James Rollins, MD, has been with the CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Orthopedics for three years and practiced medicine for almost two decades. He was raised in the church, and he grew closer to God following his medical residency’s completion, entwining his faith with his career.
“I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and one of his messages is to be a disciple,” Dr. Rollins said. “One way I can do that is through what I do for a living, which is taking care of people.”
Dr. Rollins doesn’t just offer orthopedic care to patients — he often provides treatment as a member of the Post Clinic in Mount Sterling.
The Post Clinic provides primary care and dental services to people without the means to pay for health care.
“I run the clinic once a month, performing surgeries for free,” Dr. Rollins said. “I’m a Gideon as well, so I offer free Bibles to every patient I operate on and will pray with them. I’ve seen about 30 people come to Christ from that ministry.”
Dr. Rollins is also president of the board for Hope Hill, a faith-based organization that helps children and young adults recover from trauma and more.
While Dr. Rollins has made a career out of helping people in his community, he also provides aid outside of his career — and outside of the country. He has traveled to three different countries on mission trips in the past decade: Haiti in 2011, Honduras in 2013 and Africa in 2017. Dr. Rollins performed 16 surgeries while in Africa.
“The first two trips were focused on building projects, whereas Africa was a medical mission,” Dr. Rollins said. “That one was the most influential for me, since I was able to go there and use my expertise to help people who walked 20 or 30 miles for care.”
Dr. Rollins plans to continue his volunteer work and encourages others to do the same.
“There are 80 different churches in Montgomery County, and they all go on missions,” Dr. Rollins said. “Talking to community leaders, the health department, local food coalitions and other organizations is a great way to get involved.”
When not helping others, Dr. Rollins enjoys managing his 800-acre farm with his wife and their dog. He often takes their furry companion with him on hunting trips.
“My biggest passion outside of work and service is hunting,” Dr. Rollins said. “I’ve trained my dog to help me on duck, deer and turkey hunts.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the Spring 2019 edition of Spirit of Health. For more stories like this one, subscribe to Spirit of Health magazine today.
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