlowMotion Trail Builders of Alabama, features a meandering path around the property as well as a fire pit to be dedicated to Dr. James Tuck, the current medical director. Mrs. Miller along with the Daniel Foundation financed the project.
A monument and sign honoring Dr. Miller welcomes one and all at the trellis entry to the trail.
Trudy Mayoros’ knitting gives breast cancer survivors a lift
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Meghan Frondorf
Mentioning “knitted knockers” usually elicits raised eyebrows, sly grins or outright snickers from people who haven’t heard the term before. Among breast cancer survivors who are familiar with the term, it elicits smiles and sighs of relief.
Knitted knockers are soft, comfortable, handmade breast prosthetics for women who have undergone mastectomies or other breast procedures. Unlike traditional prosthetics, knitted versions are lightweight and gentle on scarred or sensitive skin.
Trudy Mayoros has never had breast cancer. But she has been knitting since she was five years old. So, when she learned about the volunteer organization that provides knitted and crocheted alternatives to expensive, heavy breast prosthetics, free of charge, she was touched. She jumped on the bandwagon immediately.
Trudy makes several knitted knockers each week.
“I’ve been doing this since 2016, when Lee Ann Clark, county extension coordinator for Alabama Cooperative Extension Services for St. Clair, held a big Pink & Teal Awareness luncheon that October and introduced people in this area to Knitted Knockers,” Trudy says. “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and pink is its color. Teal is for ovarian cancer, and Lee Ann’s sister died of ovarian cancer. After the luncheon, some of us formed a Knitted Knockers group.”
Initially, several women met to knit and crochet the knockers, and their inventory grew well beyond the requests received. So, they sent their inventory to Knitted Knockers headquarters in Washington state. “Currently, we knit as we receive orders and usually specifically for the size and color requested,” Trudy says.
Since its inception in 2011, Knitted Knockers has provided 1,876 handmade knockers to registered medical providers (to give to their patients), 447,871 knitted knockers total and has 4,756 groups involved in the knitting, all on a worldwide basis.
Although her monthly numbers vary now because she makes them upon request, Trudy has knitted at least five dozen pairs, as well as singles, over the past five years.She also knits and crochets about half a dozen blankets and 10-15 hats each month for other charity organizations. Topping her list are the Warm Up America Foundation, a Texas-based organization that supplies blankets, hats and scarves to the homeless; Ann’s New Life Center for Women, located in Cropwell and Leeds, which supplies blankets, booties and caps to new mothers; a couple of Native American charities and the Jimmie Hale Mission in downtown Birmingham.
“I love doing this,” she says. “It’s my thing, my mission.”
She has been a knitter since she was five, when she made a pair of socks for her father. “He was thrilled, but I can imagine what they were like,” she says, in a voice as soft as the pima cotton with which she knits the knockers, and that retains a hint of her Swiss accent.
Born in Switzerland, it makes sense that she knits European or continental fashion. In this style, the yarn is held in the left hand and a subtle movement of the left index finger is used to help the needle pick up the yarn and form a new stitch. “American style involves holding the yarn in your right hand and ‘throwing’ it over the needle to form the stitch,” she says. She uses four needles for the knockers, knitting with two, dropping one, then picking up another as she forms the triangular shape. It takes about an hour and a half to knit one knocker.
Most of her orders come from individuals who learn of her service by word of mouth or from their oncologist. When she gets an order, she tries to turn it around in one to two days. “I let them pick the color,” she says. “Beige is the most popular choice, but pink is popular, too. It’s the only time they can pick their size! Believe it or not, most of the time they go smaller (than before surgery).”
Women to whom she has given knockers often send thank-you notes, and sometimes they include a donation. In keeping with the tenets of Knitted Knockers Foundation, she doesn’t charge a cent for her work. If she gets a donation from a grateful wearer, she turns it back into more yarn.
Knitted Knockers can be colorful or simply beige.
