Category: St. Clair Health

Helping meet the needs of every patient

Story by Jackie Romine Walburn
Discover staff photos

St. Clair County medical practices are partnering with specialists from larger municipal area to bring specialty medicine – from cardiology to surgery to dermatology – closer to home.

“Having the specialists here in our office offers continuity of care for patients, plus convenience and familiarity,” says Pell City Internal and Family Medicine (PCIFM) office manager Terri Woods. “The response from patients is always positive.”

The specialists now seeing patients through PCIFM lease offices at the practice’s facility at 41 Emience Way in Pell City. When needed, the internal and family medicine physicians refer patients to specialists who bring staff and see patients in Pell City on a regular basis.

The medical specialties often needed by patients of Pell City’s internal and family medicine practices include cardiology, orthopedics, general surgery, gastroenterology, nephrology (kidney care), podiatry and dermatology.

Currently PCIFM has five medical specialists who see patients on referrals from the local practice. Each specialist’s offices schedule appointments and have medical staff who come to the Pell City offices.

Medical specialists now seeing patients in Pell City through PCIFM include:

Dr. Karl E. Hofammann III, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, total joint replacement, hand and wrist surgery and general orthopedics. He practices at Orthosports Associates offices at Citizen’s Baptist Medical Center, St. Vincent’s East and Pell City Internal and Family Medicine.

Dr. Vinh Nyguyen, a general surgeon who focuses on areas and organs of the abdomen and related organs, specializes in invasive or minimally invasive surgical techniques with the latter reducing recovery time and stress on the patient’s body. He has offices in Birmingham, Oneonta and Pell City.

Dr. Raj Patel, a board-certified dermatologist trained in micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology. A native of Shelby County, Dr. Patel is the only ACMS (American College of Mohs Surgery) fellowship trained in Mohs and reconstructive surgeon in Shelby and Chilton counties. Working with Truye Dermatology, Dr. Patel has offices in Alabaster, Birmingham, Clanton and in Pell City at the PCIFM.

Dr. Alvaro A. Aldana, a cardiologist with Grandview Medical Group. He specializes in intervention with coronary, renal and peripheral vascular disease and is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. A native of Columbia, he earned his medical degree from Javeriana in Bogotá and completed a fellowship in general and interventional cardiology at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill. In addition to office hours at Pell City, he sees patients at Alabama Cardiovascular Group in Birmingham and Grandview Medical Group Primary Care and Cardiology Trussville.

Dr. Jay Long, a general surgeon specializing in bariatrics, who sees patients at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery (BMI.com) in Birmingham. Associated with St. Vincent’s East and St. Vincent’s St. Clair, Grandview and PCIFM in Pell City, he provides a one-on-one consultation with all patients to begin their weight-loss journey. He and a multidisciplinary team offers support before and after any surgery with monthly support meetings, nutrition classes and customized high-protein diets.

At Northside Medical Associates, which becomes “Complete Health – Pell City” at the end of August, having specialists on site “helps ensure that the care patients need is convenient, even when being sick is not,” says Clay Barnett, corporate communications manager for Complete Health. It is a primary care medical group Northside joined in October of 2020.

“We strive for easy access and having these groups on our campus certainly makes that a simpler task, especially for our patients who might not be comfortable driving into metro-Birmingham to an intimidating hospital setting,” Barnett adds.

He noted that since Northside joined forces with Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates (BIMA) and Complete Health the group has become the Birmingham area’s leading primary care group. The addition of medical specialists, who lease office space at Northside’s 80,000-square-foot campus on Plaza Drive, complements Northside’s existing state-of-the-art imaging, on-site pharmacy and a 365-day-per-year Urgent Care center serving the people of St. Clair County. The Northside medical practice, founded in 2001 with three physicians, has grown to more than 150 care providers and staff in four medical offices, including Moody, Springville and Trussville.

Northside has more than 12 specialist physicians and practices seeing patients at Pell City offices, says Shelley Gallup, clinical services manager for the practice. The specialist groups lease space within the Pell City facility and respond to referrals from Northside’s 12 physicians and 16 nurse practitioners but are not directly affiliated with Complete Health.

Offering expertise in medical specialties including obstetrics and gynecology, ear, nose and throat, oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, general surgery, gastroenterology, orthopedics, dermatology, nephrology and podiatry.

Now seeing patients in Pell City via Northside and Complete Health are specialists:

Dr. Lewis Schulman, an OB/GYN physician with Grandview Medical Group, who specializes in obstetrical and gynecological care, urinary incontinence management, contraceptive options and hormone therapy.

Dr. Julie Taylor, a board-certified physician in obstetrics and gynecology with Ob-Gyn South and on staff at Brookwood Medical Center and St. Vincent’s St. Clair. Specialties include adolescent medicine, high-risk obstetrics and robotic surgery.

Dr. Justin Aldred, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Ob-Gyn South, has specialties including high-risk obstetrics, laparoscopic/robotic surgery and urinary incontinence.

Dr. Stephen Favrot, an otologist with ENT Associates, treats otologic and general otolaryngologic disorders. His areas of interest include treatment of hearing loss and balance disorders and of tumors of the skull base. He treats children and adults, including cochlear implantation and the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA).

