Northside Medical Associates is expanding its footprint and its services in a Phase III now under construction on its Pell City campus. The facility will more than double the size of this burgeoning medical practice. 

In the 50,000 square foot, two-story facility being built by Pell City’s Goodgame Company on the hillside fronting I-20, specialties of all kinds – more than 20 in all – will occupy the office space. Listed among them are Physical Therapy, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gastroenterology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Nephrology, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Allergy specialists, Immunology, Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine.

By locating these services in Pell City, it means less travel to larger cities for its patients needing advanced, specialty medical care.

Northside Apothecary, the onsite pharmacy, will be moving into the new phase designed by Birmingham’s Williams Blackstock Architects as well.  

Noting that the practice was founded in 2001, Dr. Rock Helms said, “I think we originally created something unique, and we continue to improve upon it to make it better for patients. We wanted to create a medical home for people with access to primary care, specialties and diagnostics all in one place.”

In addition to the variety of specialties it will house, there will be a 9,000 square foot cardiology center with full time cardiologists staffing it. Nuclear stress tests, Echocardiograms and vascular studies can be conducted there.

An infusion center for chemotherapy patients and other IV conditions is planned as is a 6,000 square foot ophthalmology services center with full time optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Full-time general surgeons will call Phase III home as well, and there will be a full-time oral surgery practice.

“We also want to expand our quality and preventative medicine department and have it morph into a group that takes care of high risk cases, like Diabetes and congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases,” Helms said.

In conjunction with the expansion, Helms has moved from full-time physician status to CEO to ensure a smooth transition. “In order to be more effective in that role, it takes time from seeing patients,” he explained. Effective in July, he transitioned from seeing patients full-time in the office to overseeing the progress.

“I will still see patients in the hospital, to a limited extent in the office, and I will still be behind the scenes and available to staff to help in the transition as well as continue as medical director for Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home and for Alacare Hospice,” he said. 

Dr. Hunter Russell, board certified in Family Practice and who has completed his fellowship in Sports Medicine, joined the staff to help serve patients.

This is Northside’s third expansion at the campus on Plaza Drive. Phase I and II included state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and lab, more doctors and more nurse practitioners. It also has a cutting edge Imaging Suite, which opened in 2015, featuring an MRI that is custom designed for the comfort of the patient – less noise, wider opening and the latest technology for pinpoint accuracy in diagnosis.

Phase III is expected to be completed by July 2017.