Commercial breast prostheses usually are made of rubber and can weigh 1.5 pounds. They cost more than $100 and make women sweaty, so some just stop wearing them. Knitted knockers, on the other hand, are made from exceptionally soft cotton stuffed with PolyFiberFil,which is non-allergenic. They can be hand or machine washed and hung to dry.
“I order the yarn from a place out West, and they get the cotton from Peru,” Trudy says. “Lion Brand now has a soft yarn called Coboo approved by the Knitted Knockers organization as soft enough for the knockers. It’s a #3 weight, and Walmart is carrying it, so it is a lot less expensive than the yarn I’ve been ordering – about a third of the price.”
She has a dedicated craft room over her garage, where she keeps several WIPs (works in progress). Baby blankets and caps are stacked next to her sewing machine, finished except for weaving in the yarn ends – a dreaded task for most knitters and crocheters.
Along one wall, a stack of plastic, see-through drawers keep her yarn organized by color and weight while also storing magazines and knitting tools. A clear bag houses large foam blocks that fit together like a puzzle. She uses those for wet blocking many of her finished pieces.
Two recliners face a small television that she often watches while knitting. The crocheted antimacassars on the backs of the recliners are her own pattern. She makes up most of her patterns as she knits or crochets, and only learned to read printed ones a few years ago.
“I probably spend two to three hours a day minimum knitting, more if I’m working on special projects,” she says. “I may go up to my craft room around 1 p.m., and work until Emery (her husband) reminds me it’s time for dinner. Then after dinner, I’ll knit while we watch TV together in our family room downstairs.”
Like the dozens of hummingbirds at the feeders on her patio, Trudy can’t sit still and do nothing. Apparently, she can’t walk and do nothing, either, as evidenced by the treadmill in her craft room. She tries to walk half an hour a day at the No. 2 speed setting and works while she walks. She knits items that involve a lot of repetition and don’t require her to count stitches.
“I feel I have a gift in serving other people,” Trudy says. “When God blesses you with so much, you don’t sit on your gifts.”
Editor’s Note: For more information on the free Knitted Knockers program, including a prosthesis pattern and list of accepted yarns, see knittedknockers.org. Trudy is on their knitter list, and you can contact her through their website.
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
When Lawrence Fields soon steps down from his role as chair of the St. Clair County Health Authority, he’ll be closing the door on more than three decades of community service.
A former two-term mayor of Pell City, his impact has been significant. Fields opened the door to economic development in a most creative way, and he was instrumental in bringing St. Vincent’s St. Clair to the area. These days, however, after a lifetime of looking out for others, he’s having to shift the focus to himself.
“I’m being treated for lung cancer,” the 80-year-old Fields said. “I’m trying to whup that, so it’s time to step aside and let someone else ride the horse for a while.”
He’s leaving a big saddle to fill. “I really believe that Lawrence’s impact on Pell City and beyond is immeasurable,” said Guin Robinson, who became mayor a few years after Fields’ last term and is now associate dean of economic development for Jefferson State Community College. “He truly has a servant’s heart. Not everyone who gets into politics has a servant’s heart, but Lawrence does.”
Finding home
Fields, the first self-described “outsider” to be elected mayor, served from 1988-1996. Born in Birmingham, he moved to Pell City in 1974 after he and his wife, Brenda, fell in love with Logan Martin Lake. “We started camping out here on the lake and on Sunday afternoon, we’d always hate to go home,” Fields said. “Finally, Brenda asked why we didn’t just move here.”
They built a home on the lake, he got a job with an insurance company, and she started substitute teaching. In 1978, Brenda got her real estate license and has been selling homes ever since. She and her partner, Bill Gossett, own Fields Gossett Realty in Pell City.