Dr. E. Scott Elledge, an otolaryngologist with ENT Associates, specializes in head and neck surgery, pediatric ENT, nasal and sinus disorders and allergies.

Cardiologists with Birmingham Heart Clinic in Birmingham specialize in treating coronary, carotid and peripheral disease with minimally invasive procedures to repair aortic aneurysms (PEVAR), replace aortic valves (TAVR) and transcarotid artery revascularization.

Surgeons from Eastern Surgical Associates of Birmingham specialize in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery and operations in the areas of oncology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal disorders and vascular disorders.

Vision First Eye Center is a full-service eye care facility owned by Dr. Mark Bearman and Dr. Mark Mclintock. Vision First’s Pell City office at 74 Plaza Drive, specializes in laser cataract surgery and iDesign guided iLASIK surgery.

Local medical community rises to meet the challenge

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Graham Hadley
Submitted photos

Long before COVID-19 found its way to St. Clair County, medical professionals in the area were preparing for its arrival. They had been monitoring the progression of the virus, which began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, even before it first made its way to the United States in January.

Alabama got its first reported case on March 13, and the virus hit St. Clair County four days later. By mid-July, the state’s numbers had risen to well over 58,000 cases with nearly 1,200 deaths. At that time, St. Clair County had nearly 700 cases and four deaths.

“The biggest thing in the beginning was dealing with the panic and uncertainty,” said Dr. Michael Dupre’, who led the coronavirus response efforts for Northside Medical Associates. “When you use a word like pandemic, it gets people’s attention.”

The virus brought challenges that medical personnel had not faced before, and local healthcare officials raced to implement new procedures, alleviate concerns and remove obstacles for their staffs. At the same time, they had to treat existing patients while trying to diagnose and care for those with COVID-19.

Rapidly changing information was an initial challenge since much was still unknown. Lisa Nichols, administrator of St. Vincent’s St. Clair, said that by the time guidelines from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Alabama Department of Public Health were communicated with the staff, new information and guidelines had been released.

“There were a lot of changes,” she said. “Our staff works in 12-hours shifts, and by the time we got information out to everyone, it had changed again. Our team was very resilient and did an excellent job of going with the flow.”

The immediate concern was keeping patients and medical personnel safe, according to Nichols, Dupre’ and Dr. Barry Collins of Pell City Internal and Family Medicine (PCIFM).

“This was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Collins said. “To be honest, I was afraid when all this hit, the fear would deplete our staff. They hung in there fearlessly, though, because they knew they were essential to the community.”

Dupre’ said staff members were initially concerned that they would contract the virus and take it home to family members who were at risk for complications, such as aging parents or an immunocompromised child. Employees with chronic health issues or family members who were at-risk were reassigned to other areas where it was safer. The level of anxiety was unlike anything I’d ever seen before,” he said, “There were fears, but our duty and commitment to our community did not change one bit.”

Implementing safeguards

Once initial fears were addressed, the focus was on treating patients – those with COVID-19 and those without – while preventing the spread of the virus. The first step was to identify potential coronavirus cases before patients encountered anyone else.

“We have so many entry points to the facility, so we changed the way you come into our hospital,” Nichols said, adding that separate entrances and parking lots were designated for patients and associates. Door screeners at each entrance checked everyone for fever and symptoms of the virus, including cough or shortness of breath. Anyone who is identified as having symptoms of the virus is directed into a separate waiting area while waiting for the triage nurse.

At PCIFM, patients were initially screened over the telephone when they called to make appointments, and staff members conducted temperature screenings and checked oxygen levels and symptoms at the door. Anyone who was a potential positive, based on either check, was directed to the practice’s drive-thru testing lane. “We were able to do COVID testing without having the patient leave the car,” Collins said.

Northside patients were screened at the door of all four locations – Pell City, Moody, Springville and Trussville – and only one entrance and exit was used at each office, Dupre’ said. At the Pell City campus, the building housing the ACCEL Urgent Care Center was designated for respiratory illnesses and COVID-19 testing and treatment. Anyone with symptoms of the virus, or those who had been exposed, were directed there.

In addition, hospital and medical office personnel all over the county implemented additional cleaning processes to cut down on the spread of the virus. “We’re constantly changing scrubs and masks and rotating stethoscopes,” said Dr. Jason Thompson, a cardiologist with Birmingham Heart Clinic, which has an office at Northside’s Pell City campus. “Exam rooms are being sanitized between every visit, and it’s not just changing the paper on the table. We’re wiping walls down with Clorox and wiping the table down with Clorox.”

The virus brought additional hurdles, as well. Schools and day care centers closed, leaving medical personnel scrambling for child care. Northside and PCIFM set up day care programs at their offices so their employees could continue to focus on caring for the community.

“We called it Camp Northside,” Dupre’ said of the child care program that operated for three months. “If our employees didn’t have anyone to take care of their kids, we took care of them here,” he said.

Collins said their day care program was largely operated by family members of staff as well as volunteers. “The community really rallied around that idea,” he said. “They were donating lunches and teaching materials for the children.”

Hard decisions

There were other dilemmas, as well. “Probably one of the hardest things we had to do was go to a no-visitors policy,” Nichols said. At first, patients at the hospital were limited to two visitors, but as guidelines continued to change, it went down to one within a few days. Not long after, no visitors were allowed, except for end-of-life situations and patients that required caregivers.

