River People Health Center Pediatrics is dedicated to providing children and adolescents with health care in a welcoming and family friendly environment. Our teams are committed to delivering compassionate care for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and surrounding Native children.
Pediatrics Services
The RPHC providers complete well visits that include comprehensive care that includes well child exams, sports physicals, immunizations, hearing and vision screening, and other development screenings.
Providers work to treat acute childhood illnesses and injuries by appointment.
RPHC offers existing patients same day appointments to seek treatment of acute illness. Please call 480-278-7742 to make an appointment head of time or just walk in. Walk-In spots are limited and hours are from 8 AM to 3 PM. Same Day appointments are available for children 2 and up.
RPHC Pediatric services provides many services including but not limited to:
- Well child exams
- Sports physicals
- Wart removal
- Immunizations
- Hearing and vision screenings
- Developmental screenings
- Asthma management
- Teen health
- Obesity
Pediatrics Providers
Pediatrician
Dr. Joyce Helmuth is a board certified Pediatrician who comes from an immigrant Filipino family. She grew up in a culturally and racially mixed inner city neighborhood of Chicago, which fostered an interest in different cultures. After completing her pediatric training in Virginia, she moved to northern Arizona to work at the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital. During that time, Dr. Helmuth developed a deep appreciation for the Dine’ way of life as well as other Native cultures. She later married and worked in private practice in Phoenix for a few years. She returned to work with Native Americans when she was hired at the Salt River Clinic. For over 10 years she has enjoyed working with families of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. She loves to travel and has been blessed to travel to places like Nigeria for a pediatric clinical rotation and Russia to teach neonatal resuscitation to doctors-in-training. She and her husband traveled to Ecuador and the Philippines on eye care medical mission trips. In addition to traveling, she enjoys playing board games with her family, golfing, listening to music and dancing.
Pediatrician
Dr. Leslee Kelly is a board certified pediatrician. She attended The University of Arizona College of Medicine and then left for a brief time to complete her internship and residency at The University of Colorado in Denver. She had been part of a practice in Phoenix for 21 years, as well as spending 11 years doing part-time hospitalist work. She is overjoyed to have the opportunity to join RPHC. She is excited about the many opportunities to help parents raise healthy children. Dr. Kelly has 3 children ages 25, 20, and 17. She loves reading, running, hiking, biking, and volunteering (and in “secret” loves tap dancing).
Pediatrician
Dr. Melissa Jones, MD, is a board certified pediatrician. She hails from the Midwest and attended the Medical College of Wisconsin. She completed her residency training in Michigan and went on to do subspecialty training in Columbus, OH at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her desire for more sunshine and less snow led her to Phoenix, Arizona. Her passion is to serve underserved populations and provide them with the high quality care they deserve. She has worked a various clinics that provide medical care to children in foster care, unaccompanied minors who cross the borders, and has served children in native communities. Dr. Jones believes in the potential of all children, and aims to help families give their children a healthy start