“A lot of people start out here with a weekend home, a summer home,” said Fields, who earned his real estate license and joined the company following his last term as mayor and was recently the first to be inducted into St. Clair County Association of Realtors’ Prestigious Hall of Fame. “The more they end up staying here, the more they like it, and they make it permanent. It’s convenient to Birmingham and Atlanta, but you don’t have the hustle and bustle.”
St. Vincent’s St. Clair ribbon cutting in Pell City
From the moment he made the move, Fields got busy making an impact. He decided to run for mayor because “I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to help people,” he said. “When I became the mayor, I didn’t want to be highfalutin. I just wanted to be a regular guy and have the mayor’s door open so people could just come in and talk to the mayor. I think I did a good job of that.”
State Rep. Randy Wood recently sponsored a resolution passed by the House of Representatives praising Fields for his contributions to the community. It credits Fields as “a man of steadfast selflessness and unwavering diligence who is passionate about serving others.” It also cites other accomplishments – annexing Mays Bend, Eagle Point and Stemley Bridge into Pell City and recruiting ConTel (now CenturyLink), Kmart and other businesses.
Pell City Lakeside Park opened during his administration, a sprawling destination point on Logan Martin Lake’s shoreline that now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The resolution praises Fields for being a charter member of Lakeside Hospice, a member of the Pell City Rotary Club and for the contributions he made serving more than 20 years as president of the Athletic Booster Club. The resolution noted that Fields spearheaded the efforts to build a new field house and install a sprinkler system on the high school’s football field.
That’s all well and good, but what Fields really wants to talk about is Katie Couric.
National news
The journalist and former news anchor, who was co-host of NBC’s Today Show at the time, came to Pell City in 1996 to interview Fields when the city hosted the Bosnian Olympic team for the Olympics in Atlanta. According to The Washington Post, Pell City was one of more than 70 towns in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida that hosted foreign athletes.
The late Sam Meason approached Fields with the idea, and Fields said they formed a committee, and “we put in an offer to house them and take care of them. They were here about a month,” he said. “We rolled out the red carpet for them.”
The city won high praises for its efforts. “Few communities have done more to prepare for their guests than Pell City,” the Washington Post story read. “During the past four, war-torn years, most Bosnian athletes have had to train outside of their country. The Bosnian Olympic Committee has no funds and has had to rely on the International Olympic Committee for help in qualifying athletes and paying their way. Hosting the Bosnians will cost Pell City about $150,000; all but $30,000 of that has been donated by local businesses. The rest will come from community fundraisers.”
It was enough to bring Couric calling. “Sam came to me and said, ‘Hey Mayor, we got a call from NBC, and Katie Couric wants to interview you,” Fields said and grinned. “I said, ‘Lord have mercy, here’s my chance for fame.’”
Couric had told Fields he could only tell a few people about the interview, but when “the big old black limo rolled up at the old Rexall drugstore,” a crowd of hundreds of people had gathered. “She said, ‘I thought I told you a few,’ and I said, ‘Well, this is a small town. I told a few, and they told another few,’” Fields said and laughed.
Couric was the one laughing a few minutes later after she asked Fields to identify the most exciting thing that had happened in Pell City before hosting the athletes. “I told her it probably was when Kmart came, and everybody cracked up,” Fields remembered. “Then Katie asked if we could start over so she could ask me the same question without her laughing this time.”
Recruiting practices
The fact is, when Kmart opened in Pell City, it was big news. It was the early 1990s, long before St. Clair was growing as fast as it is now, and no big-box stores had been willing to gamble. “We didn’t have anywhere people could shop,” Fields said.
When he read in the paper that Kmart CEO Joseph Antonini would be attending a ribbon cutting at a new store in Birmingham, Fields made plans to attend. “I gave him one of my cards and said, ‘I’m the mayor of Pell City, and we want a Kmart in town.’ He said to write him a letter, so I did.”
The letter wasn’t the only thing Fields sent. He and Joe Wheeler, owner of Pell City Steakhouse, wanted to give Antonini a real taste of what the city had to offer, so they started shipping him packages of some of Pell City’s finest each week.