“We struggled with how to get people information about their loved ones. We encouraged patients to connect with their families via social media,” Nichols said, adding that the hospital purchased tablets for patients without smartphones. They also implemented a process to ensure that the nursing staff contacted one family member or caregiver to provide updates, as long as the patient gave permission.

Even though that added more work for a nursing staff that was already stretched, the team didn’t balk at that or any other additional duties, according to Shiloh Swiney, director of nursing for the hospital. “They all chipped in and said, ‘We’re going to get this done. We’re going to get these patients taken care of,’” she said. “We have a strong nursing group, and the morale has been very high.”

The suspension of elective dental and medical procedures caused additional concerns. “Initially, we rescheduled all elective procedures and did Telehealth visits for routine checks of less acute patients,” Collins said. “Not everyone had access to the internet and some patients weren’t tech savvy and weren’t comfortable with talking on camera. We had to educate our patients.”

While some of Thompson’s patient appointments could be handled virtually, other cardiac patients needed to continue to be seen in person. In order to limit exposure in waiting rooms, Thompson said that his office asked those patients to come alone unless a caregiver was truly necessary. That sometimes limited the information he received.

“I’ve got some patients who, if their wives didn’t come with them, I wouldn’t know anything,” Thompson said. “The wife is who would tell me if he had been short of breath. Now, a lot of times I’ll pick up the phone, call the wife and put her on speaker. That’s how I’ve brought them back in the exam room without crowding the waiting room.”

Patients with chronic conditions who were concerned about catching the virus often delayed seeking treatment, which led to other problems. “Our ER volume was almost cut in half,” Nichols said. “Some of the patients we’re seeing now are sicker because they waited too long to get the care they need. We want everyone to know that we are a safe place, and we are absolutely taking steps to keep everyone safe.” High-touch areas are being cleaned many times throughout the day, and some chairs in waiting rooms are blocked off to ensure patients have plenty of room between them, she said.

Thompson, especially, saw the effects that fear and suspending elective procedures, like having a stent inserted, had on his patients. In some cases, patients had strokes that could have been prevented, or they lost heart function after a heart attack that might possibly have been restored if they had sought help faster.

“I’ve had patients who sat on their chest pains for fear of the ER,” he said. “With a heart attack, time is muscle. If we can get to you within 12 hours of chest pain, we can salvage heart muscle.” Although his patients’ cardiovascular disease makes them high risk for coronavirus complications, their heart issues still need to be addressed. “We have to be careful, but we cannot ignore their underlying disease,” Thompson said.

A community rallies together

Long before Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide mask order in mid-July, all patients and staff at St. Vincent’s, Northside, PCIFM and the Birmingham Heart Clinic were required to wear masks, which were provided for patients who didn’t have them. When supplies were low in the early days of the pandemic, employees at Northside got busy.

“Our staff made thousands and thousands of masks,” Dupre’ said. “We had hundreds of patients at home making masks with their own fabric and their own money. We’ve always thought the world of our patients, but so many went above and beyond.”

Patients weren’t the only ones offering support. Dupre’, Collins and Nichols all said they were overwhelmed by the love shown by the community as a whole. Individuals, churches and businesses from all over the county provided meals; offered masks, hand sanitizer and cleaning products; and prayed.

Several nights, Swiney said, individuals and church groups gathered in the back parking lot of the 40-bed hospital to pray. “There are so many people out there who wanted to help, and to know they were praying for each one of us here was amazing,” she said.

“The community was absolutely awesome,” Collins said, adding that donated meals meant the staff didn’t have to leave the building and could focus on the crisis at hand. “It reminds you about what is great about the human spirit,” Dupre’ added.

Moving forward

Early efforts to flatten the curve helped because, even though people continued to get sick, the cases were spread out over a period of weeks, so the hospital was not overwhelmed. “Fortunately for St. Clair County, we’re rural enough to spread out,” Dupre’ said. “That’s really helped, and we haven’t had the impact other counties have had.”

Early on, Dupre’ said, Northside looked at designating one of the buildings at the Pell City campus to house overflow patients from the hospital, if necessary. “Thank God it was never that bad,” he said.

It could still reach that point, however, if people relax too much. Alabama saw a resurgence in cases in late June and early July after the state began reopening, and Collins said he worries about the looming flu season. Although flu season is typically considered to be October to March or April, it’s not uncommon to see cases in September.

“There’s been a real spike in (COVID) cases, and now we’re almost back to square one,” Collins said. “The only way we can get this virus to go away is to starve the virus from the host.”

That’s why it’s critical that everyone continues to social distance, wash hands frequently, avoid group gatherings and wear face coverings to prevent the spread. “Wearing a mask can really protect the people you interact with,” Nichols said. “A lot of asymptomatic people are testing positive, even though they have no symptoms. If they’re wearing masks, the likelihood of spreading the virus is reduced.”

Dupre’ said masks are especially crucial for high-risk patients. “We know the masks work,” he said. “We’ve had staff here who have swabbed thousands and thousands of patients, and we haven’t had one catch COVID,” he said in early July. He added that people need to continue to isolate themselves if they are sick and wash hands frequently, especially when they have come in contact with surfaces outside their homes.

