There’s probably a better chance of snapping a photo of a sasquatch boarding a UFO with the Loch Ness Monster than there is of seeing Dr. James “Spunk” Brock standing in the sun without wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
The second-generation dermatologist and fourth-generation physician practices what he preaches to his patients at the McComb Skin Clinic. While he may not be all that tanned, his wife Linda, the clinic’s office manager, attests, “Spunk has such wonderful skin.” And he, along with fellow dermatologist Dr. Heather Newlon, nurse practitioner Charley Ott Schmidt and the clinic’s 12-person staff want that for their patients as well.
Brock established the clinic in 1999, working alongside his father, Dr. Jim Brock. The clinic built its current office on Marion Avenue in 2020.
The Brock family’s connection to medicine in the community began in 1934 with Dr. L.W. Brock’s general medicine practice at the McComb Infirmary, and Brock sees his practice as a continuation of that tradition.
That commitment to serving the community is one of the reasons the clinic is the Pike County Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Month for October.
Both Newlon and Schmidt are McComb natives as well.
Newlon joined the staff in 2013 after serving as an Army doctor, and Schmidt recently joined and will specialize in cosmetic dermatology, such as botox, fillers, micro needling and other services.
The clinic handles all of its surgeries in the office using local anesthesia. Skin cancers, acne, rosacea, dermatitis, non-cancerous lesions actinic keratosis and warts are some of the most common ailments the clinic sees.
“There are all different kinds of dermatitis — contract dermatitis, edema, psoriasis,” Linda Brock said.
And there are different types of skins cancers to be concerned about. Basal cell carcinoma doesn’t usually spread to other parts of the body, but squamous cell carcinoma can. Melanoma is “the horror show,” Linda Brock said, and meeker cell is even worse than melanoma, but is also rarer.
When it comes to professional help for skin care, the McComb Skin Clinic is the only one operating every weekday within an hour’s drive.
While Brock, 73, has carried on the family tradition with a medical career, he might not completely follow in the footsteps of his father, who retired at 90.
“He’s cut back. He’s not seeing as many patients,” his wife said. “Spunk says he’s not going to 90.”