“We shipped big old shrimp, we shipped steak, we shipped honey, we shipped all kinds of things,” Fields said. “Finally, Mr. Antonini’s secretary said we didn’t have to ship anything else. He knew where Pell City was.”
Not long after, they received official word that Kmart was coming, Winn-Dixie and other businesses soon followed. “Kmart was a turning point,” Fields said.
Robinson agreed. “It really was a big deal,” he said, adding that he believes it marked the beginning of Pell City’s economic development and ability to recruit industry. “It sent a message that we were open for business. One hallmark of a leader is finding a way, when the odds are stacked against you, of bringing a project to fruition.”
Advancing healthcare
Despite his accomplishments, Fields decided not to run for a third term because of the time it took away from Brenda and their three children. “It takes a lot of dedication and time, and your family has to make a lot of sacrifices,” Fields said of the job. “Your phone rings constantly, and normally at night. My kids asked me not to run again, so I didn’t.”
That didn’t mean he was giving up on public service, however. Fields has been a member of the St. Clair County Health Authority for more than 20 years and has served as chair for much of that time. He, along with members of the authority, the St. Clair County Commission, the City of Pell City, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council and Ascension Health, the parent company of St. Vincent’s St. Clair, worked tirelessly to bring the hospital to the area.
The state-of-the-art hospital opened in 2011 and changed the face of healthcare throughout the entire region. It also made Pell City and St. Clair County more attractive to industries, manufacturers and corporations and proved to be a major recruiting tool for economic development.
At the time, Fields called it “one of the best economic engines to come to St. Clair in a long time” because quality healthcare is something employers want for their employees. “It was my last big accomplishment,” he said recently.
Team effort
Although Fields’ impact is evident throughout Pell City, he is quick to credit others, as well. “I didn’t do anything by myself,” he said. “I had a lot of help and a lot of people who were behind me 100 percent. These days it’s always ‘I, I, I,’ but that’s not necessary. It should be ‘we, we, we.’”
Fields has recently learned that he still has a big team that will always have his back. “A lot of people have called since they found out I had cancer, and they want to know what they can do to help me,” he said. “It’s just so good to have friends. I’d rather have friends than money.”
Regional health providers have reputation for top-notch care
Story by Jackie Walburn Photos by Meghan Frondorf and Richard Rybka
Putting patients first by offering expanded services, hours and expertise, Pell City’s medical providers – Pell City Internal and Family Medicine, Complete Health Pell City and its satellite locations in Moody, Springville and Trussville, and Pell City Pediatrics – all prioritize preventative medicine as they aim to meet patients’ needs close to home.
Serving local and area patients from infancy to childhood to adulthood, geriatrics and Medicare, medical professionals in long-established practices in St. Clair County offer tested, trustworthy medical care in patients’ hometowns.
Pell City Internal and Family Medicine
Pell City Internal and Family Medicine is one of the local practices actively expanding services and hours since it was established in Pell City in 2012 by physicians Dr. Rick Jotani and Dr. Barry Collins.
A growing, local medical practice, Pell City Internal and Family Medicine is located at 41 Eminence Way, Suite A, just off U.S. 231. PCIFM offers primary and specialist care, family wellness care, women’s health, sports medicine, outpatient care, on-site diagnostics, on-site physical therapy from ATI, pediatric care and extended hours, including weekend clinics.
Pell City Internal and Family Medicine
Family and internal medicine are part of the name and mission at PCIFM. Describing family practice and internal medicine physicians as “the gatekeepers of individuals’ health and well-being,” Dr. Jotani says the family doctor, with knowledge of most disease processes, helps coordinate care with specialists, referring patients to trusted specialists and coordinating and following up on those referrals.