Although Thompson said masks have meant that he has had to dramatically slow down his speech so older patients who are hard of hearing can understand him, he agrees that wearing them and taking other precautions is imperative. “We have to take this seriously,” he said. “I think it has become apparent to us that this is not going away tomorrow. We will continue to deal with this for a year or more.”

He added that, while the growing death toll from the virus is tragic, it’s not the only tragedy of this pandemic. Thompson has seen widowed patients suffer depression after being isolated from friends and family for months on end. People haven’t been able to gather for funerals, which has had a negative effect on the grieving process. Couples looking forward to starting their lives together have had to postpone weddings.

“All of this is part of the human tragedy we’re all living through,” he said. “We are social animals, and it’s interesting how you begin to crave that interaction with family and friends. I’m not pretending this is going to be easy, but it can be done.”

Collins said he is hopeful that the newfound awareness among the public about how germs are transmitted will have lasting benefits even after COVID-19 goes away. “Right now, this virus is a curse, but if it changes behavior, it may mean a decrease in other communicable diseases, such as the flu,” he said. “It may be somewhat of a silver lining beyond this nightmare.”

Broad focus meeting
patient’s needs

Story by Eryn Ellard

Photos by Graham Hadley

Submitted photos

It is no secret by now: 2020 has been met with great adversity and trial as a pandemic gripped the world.

Healthcare workers across the country and here at home have been working tirelessly to keep their skill sets sharp and to keep the community healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northside Medical is home to St. Clair County’s largest outpatient health care facility, serving over 5,000 patients throughout its six locations, and its innovations in the delivery of health care are widely known.

One of those innovations comes in the form of a six-member team inside Northside’s Health & Wellness department that stresses not only the importance of receiving proper medical attention when you are ill but also when you are healthy in order to stay healthy.

Working directly with each provider, the department serves as a convenient central hub for patients and provides the foundation to stay healthy – from flu shots to cancer screenings, wellness visits for women, depression screenings and everything in between.

The department was established as a part of the Northside team three years ago as the need for preventative health was on the rise. The idea, says Executive Director Dianna McCain, is to keep health care cost effective but also to do everything you possibly can to keep from being hospitalized.

“By the time a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital, it is almost a guarantee that they will also need to be treated for something completely different than for what they had to come for in the first place,” McCain said. “We want to do everything in our power to keep hospitalizations to a minimum.”

Nurse practitioners also can be found making house calls through the department. If a patient is unable to acquire transportation or cannot physically come into the facility for a visit, a member of the wellness team will come to them.

McCain said most lab work and X-rays can be done at the home. The visits have proven to be a great tool, not only during a pandemic, but also to several patients who would not otherwise receive care. Because individual providers don’t have the time to assess individual patient’s more in-depth needs, McCain says her department has been very successful in identifying these patients and serving them.

“We have seen instances when a diabetic patient’s blood sugar isn’t being maintained properly through medication and diet,” McCain said. “We can just touch base and see if we can come see them at home. Many times, it can be just as simple as a patient not drawing their insulin up correctly.”

In addition to running patient queries to call and schedule routine immunizations and screenings, McCain says the department has been able to extend monetary assistance when a need arises. McCain and her staff often work directly with other local organizations like the St. Clair County Coalition, The Christian Love Pantry, as well as several area churches to provide groceries, medication assistance and utility bill relief to some patients.

“It can be very bad if, for example, a diabetic doesn’t have adequate power or food available to them,” McCain said. We have been able to visit our patients at home, see what they need and even provide them with the right food they need to stay well.”

Northside patient and county native Andrea Nobles says she is beyond grateful for all the measures Northside Health & Wellness has done for her.

“When you get to be my age, things start coming up with your health,” Nobles said. “It is very assuring to know that I am not just a number but a person whose concerns are also my doctor’s concerns,” Nobles said. “I have lived here all my life, and I actually enjoy going to the doctor’s office now that we have Northside. We look out for each other.”

The majority of Alabamians who receive private health insurance can also qualify for incentives and breaks in premiums when they are proactive about their health. By receiving annual wellness checks and screenings, weight management, help with smoking cessation and women’s health screenings, for example, patients often see a discount in their monthly premiums and other incentives, like gift cards and entertainment vouchers.

“Health care costs are astronomical when you get into hospitalizations,” McCain said. “Ninety percent of costs come when a person goes to the hospital. We want to do everything in our power to keep a patient out of there, no matter what.”

PCIFM, Bedsole Eye Care, ATI Physical Therapy, Comfort Care Hospice expand to new facilities

Story by Leigh Pritchett

Photos by Graham Hadley

Submitted photos

Pell City is experiencing quite a boost in its growing medical community thanks to the expansions of Pell City Internal and Family Medicine, ATI Physical Therapy and Comfort Care Hospice expanding into new facilities.

Pell City Internal and Family Medicine

Dec. 26, 2019, was a second Christmas Day for Pell City Internal and Family Medicine: That was when the practice opened its new, freestanding clinic next to South Park Center.

The new construction has consolidated PCIFM’s main office in Physicians Plaza at St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital and its satellite office in South Park Center into one location.

