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.
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.
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.
“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.