With regular office hours set at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Fridays, PCIFM offers extended hours for sudden sickness or minor injuries. No appointment is required during the extended-hours walk-in clinics, which are open from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, plus each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The family practice’s extended-hour clinics are designed to address acute sudden problems, when needed, not for chronic problems, follow-ups or rechecks. Common symptoms of an acute illness include fever and cold symptoms, including runny nose, cough, ear ache, diarrhea, sore throat, nausea, rash or headache.
Medical staff at PCIFM include founding physicians Drs. Jotani and Collins, and Dr. Ilinca Prisacaru. A new physician, Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, is scheduled to join the practice in the fall of 2022.
Jotani completed his medical training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a residency in Spartanburg, S.C., and a sports medicine fellowship at Halifax Sports Medicine at Daytona Beach, Fla. He is the team physician for Pell City High School. He also founded Jotani Aesthetics, with offices at PCIFM, which offers non-surgical and non-invasive cosmetic treatments including Juvéderm®, Botox®, Restylane® and CoolSculpting®.
Collins completed his medical training and residency at UAB. He is chief of medicine at Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital, active with local boards and clinical research.
Prisacaru is a Romanian-born physician with experience as a medical volunteer with Red Cross Romania and in health education for Hispanics in New Jersey. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
All three physicians are members of the Medical Association of Alabama (MASA).
Also serving patients at PCIFM are Adrienne Shambray, DNP, a family nurse practitioner with a doctor of nursing degree from Jacksonville State University; Jackson Cornelison, a family nurse practitioner with five years’ experience as a critical care nurse; Emmy DePew, a family nurse practitioner, and Jessica Earnest, a family nurse practitioner with experience in primary and urgent care and women’s health, and Jessica Stewart, a family nurse practitioner.
Having a local, established primary physician has many advantages for patients and their health care.
“Being local enables patients to stay close to home,” says Terri Woods, office manager for PCIFM. “They do not necessarily have to drive into Birmingham or Trussville for medical care. This also helps get specialists interested in coming into our area to serve the patient population.”
Pell City Pediatrics
The first, fully pediatric medical practice in St. Clair County, Pell City Pediatrics is a member of the award-winning Children’s of Alabama family. Pell City Pediatrics became Children’s initial, stand-alone primary care practice when it opened in Pell City in 1995.
Located at 2850 Dr. John Haynes Drive in an office building brightly painted with primary colors, Pell City Pediatrics serves both sick and well patients ranging from newborns to 18 years of age. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Three pediatricians serve Pell City Pediatric patients.
Pell City Pediatrics
Dr. Rubina Siddiqui has been with the practice since it opened 27 years ago. A board-certified pediatrician, she completed her pediatric residency at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
Dr. Irfan Rahim joined the practice in 2000. He completed his pediatric residency training at Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York.
Dr. Farzana Malik joined the practice in 2022, bringing more than 20 years of experience in practice in Mississippi and Georgia and as a medical instructor at colleges across the country. She graduated from Pakistan College Sharjah and Rawalpindi Medical College. She completed her residency training at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. She speaks English, Urdu and Hindi.
Being recognized for patient-centered medical care for its patients, Pell City Pediatrics received certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The Patient Centered Medical Home certification is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs.
Comprehensive aspects of patient care, including referrals, medication management, diagnostic tests, immunization administrations and other services, are provided by the practice.
The only health system in Alabama solely for the care and treatment of children, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children since 1911. Ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and nearly every state. It is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as a teaching hospital for UAB in pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs. In addition to the large Russell Campus on Birmingham’s Southside, it has additional specialty services at Children’s South, Children’s on 3rd and in Huntsville and Montgomery.
At clinics including Pell City Pediatrics, Children’s provides primary medical care through community practices including Greenvale Pediatrics at Alabaster, Brook Highland in Birmingham and in Hoover, Mayfair Medical Group in Homewood, Midtown Pediatrics in Birmingham, Over the Mountain Pediatrics in Birmingham, Pediatrics East at Pinson and Trussville, Pediatrics West at McAdory and Bessemer and Physicians to Children/Central Alabama Children’s Specialists in Montgomery.