Together, the two previous clinics totaled 15,000 square feet and had 23 examination rooms. The new building boasts 20,000 square feet, close to 40 examination rooms, a procedure room, laboratory and plenty of space for specialty care physicians.

“We have room for expansion,” said Dr. Barry Collins, a physician and partner in PCIFM. Some areas used for other purposes can easily convert to additional exam rooms if needed, he said.

PCIFM, which was established in 2012, provides primary, after-hours, women’s and pediatric care.

When its physician partners decided to construct a new building, they took note of the increase in retail and population in the southern part of the city.

This location placed the clinic in a rapid-growth sector of the city and in proximity to people in Vincent and Harpersville (both in neighboring Shelby County). Yet, it is still close to the hospital and Interstate 20, Collins said.

Because of the building’s “linear” design, all medical services are on one floor, which not only lessens the amount of walking for a patient, but also streamlines patient flow, Collins said.

This improves ease of care and speed of care, said Collins and Dr. Ilinca Prisacaru, also a partner.

Even the design of the parking lot limits the walking distance for patients, said Dr. Rick Jotani, partner and chief executive officer. “It’s a little more convenient for our folks.”

The array of on-site diagnostics, imaging and other services now available at PCIFM reduces the need for patients to commute to the hospital to receive them, Prisacaru said.

Having so many services at one location promotes cohesiveness and continuity of care, added Collins.

PCIFM – which was already offering space to several specialists before the new building was constructed – now has room for even more sub-specialties.

Currently, two cardiologists, two general surgeons, an orthopedic surgeon and two gastroenterologists see patients at the PCIFM facility. Jotani and Collins said the practice is “actively recruiting” specialists in dermatology and audiology as well.

Jotani also noted that physical therapy is available on campus through ATI Physical Therapy.

The partners said adding another physician to PCIFM’s primary and after-hours care may happen within the next 18 months. “As the community expands, so should our services,” said Collins.

Prisacaru and Jotani pointed out that the conference room allows on-site diabetes classes to be held on a regular basis. Led by a nurse practitioner, the classes are kept small for participants to receive personalized attention.

The spaciousness of the facility meant there was even room for daycare for employees’ children during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Ten to 15 children each day stayed in a designated area of the building while their parents attended to patients, Jotani said, adding that the community brought food and other items for the employees’ children.

“The community supported us immensely,” Collins said of those weeks of working when many essential services in the city were closed.

Another asset of the new building is a designated aesthetics suite. There, Jotani Aesthetics offers non-surgical cosmetic measures.

Since December 2019, PCIFM has seen a definite increase in patient load, Prisacaru said. One contributing factor is the addition of Saturday clinic hours, Collins said. Previously, the clinic was open Sunday through Friday.

Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Two practitioners are always on duty during office hours.

Collins said visibility – being next to a retail center – has likewise contributed to an increase in patients. “Folks know we’re here,” Jotani said.

To meet increasing demand, another nurse practitioner was hired, as were more clinical and laboratory staff, Collins said. Jotani and Prisacaru estimated that employment has increased 10 to 12 percent since the building opened.

James W. Bedsole, O.D. Eye Care

In August, James W. Bedsole, O.D. moves to a modern building, designed for Eye Care, situated just in front of South Park Center. Dr. Bedsole’s practice will relocate from downtown Pell City to 2020 Martin Street South.

Dr. Bedsole said that, of all the properties he considered for relocation, this particular location was the very best.

He provides primary eye care, vision correction and treatment of eye diseases, as well as pre-operative and post-operative care.

The new building, state-of-the-art, will allow greater comfort and efficiency for patient care. The new location is convenient – located in front of the South Park Shopping Center that includes Publix – and it’s more accessible.

The brick-and-mortar buildings are important for patient care, but even more important are people, Bedsole said, noting that he has a great staff who works hard and really cares for their patients. 

The new building is an asset in continuing to deliver exceptional patient care.

ATI Physical Therapy

Situated at the Hardwick Road end of PCIFM’s building is the Pell City location of ATI Physical Therapy.

Based in Illinois, ATI operates stand-alone physical therapy sites, as well as units on high school and college campuses, said Chris Baker, director of physical therapy at ATI in Pell City. The Pell City site opened Feb. 17.

Encompassing more than 2,800 square feet, the local ATI provides physical therapy for a wide range of needs and specializes in therapy for orthopedic and cervical spine issues, Baker said.

Monday through Friday, ATI offers one-to-one care, using new equipment and a variety of treatments. Appointments are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The growth occurring in Pell City schools and in southern St. Clair County made this location particularly attractive to ATI, Baker said. Even though the location opened shortly before the COVID-19 shutdown, Pell City’s ATI has experienced a steady increase in clientele.

Future plans include hiring additional physical therapists, Baker said.

“We have been very blessed with the patients we have seen so far,” Baker said. “Pell City has been good to us. We look forward to growing with the community.”

Comfort Care Hospice

Comfort Care Hospice opened its Pell City office May 1 in South Park Center.

“The growth around here is just awesome,” said Clay Spencer, administrator and a registered nurse with Comfort Care Hospice. “I have wanted to come over here so long. … I can’t tell you how happy we are to be here.”

