Author: ghadley@partnersmultimedia.com

Helms Healthcare has announced plans for a second location coming to Pell City this Spring. The announcement comes as the new healthcare clinic approaches the one-year mark since opening in Vincent.

The clinic has grown rapidly under the leadership of its founder, Dr. Rock Helms, whose vision was to return healthcare to days gone by when providers built strong, trusting relationships with their patients.

If the burgeoning patient roster is any indication, his strategy is working. Patients have topped the 2,000-mark in only nine months.

After selling Northside Medical Associates, the practice he founded, to Complete Health in 2020 and fulfilling contractual obligations, he located the first clinic in Vincent in March of this year.

He plans to return to his hometown of Pell City, but he will spit time between the two clinics. Both will be fully staffed, and more providers are expected to come on board.

The new clinic will be going into a 7,500 square foot facility being totally renovated at 1310 WA Goodgame Parkway. It is projected to open to patient care by May 1, 2026. A second provider will join Helms Healthcare in Pell City on the opening date.

At present, the provider team, headed by Helms, has three certified nurse practitioners. “We expect to quickly grow providers over the next 24 months,” he said.

Plans call for adding Urgent Care with extended hours by summer and another one or two providers in the fall.

The ancillary center should open one month prior to the patient’s clinic area and will feature a full lab, phlebotomy area, x-ray, ultrasound and CT as well as an infusion suite. 

His decision to expand to Pell City came about because of his personal ties to the city. He grew up there, he practiced medicine there, and while it has “excellent healthcare with multiple services available,” he wanted to return to his home community, maintain and build upon that level of care.

Helms has “great expectations” for the Pell City location. Registration for new patients at the Pell City location will open in March.

He continues to stress the value in building relationships with patients, where they are not a number. “When you call, a person answers the phone. They’re happy to see you. They care. All those things are really important.”

As we celebrate the Christmas season, we are proud to announce that our 2000^th patient has been registered in our Vincent location. We are grateful to our patients and our dedicated team for making this achievement possible. This incredible milestone reflects the trust our community of patients has placed in us and our unwavering commitment to delivering compassionate, quality care.

We look forward to continued growth in 2026!

As you try to navigate through Medicare plan choices during open enrollment, we’re here to help. A Medicare broker will be here at Helms Healthcare throughout the month of September to handle any questions you may have.

If you’re unsure about the changes for 2026 and would like information, we are offering five opportunities to schedule a one-on-one session with a Medicare broker to assist with coverage options, how to enroll, timelines, plan comparisons and any other questions you may have.

Sessions will be September 9th, 15th, 23rd, 29th and 30th. They are free and open to all with refreshments provided.

Call 205-612-0582 or 334-596-7653 to schedule an appointment.

As flu season approaches, it’s time for Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV immunizations. We offer all types of preventive medicine Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Call for an appointment at 205-417-1977. Walk-ins are welcome, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

COVID-19 hospitalizations during the fall and winter typically peak in late December or early January nationally. Influenza seasons typically peak nationally between December and February each year, but timing within this range is less predictable.

The RSV national peak tends to occur in late December or early January, but peaks have historically varied by Health and Human Services region, with the Southeast U.S. region peaking earlier than North and West U.S. regions.

From Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

In today’s corporate-driven medical care climate, Pell City’ s Dr. Rock Helms is forging a new path in healthcare for the region by returning to the days of old – ways from which he never wavered.

He opened Helms Healthcare in Vincent in March and in less than 90 days, 1,000 patients had come on board. And they’re still coming.

It has been an ideal match for the tiny town of Vincent, population 2,500, and Helms Healthcare. The town had been without a doctor for 20 years. The closest medical facility was in Harpersville but for the most part, residents traveled to Sylacauga, Birmingham, Pell City and Chelsea for major medical needs, according to Mayor Jim Lattimer.

Helms Healthcare locating a block from the city’s main street has been “a big benefit for everybody,” the mayor said. “He’s part of the community. That’s what we want for every business.”

Helms lauded the efforts of the mayor and council. “I am super appreciative. The city has been amazing. They made it very, very easy to come here, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

To make the partnership come to fruition required some investment by the city to prepare. The long vacant building on Florey Street that the city owned needed repair. “We looked at it and saw the potential, but it needed quite a bit of work, and it needed it quickly” if Helms was to open in March.

For complete story, check it out at Discover St. Clair Magazine online Here

Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadth which integrates the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences. The scope of family medicine is not limited by age, sex, organ system, or disease entity. Note: The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians certification includes extensive use of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), which integrates the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences. Board certification for Medical Doctors (MDs) is provided by the American Board of Family Medicine. Board certification for Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) is provided by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians or the American Board of Family Medicine.

https://npidb.org/organizations/allopathic_osteopathic_physicians/family-medicine_207q00000x/1124824446.aspx

In a time when personal attention in medical care may seem like a relic of the past, Dr. Rock Helms sees his new practice – Helms Healthcare – as reconnecting the patient and the doctor and employing modern advances to enhance the whole experience.

The longtime Pell City family medicine physician opened Helms Healthcare in nearby Vincent in late-March, offering “a concierge-type practice for everybody,”  he said. “When you call, you get a human. When you want to be seen, you can be seen right away. We prefer appointments, but it’s not a mandate.”

For the complete story, check out Discover St. Clair Magazine: https://discoverstclair.com/st-clair-business/helms-healthcare/

The physician opening the clinic has provided medical services to Pell City residents for over 20 years.

You can preview the article on the Business Journals Website: https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2025/04/02/helms-healthcare-vincent-concierge-clinic.html

FROM STAFF REPORTS VINCENT – Longtime Pell City family medicine physician, Dr. Rock Helms, officially opened Helms Health Care, a new, private practice in Vincent on Thursday, March 27 with a grand opening celebration and tour of the newly renovated clinic. The move to Vincent comes after Helms left Complete Health-Pell City in March. Helms co-founded Northside Medical Associates in Pell City in 2001, growing it to 20 providers, 200 employees and six locations. It later merged with Complete Health, a Florida-based company.

Helms describes his new clinic as “a concierge-type practice for everybody—when you call, you get a human. When you want to be seen, you can be seen right away. We prefer appointments, but it’s not a mandate.” Helms’ vision is for patients to have the ability to get any answers they need easily, hoping to take away some of the difficulty that comes with going to a medical practice. “(I want there to be) easy access to their doctor or nurse practitioner for medication refills, questions about test results or a question about referrals to a specialist,” Helms said. “Typically, there are too many barriers to achieve that. I want to break those barriers down.” 

Read more at: https://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2025/03/31/helms-health-care-opens-in-vincent/