Complete Health Pell City
Complete Health Pell City offers all aspects of primary care with on-site diagnostics and imaging at its offices at 70 and 74 Plaza Drive in Pell City. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Complete Health Pell City has more than a dozen physicians and nurse practitioner providers to meet all patient needs. Complete Health Pell City was formerly known as Northside Medical Associates.
Primary care is critical to managing day-to-day health needs. Research also shows that a long-term relationship with a primary care provider keeps patients healthier and lowers their medical costs.
Complete Health offers far more than just primary care. Complete Health Pell City focuses on caring for the whole patient as well as offering state-of-the-art diagnostics in a comfortable and convenient setting.
State-of-the-art, 3D mammography at Complete Health Pell City – one of its many cutting-edge imaging options
“We have designed our entire practice, especially our diagnostics, to be patient-focused,” says Laura Gossett, director of ancillary services at Complete Health. Complete Health Pell City has 3D mammography in a spa-like setting, state-of-the-art GE CT machine with 3D overhead panels that make patients feel comfortable. Complete Health Pell City also has a powerful, modern MRI that includes software to reduce noise and knocking and provides music for the patients. “We also have an on-site pharmacy open seven days a week to help patients quickly and conveniently,” said Gossett.
Since joining Florida-based Complete Health in the fall of 2020, the Pell City practice has expanded services offering extended hours, flexible walk-in times, patient engagement centers and dedicated Member Support Representatives (MSRs) who serve as liaison between patient and available benefits, including Medicare, says Shelley Gallups, practice manager for Complete Health Pell City.
Complete Health Pell City is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Urgent Care on-site open seven days a week. Providers serving Complete Health Pell City include physicians Dr. Michael Dupre’, medical director for acute and post-acute patient care for all Complete Health practices in Birmingham and primary care provider; Dr. Stephen Fortson; Dr. Ronald Helms, a lifelong Pell City resident; Dr. William McClanahan and Dr. Hunter Russell. Nurse practitioners serving the Pell City office include Kimberli Clinkscales, CRNP; Holly Nichols, CRNP; Kaitlyn Pierce, CRNP; Robert Screws, CRNP; Joy St. John, CRNP; Anne Tolene, ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner), Brittany Washington, CRNP; Haley White, CRNP. Emily Mince, PA-C, and Allison Wineski, PA-C, are the practice’s physician assistants. Dianna McCain is the Member Support Representative for Complete Health Pell City, helping patients navigate Medicare and health services.
Also located at the 80,000-square-foot campus at Plaza Drive in Pell City is Complete Health Pell City’s Urgent Care. With convenient, early and late hours to fit patients’ schedules and walk-in appointments, the urgent care clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m., on Sunday. Dr. Timothy Ricketts leads the urgent care provider team, which also includes Dakota Nichols, CRNP, and Jonathan Windham, CRNP.
In addition, the practice has locations throughout St. Clair County, with clinics in Moody, Springville and Trussville.
Physician-Driven Primary Care
With 16 locations in Florida and Alabama, Complete Health is a Florida-based, privately-owned, physician-driven primary care practice group that focuses on quality primary care with expanded services and convenient care options to provide care efficiently and cost effectively.
When Northside Medical Associates joined Complete Health in October 2020, along with Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates (BIMA), it created one of the Birmingham area’s largest primary care groups. Other Birmingham area Complete Health practices include Complete Health Deerfoot in Pinson, Complete Health Greystone (formerly BIMA) at St. Vincent’s 119 on Cahaba Valley Road, the Simon-Williamson Clinic in Birmingham and Complete Health Adamsville.