Spencer said the office relocated to Pell City to be more central to its coverage area, which includes St. Clair, Clay and Talladega counties.

The 10-plus employees at the Pell City location include nurses, aides, a social worker, a chaplain and office staff. The physicians are Dr. Rick Jotani of Pell City, who is medical director, and Dr. Jarod Speer of Childersburg.

Spencer said Comfort Care Hospice also has a corps of volunteers who call patients and offer short-term respite for caregivers.

Hospice care, Spencer explained, is for patients with terminal diagnoses. “Our goal is to keep them home and keep them comfortable,” she said.

With hospice care, patients receive medical attention right at home. Nurses are available around the clock and also visit at least twice each week with patients. Aides make several visits each week in patient homes, as well.

The hospice mission allows patients, along with family members, to make their own decisions about care, Spencer said. “(Hospice) does elongate how much time they do have before they make that transition.”

Dr. Greg Tankersley, the chaplain, gives spiritual and emotional support to patients and families during the time of hospice care. After a patient passes, he offers grief support to family members for 13 months.

“We stay in touch with our families,” Spencer said.

Helping meet the needs of everyone in St. Clair

Story by Jackie Walburn

Photos by Graham Hadley

A primary care clinic with a holistic approach, the Easterseals’ Community Health Clinic in Pell City, began and continues as a collaborative community effort to serve St. Clair adults without health insurance. 

A year after its July 2018 opening, the volunteer-staffed clinic serves 380 patients and has logged more than 1,600 office visits. Located at 205 Edwin Holladay Place in downtown Pell City, the clinic shares building space with a Community Action agency, a mental health clinic and Christian Love Food pantry, agencies that help each other serve clients’ “mind, body and spirit.

“Ten months after we got serious about it, we opened the doors to the clinic,” says David Higgins, executive director of Easterseals of Birmingham, which also operates a Pediatric Therapy clinic in Springville.

Because of the success of the Springville Pediatric Therapy clinic and the known need for services in St. Clair County, where some 12 percent of adults have no health insurance, the community clinic “seemed a logical next step as an Easterseals endeavor,” said Higgins.

He credits support and enthusiasm from Jefferson State Community College, Samford University and University of Alabama at Birmingham nursing programs, the town of Pell City, St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital – plus a long list of civic, church and community groups – for supporting the clinic.

Volunteers key

Volunteers, including three physicians and three nurse practitioners, staff the clinic, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Two part-time administrators – Pam Thornburg, who manages the administrative front end of the clinic, and Letisha Crow, who administers the clinical end – were hired recently. “We have good volunteers, and we want to be respectful of their time,” Higgins says.

But volunteers – including Frances Burnete, Ruth Pope and the team of medical professionals who donate their time – remain key to day-to-day operations.

 A belief in the need for the clinic prompted volunteer Burnete, who is retired after 50 years in the insurance business, to volunteer and keep volunteering at the clinic, where she is referred to as “Aunt Frances.” She says she feels “a kindness and understanding for the people who are our patients,” and believes in the work being done.

Volunteer and retired nurse Ruth Pope handles intake for new clinic patients. “This clinic was so needed,” she says, and now so appreciated. Encouraged to volunteer by friend and fellow volunteer Dr. Christy Daffron, department chair for the nursing program at Pell City’s Jefferson State Community College campus, Pope’s volunteer job is to sign up new patients.

The clinic charges $20 a visit for established patients and $30 for walk-ins, who are seen on Monday mornings. Patients are adults ages 19 to 64 without health insurance or Medicaid whose income falls within federal poverty level guidelines. Because Alabama is one of 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid, the state has a population of adults, many who work, who fall into a “coverage gap” and do not have health insurance coverage.

The doctor is in

Pell City native Dr. James Tuck is one of three physicians who volunteer and regularly see patients at the clinic.

 “The people we see are in desperate need of this service,” says Dr. Tuck, who grew up across the street from the clinic location. “It’s easy to see the need and the appreciation.”

Tuck’s family roots are in St. Clair County, and he has been in medical practice in his hometown for 36 years, now working with a local urgent care clinic. His first job out of medical school was in the current clinic building, he recalls, when the building housed the St. Clair County Health Department’s obstetrics clinic. “This is kind of bringing the past and present together for me.”

Mind, body and spirit

The clinic targets overall wellness with a holistic approach, Higgins says. “It’s primary medical care, but we look at root causes and what we can do to make life better for every patient,”

New patient intake includes a complete health assessment covering medical, social psychological, family, work, diet and living environment. “All these things help get a good handle on what’s going on with patients,” Higgins says, and may identify other needs patients have.

The clinic offers physical therapy, health and wellness education classes, chronic disease management for things like diabetes and COPD, as well as high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

The clinic also works with a volunteer pharmacist, Elaine Hagler, who provides a discount list for many maintenance medicines, including access to insulin and other expensive maintenance medicines.  While it helps patients find affordable maintenance medications, the clinic does not stock or prescribe controlled medications or narcotic painkillers.

Preventing disabling conditions

Easterseals, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, has always emphasized services to people with disabilities of all kinds. And, Higgins says holistic and preventative medical care through clinics like the one in Pell City can prevent medical conditions from becoming a debilitating disability.

