Member of the Week: Dr. Erin Helms

Practice: My current practice is the Intermountain West Valley Clinic which opened in 2016. It started with Dr. Cordell Watson and myself and has now grown to six family medicine providers. It’s been so rewarding to see our practice grow and serve a very diverse community, often with complex social and medical needs.
Residency: I trained at the University of Utah, and I’m so thankful to the faculty who mentored me and prepared me so well for practice.

A bit about Dr. Helms: My hometown is Kernersville, North Carolina. I went to NC State for undergrad where I studied microbiology and biotechnology. NC state is also where I met my husband Jeff, played on the ultimate frisbee team, and studied abroad in Santander, Spain. After graduating, I spent time working at the Genomic Core Laboratory in the Lineberger Cancer Center as well as volunteering as a birth doula for UNC hospital. I graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. We have two kids – Nora (10) and Joel (7) – skiers who enjoy making music. My favorite things to do are road trips and mountain biking. Our pets are Herb (the 3 legged cat), Penny (the 4 legged cat), and our chickens – Tulip, Lima bean, and Panguitch.

Additional Training: I have not done a fellowship, but I do all the wilderness medicine CME I can get my hands on.

What keeps you passionate about family medicine? I stay passionate about family medicine by doing home visits. I started to do this during COVID for some of our high risk patients, but I’ve found that the occasional home visit at hospital discharge or for patients and their families at the end of life recharges me and reminds me of the importance of the work I do.

What is one thing you wish you’d known graduating from med school? Before starting medical school, I wish someone had told me that life isn’t on hold until your training is over. During training, I made lifelong friends and had some amazing adventures. I love to work with students early in their education, when the future still seems daunting, and remind them that the fun starts now.

What will we find you doing on your day off? On a day off, you may find me parked off the grid with my family in our Westy, maybe near Capitol Reef or the Swell.

What are you…
reading right now: Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson
listening to right now: Valentine by Snail Mail
watching right now: Better Call Saul or 90 Day Fiancé