Aiming to help medical practices provide higher quality patient care resulting in better health outcomes, Complete Health describes itself as a physician-driven, professionally managed, technology-enabled primary care group striving to provide unrivaled support services and outcomes. Value-based care benefits for Medicare patients are at the core of the company’s primary care philosophy of providing a better health care approach to aging, according to the Complete Health website, completehealth.com
The company’s Member Support Representatives (MSRs) act as liaison for patients at each location with Medicare and other health issues.
The company considers the MSRs as an extension of a patient’s doctor’s office and someone to help patients understand benefits and health care coverage, particularly when it’s time to enroll in Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs.
All Complete Health locations are accepting new patients with convenient locations to serve all primary care patients.
Locations are:
Complete Health Moody at 2834 Moody Parkway, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Providers at Moody include physicians Dr. Lea Clayton and Dr. Tom Perkins, a military veteran who specializes in men’s health issues, and nurse practitioners Casey Crumb, CRNP, and Janet “Alecia” Cruzado, CRNP, a Pell City native. Member Support Representative Cassondra Fowler serves Moody seniors to help them make the most of their Medicare benefits.
Complete Health Trussville at 7201 Happy Hollow Road, is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Providers at Trussville include physicians Dr. Scott Boyken, medical director for BIMA East, Dr. Andrew Smith and Dr. Jack Vibbert, plus nurse practitioners James “Frankie” Crumb, CRNP, specializing in adult acute care and geriatrics, and Celeste Richardson, CRNP, who has worked in nephrology, trauma care and case management. Penny Witcher is Member Support Representative for Trussville patients.
Complete Health Springville at 480 Walker Drive, Springville, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Providers at Springville include physician Dr. George Harris and board-certified nurse practitioners Mary Beth Martin, CRNP, and Sue Payne, CRNP. Member Service Representative Penny Witcher serves the Springville office to help seniors make the most of their Medicare benefits.
Two pillars in Pell City’s health care community are celebrating a decade of service. In 2022, Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair hospital has begun its 11th year, and Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home commemorates 10 years of leading-quality practices and services for St. Clair County.
2805 John Haynes Drive witnessed the first workings of what would become Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Clair in Pell City, when a 68-bed licensed hospital opened in 1970. Ten years later, the hospital added a fourth floor, and the licensed beds rose to 82, before University of Alabama at Birmingham adopted management in 1985. Management shifted hands throughout the next decades, with Alabama Health Services, including Eastern Health System, St. Vincent’s and Brookwood, all playing a role until St. Vincent’s and Eastern Health System merged to form St. Vincent’s Health System in 2007.
Advanced wound care at Ascension
In 2011, officials celebrated the 40-bed hospital’s opening at its current location – a tremendous venture illustrated by trusted community partnerships with Ascension Health, St. Vincent’s Health System, St. Clair County Commission, the city of Pell City, St. Clair County Healthcare Authority, and a collection of committed physicians and supportive citizens.
The hospital provides patients with numerous services, including Advanced Wound Care, Anesthesiology, Bariatric Surgery, Cardiology, Dermatology, Diabetes Education, Emergency Medicine, Family and Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Gynecology, Home Medical Equipment, Hyperbaric Medicine and Nephrology. It also offers practices in Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Pathology, Pediatrics, Physical Therapy, Radiology, Sleep Medicine, Speech Therapy, Urology and Inpatient Telemedicine for eICU, Stroke and Mental Health.
The hospital strives to maintain a positive presence in the community while collaborating with Community Health Clinic and Jefferson State Community College nursing program for clinicals. Its leadership team serves on multiple local boards throughout St. Clair County, reiterating Ascension’s mission as one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States. Based upon building a network of care patients trust, its staff dedicates itself to creating an environment where patients feel supported and receive personalized, convenient care.
“Care is about more than healing,” said Lisa Nichols, Ascension administrator. “We are here to serve, listen and understand, with support for physical health and wellness, as well as your mental and emotional health. At Ascension sites of care, care begins with addressing the whole person with dignity and respect. We begin every interaction by listening to understand you and your needs, respecting you, first as a person, then as a patient – because together, we are a community.”