 “Some medical conditions, left undiagnosed or untreated, can result in complications that lead to disabilities,” says Higgins. Diabetes is a good example and is listed among conditions recognized by the ADA, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

Untreated diabetes can affect all major organs and result in blindness, kidney problems and increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

“Diabetes is something that can be regulated, but keeping it regulated can be expensive,” Higgins notes.

“That’s where our patient assessments come in,” and where the clinic’s efforts to help patients with access to affordable maintenance medicine, including insulin, are making a difference in many patients’ lives.

Clinical training, too

Teaching is also a part of the clinic mission, as nursing and nurse practitioner students from colleges, including Jefferson State Community College and Jacksonville State University, volunteer and complete nursing clinical training at the clinic.

Higgins says it was conversations with Dr. Daffron at Jeff State and Debbie Duke, Congregational Health Program director at Samford University, both nurses and nursing professors, that helped spark the clinic’s formation. Providing healthcare in St. Clair County was something they wanted to do.

Both schools and others continue support. And, Project Access at the University of Alabama at Birmingham partners with the clinic when patients need referrals and appointments with specialists.

Coming together for worthy cause

As the clinic begins its second year in operation, Higgins says one of the most rewarding aspects of the new effort was “seeing how people came together to make change happen with a goal of being able to serve people who need help.”

A plaque listing the names of clinic founders and supporters is crowded with names of people and organizations that helped Easterseals Birmingham bring its first community health clinic to St. Clair County.

The list of 2018 Foundational donors “who believed in us when we were only a vision” includes: Area Health Education Center, Benjamin Moore Paints, Bill Hereford, City of Pell City, Cropwell Baptist Church, Dispensary of Hope, Empowered Church Health Outreach, H2H Golden Design, Hattie Lee’s, Home Depot, Jefferson State Community College, Jerry’s Carpet Service, Ken Knight, Morning Star Storage, Rick’s Custom Painting and Wallpaper, Room by Room, Samford University, Scotty Gray Flooring, St. Clair County Baptist Association, St. Vincent’s St. Clair, Susan Bush, UAB Project Access and Wally Bromberg Photography.

Perfect location prepped by volunteers

The clinic’s location in downtown Pell City, in a city-owned building, came about through “graciousness” and hard work by volunteers, says Higgins, a retired Moody police officer who lives in St. Clair County.

The worse-for-wear offices needed painting and new flooring, all provided by volunteers with donated supplies. The volunteer workers converted the offices into three exam rooms, several offices and a providers’ room and meeting area that the volunteer medical professionals use when needed.

With community resources just next door, the location proved perfect for the clinic with accessibility and a history as a former county health department site.

Easterseals: Taking On Disability Together

Clinic sponsor, Easterseals of the Birmingham area, is one of eight rehabilitation facilities owned and operated under the Easterseals Alabama, Inc, according to its website at eastersealsbham.org.

Easterseals has served metro Birmingham and the state since 1950 when the program Alacrafts began vocational training for disabled individuals. That program grew into the Spain Rehabilitation Facility near UAB that focused on physical medicine, rehabilitation research and education.

Higgins notes that the Pell City clinic is a first community clinic for Easterseals’ Birmingham area organization, and he hopes that it can be “a model to be replicated” elsewhere.

In addition to the new clinic, services offered and managed through Easterseals of the Birmingham area include:

Camp ASCCA, Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults, a year-round camp on Lake Martin that offers rehabilitation and recreation for more than 7,000 people annually.

Two pediatric clinics – one in Pelham and the newest in Springville – providing speech, occupational and physical therapies, including early intervention, for patients up to 21 years old.

An adult program at the Birmingham headquarters on Beacon Parkway that provides evaluations, vocational training, job readiness and placement, computer skills training for adults, in addition to transition services for high school graduates.

A medical assistance grant program that helps individuals and families purchase medical equipment and make needed home modifications.

100 years of service

Nationally, Easterseals celebrates 100 years of service in 2019 and is America’s largest nonprofit health care organization, serving some 1.5 million people annually. In addition to serving children and adults living with disabilities, Easterseals also serves transitioning military disabled and other veterans since World War II.

Easterseals was founded in 1919 as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind. Founder Ohio businessman Edgar Allen, who lost a son in a streetcar accident and helped build a hospital in the child’s honor in his hometown, founded the organization to address the lack of services for children with disabilities who were then often hidden from public view.

An annual Easterseals fundraising campaign initiated by the society in 1934 introduced specially designed “Easter Seal” stamps that donors used on envelopes and letters. By 1967, the group’s work was so associated with Easterseals that the national society officially adopted Easterseals as its name. Today, the organization headquartered in Chicago with 69 affiliates nationwide.

More services on the way for region

Story by Scottie Vickery

Photos by Graham Hadley

and Submitted

Just five months after Northside Medical Associates opened its ACCEL Urgent Care Clinic, Pell City veterinarian Ken McMillan had a potentially lifesaving visit there in April.

He’d had eye surgery for a detached retina in Birmingham the week before and wasn’t feeling well. Since his primary care doctor at Northside was out of the office, McMillan saw Dr. Jeremy Allen, medical director at ACCEL. When McMillan’s lab work was abnormal, Allen ordered a CT scan at the facility’s onsite imaging center. That’s when he discovered the blood clot in McMillan’s lungs.

