Building on a legacy of care in Pell City and region
When Dr. Rock Helms returned home to Pell City in 1999 after his residency, he was joining the physician who had cared for him as a child. That physician was Dr. Bill McClanahan, whose decades of faithful service helped shape healthcare in Pell City.
“Dr. McClanahan taught me that medicine is ultimately about people,” Helms said. “He loved this community, loved his patients, and modeled what it means to care with compassion.”
In 2001, Helms, McClanahan, Dr. Carl Frosina and others founded Northside Medical Associates. What began as a small, independent practice grew over the next two decades into one of the region’s largest physician-led groups, eventually serving the community with around 20 providers and more than 200 employees before being sold in 2020.
Following the sale, contractual obligations required Helms to establish his next practice in nearby Vincent. Helms Healthcare quickly became a thriving clinic there, and after one year, he was able to return to the community he had always hoped to serve.
“My goal was always to come back,” Helms said. “Pell City is home. Vincent has become a wonderful practice that continues to grow, but returning here, feels like coming full circle.”
Today, Helms Healthcare operates from a new 8,000-square-foot facility designed around one simple philosophy: healthcare should be personal, accessible, compassionate, and centered on the patient. The practice offers comprehensive primary care, seven-day urgent care, digital X-ray, a hospital-grade laboratory, advanced vascular ultrasound, and plans to add one of the region’s most advanced CT scanners, capable of high-quality cardiac CT imaging.
When patients call, they speak with a real person, not an automated system, and every member of the team is trained to create an environment where patients feel welcomed, respected, and heard.
“Technology matters,” Helms said. “But people never stop needing kindness. We want every interaction, from the first phone call to the front desk to the exam room, to communicate that every patient matters.”
He also believes the future of primary care is physician-led team care, built around relationships, accessibility, and patient choice. He works closely with exceptional nurse practitioners and physician assistants, building strong relationships and continually discussing cases throughout the day.
“Even when I’m not physically in the exam room, I’m often involved behind the scenes, reviewing complex cases, discussing treatment plans, and helping guide patient care.” Each patient develops an ongoing relationship with a primary provider who knows them well, while Helms serves as the physician leader of the team.
Patients who would like Dr. Helms personally involved in a visit are always welcome to request that, whether as a new patient, during an annual visit, or anytime they want another set of eyes on their care. “The choice belongs to the patient,” Helms said.
He credits UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair, along with generations of nurses, specialists, and primary care physicians for helping create a community where patients increasingly receive excellent care close to home.
He names longtime colleagues with genuine gratitude. “One of the things I’m most grateful for is the physicians who have invested their lives in serving this community,” he said. “I’m thankful for mentors like Dr. Bill McClanahan, Dr. Carl Frosina, for my longtime partner Dr. Michael Dupre, and for colleagues, such as Dr. Rick Jotani, Dr. Barry Collins, Dr. Ilinca Prisacaru, Dr. Hunter Russell, Dr. Steve Fortson, Dr. Laura Johnson, and many others. We’ve taken different paths, but we’ve always shared the same purpose, caring for the people of Pell City.”
Over the years, Helms says another part of his life has grown just as much as his practice – his faith. “My relationship with Christ has changed the way I see medicine,” he said. “Today, my deepest desire is to honor God by serving the people He places in front of me each day.”
He emphasizes that those conversations are always patient-led. “I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable or pressured,” he said. “But when a patient asks me to pray with them or wants to talk about faith, it’s one of the greatest privileges of being their physician.”
Looking ahead, he hopes to see continued growth and collaboration across the entire medical community. “If people remember anything about my career,” he said, “I hope it isn’t a building or a piece of equipment. I hope they remember that I loved this community, respected my colleagues, cared for people with compassion, and tried to honor God in the way I served.”
