Modernly traditional – New Silverton practice provides pediatric care

By Melissa Wagoner

The recent closure of the Silverton branch of Childhood Health left Silverton families without a locally-based pediatric clinic – an situation Dr. Scott Hamblin and Dr. Mark Helm are determined to remedy.

“Scott and I didn’t want to give up the care of the kids in this area,” Helm, who worked alongside Hamblin at Childhood Health, said. “We enjoyed working in a small office. It was a really nice, smaller, calmer, easier to manage. It’s a friendlier, happier place to be than a large, stressful environment. So, we said, ‘We can make this work.’”

“This”, it turns out, is Small Town Pediatrics, a clinic Hamblin and Helm jointly open on Oct. 1 at 607 Welch St. in Silverton. 

“It’s like old-fashioned medical using 21st century technology,” Hamblin said of the clinic’s premise, which will allow families 24 hour contact seven days a week using technological advances like text messaging, secure email and telemedicine. 

“In terms of being a smaller group, it’s a lot easier to reach us, and that’s kind of an important thing,” Helm said. “If something’s going on I never want a family to worry about reaching out. We’re trying to facilitate good communication with people.”

A pediatrician for over 20 years serving families in both the Willamette Valley and Arkansas – where he attended medical school – Helm views the relationship between pediatricians and the families they serve as of the utmost importance. Which is why, upon opening, Small Town Pediatrics will be offering free meet-and-greet appointments – either in-person or via Zoom – as a way for families to get to know the doctors and their personal philosophies. 

“It is really very much about the relationship you have with your child’s doctor,” Helm said. “There needs to be a high level of trust. My approach is always to share the information I know and seek out new information. I try to be evidence-based and seek out information about as many topics as I can. I’m also a big talker and I like to share a lot, so families who have questions and want more information… those are the kinds of things I enjoy – being able to give folks tips about things I’ve learned over time.”

Hamblin, too, is looking forward to spending more time with patients, both the new ones and the ones who are following him into this new space. 

“It’s not a huge move this time,” Hamblin said. He has moved twice before during his eight-year tenure in Silverton. “Our new office is just next door, but it’s still asking them to make another move, so I really am thankful that a lot of the families are able to do that again. I’ve assured them that this is the last time. I plan to retire here.”

With three kids of his own, Hamblin not only plans to retire in Silverton but also to make it his “forever home,” another reason he feels so strongly about the Small Town Pediatrics mission of providing top-notch medical care as well as developmental and behavioral advice to the community.

“I’m just excited about the opportunity to be able to practice full-time in the community I live in… the community my children are growing up in,” Hamblin said. 

“The idea of being a small town doc is very satisfying and rewarding. It makes me proud of what I do. And now that it’s my own thing, I feel like I have more autonomy to be able to establish my own relationships with families. It’s a bit more personable than when you’re a part of a large practice caring for families. My style of practice is more conducive to a personal feel.”