“We were lucky he was as diligent as he was and had the technology available to do that,” said McMillan, who received treatment and is on the mend. “It could have ended up saving my life.”

The story is one example of how St. Clair County residents are taking advantage of the first-class medical services being offered close to home. All over Pell City, practices are growing, offices are expanding, and technology is being added and utilized at a rapid pace as local health care providers continue to invest in their patients’ well-being.

“We want our patients to be confident that the care they’re getting here is as good or better than anywhere else,” said Dr. Rock Helms, CEO and president of Northside. “I’m proud to say that, in this rural area, we’re providing state-of-the-art care.”

PCIFM expanding

Providing better and more convenient care for their patients is also the driving force behind Pell City Internal and Family Medicine’s expansion, according to Dr. Rick Jotani. The practice, which has a main office in St. Vincent St. Clair’s Physicians Plaza, is building a much larger facility on property adjacent to the site of its satellite office next to Publix on U.S. 231 in Pell City. “This will allow us to consolidate our two locations under one roof, making things more convenient for our patients,” he said. “Every service they need, whether it be labs or imaging, will be there.”

The new office, which should be completed by the end of the year, will be double the size of the two current locations combined, Jotani said. The new facility will allow the practice, which currently offers family and internal medicine, women’s health and wellness, sports medicine, pediatrics and aesthetic procedures, to expand.

ATI Physical Therapy will be part of the new building, and Jotani and his partners, Dr. Barry Collins and Dr. Ilinca Prisacaru, have plans to add more primary care physicians and sub-specialists over time.

“This will give us the space and flexibility to be able to do that,” he said. “Dr. Collins and I started the practice in 2012, and we’ve been very well-received by the community. This is a reflection of that. We’ve continued to grow and get better and will hopefully continue to do that for many years to come.”

Northside setting pace for growth

Northside has been growing since opening its doors in 2001 with four physicians. The practice now has four locations and a staff of more than 150, including 12 doctors and 13 nurse practitioners, Helms said. Patients can receive primary, specialty and emergency care, get lab work and advanced diagnostics, and pick up prescriptions all under one roof.

Over the past year, they’ve added 3D mammography, the urgent care component and have formed an independent lab, expanding the menu of screenings they offer, not only to their own patients but to those with other doctors, as well. “If you see a primary care physician or a specialist somewhere else, you can come here and get labs, and we’ll send them to your doctor,” Helms said. 

Additions like the urgent care and 3D mammography have made a significant impact on patient health, he said. “With the 3D method, you get multiple images that are so much more detailed,” Helms said, adding that the technology is especially helpful for patients with dense breast tissue, a history of cancer or implants. “If you put the images side by side, you can see a tremendous difference. It’s much easier to pick up cancers.”

Urgent Care a new component of primary care

In a new trend in health care, Northside opened an urgent care center on its campus. The ACCEL center is open seven days a week and allows patients to quickly see a physician for things like strep throat, bronchial infections, abdominal pain and sprains.

Patients who see a primary care physician at Northside have the added benefit of knowing the urgent care staff has access to their charts and medical histories.

“It provides a much more seamless transition,” Helms said. “We saw an opportunity to better serve our patients, and it has been well-received. We’ve had patients come and thank us for doing this.”

More growth, more services

Here’s a look at how other providers are striving to meet the growing demand for health care in St. Clair County:

St. Vincent’s St. Clair recently earned a 5-star rating for hospital quality from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 40-bed facility, which opened in 2011, is the only hospital in the county and one of only five in Alabama to earn the distinction.

The rating is based on 57 different benchmarks in six areas, including patient experience, effectiveness and timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging.

Lisa Nichols, a registered nurse and the hospital’s administrator, said the distinction is the result of the staff’s commitment to providing quality, compassionate care.

“I’m so very proud of the work of our leadership and of our associates to ensure that quality and patient safety remains at the forefront of everything we do,” she said.

You don’t need 20/20 vision to see that the new home for James W. Bedsole Eye Care building, currently under construction on an outparcel site in front of Publix, promises to be state-of-the-art. “We want to be a destination for eye care,” said Bedsole, adding that the building should be finished by year’s end. “It’s going to be unique,” he said.

The new facility will be about twice the size of Bedsole’s current office downtown and is designed to accommodate new technology and an expanded optical gallery. The building will be handicapped accessible and easier for older patients to navigate. In addition, Bedsole will be hiring more staff and will eventually add another doctor to the practice.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide a better experience for our patients,” Bedsole said. “We offer a full scope of services now, but this will give us the ability to deliver those services in a more efficient manner,” he said.

UAB Callahan Eye located a satellite in Physicians Plaza in 2017 next to St. Vincent’s St. Clair, and it continues to thrive as a regional source for ophthalmology and optometry services in its Suite 240 location.

The clinic offers comprehensive adult and pediatric ophthalmology and optometry, plus an in-house optical store featuring a wide selection of designer eyeglasses and sunglasses from brands such as Ray-Ban, Coach, Maui Jim, Tom Ford, Costa del Mar, Burberry and Vera Bradley. Specialty eye services include glaucoma and cataract evaluations and screenings.