State Veterans Homea beacon for health care
As St. Vincent’s St. Clair strives to care for patients, Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home serves another deserving demographic.
The home celebrates its 10th anniversary in November this year, first opening its doors in 2012. Prior to construction, the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs conducted a feasibility study to determine what area of Alabama most needed a State Veterans Home. Central Alabama proved to possess to the top need, and Pell City was selected as the best site for development.
Main corridor at Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home, one of the many ‘town-like’ features
Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home provides residency for veterans who served a minimum of 90 days active-duty service, with one of those days during a war-time period. Residents have an honorable discharge, having lived in Alabama for 12 months before receiving eligibility to apply. Veterans pay a small fee to reside at the home, with state and federal departments of Veterans Affairs funding covering the majority of the living cost. Pell City’s location provides assisted living and domiciliary care, alongside skilled nursing services for residents as the home is licensed by the Alabama Department of Public Health and federal VA.
Pell City’s location generates a home-like environment for veterans, with fully furnished, modern rooms. Rooms are private with bathrooms in each unit, divided into smaller sections with living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms. The activities department ensures veterans remain engaged in a variety of opportunities throughout the year, including trips outside the facility to local restaurants and beloved locations a bit further away, such as Chattanooga, Tenn., and Columbus, Ga.
Col. Robert L. Howard Director Hiliary Hardwick has been with the home since its initial opening, witnessing every admission, every smile and every moment a veteran’s face lit up as he or she moved into their new home. She discussed the transition veterans experience after moving to the Pell City location, sharing the improvements that walk hand in hand with their new home.
New putting and chipping green at the Veterans Home
“So many of our veterans’ quality of life has improved after moving in with us,” said Hardwick. “A lot are isolated at home because they may be wheelchair dependent and don’t have the resources to be able to go out of the house very often. Here, we have all necessary equipment and the transportation to get them out and about again. It also allows their loved ones to spend quality time with them,” she said.
“It’s important to help each veteran participate in the hobbies and activities they love. We have a large number who enjoy gardening, so we have raised planter beds to make access easier for those in wheelchairs. We have several veterans who love to paint, so we have art shows to showcase their work. Last year, we even installed a putting green for our veterans who enjoy golf.”
Hardwick emphasized the facility’s efforts to remain a good steward of its community. She illustrated her gratitude for the endless community support that flourished within the past decade, commending the numerous volunteers who assist with the home frequently.
Just this past year, LakeFest contributed a generous monetary donation to purchase gym equipment for the home’s DOM exercise room. In return, Col. Robert L. Howard reinvests in its community, serving as a clinical site for local schools for CNA, LPN and RN clinicals.
In fall 2022, the facility will serve as the host site for Project Search – a program that aids students with developmental disabilities in learning professional skills and finding employment after high school – with the Pell City School System and the St. Clair County School System.
Both St. Vincent’s St. Clair and Col. Robert L. Howard continuously maintain the relationships that perpetuate successful medical resources in the community. Nichols and Hardwick reflect on the changes both facilities have manifested in the past decade, while looking forward to another 10 years of changing the landscape of Pell City’s health care for the future.
“St. Vincent’s has improved access to care by expanding specialty coverage and TeleMed services,” said Nichols. “This allows our community to receive care locally without having to travel to other locations, like Birmingham. However, if your condition requires additional care, know that we are connected to a large network of providers, encompassing a wide range of specialties.”
Impacting the economy, as well as health care, “Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home has brought more health care jobs to Pell City, as we employ over 300 employees,” said Hardwick. “Our opening along with the new hospital, have helped recruit and expand other health services here in Pell City. We also help support our local health care providers, as our veterans see many of the medical specialists in the community.”
Opening their doors within months of each other, their missions have continued a similar path over the past 10-plus years, delivering quality care close to home in service to their community. And the community, in return, continues to reap the benefits of those missions.
