Charles M. Helms

Obituary of Charles M. Helms

Charles Milton Helms, MD, PhD

Born May 5, 1942 – December 26, 2025

Dr. Charles Milton Helms, a retired Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa, died December 26, 2025, in Iowa City at 83 years of age. He was a physician and nationally recognized infectious diseases specialist. He was the grandson of Edgar James Helms, and Iowa-grown Methodist Minister and humanitarian who founded Goodwill Industries of America in 1902.

Charles is survived by retired UI Professor, Lelia Biggs Helms, his beloved wife and constant partner of 59 years and their three children: son Wesley Sands Helms, his wife Connie and their sons Colin and Cameron; daughter Bethany Helms Lewis, her husband Benjamin and their daughters Adelaide and Juniper; and son Timothy Hopkins Helms, his wife Debbie and their sons Warren and Edward. He is also survived by his only sibling, Donald Cooke Helms, and his wife Jane. Dr. Helms was preceded in death by a daughter, Emily Spaulding Helms, who died at age 11 years in 1983, his father James Thorburn Helms, and his mother Alice Frances Cooke Helms.

Charles was born May 5, 1942 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attended public schools in nearby Watertown, graduating from Watertown High School in 1960. He was educated in upstate New York at Cornell University (A.B., 1964) at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (Ph.D., 1969, M.D., 1969), where "the best years of his life" began in 1966 with his marriage to Lelia Meredith Biggs of Belmont, Massachusetts, "a great catch". They returned "as a team" to Boston, Massachusetts in 1971. Charles was a resident physician in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Lelia taught at Northeastern University. In 1972, their first child, Emily Spaulding Helms arrived to bless them.

In 1973 the Helms family moved south to Maryland, where Charles spent 3 years in the Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health and Lelia was a faculty member at the University of Maryland. In 1975, their second child, Wesley Sands Helms arrived to bless the family. In 1976 Charles and Lelia both accepted positions at the University of Iowa where in 1978 their third child, Bethany Kirk Helms, would arrive to bless the family. Their fourth child, Timothy Hopkins Helms, was born in 1984 to complete their family.

Dr. Helms had joined the faculty of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Internal Medicine, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa where he spent his 35 year academic career. He cared for patients, taught medical students and residents, did research and achieved the rank of full professor in 1991. He was by nature curious, unselfish and pragmatic, and dedicated to patients and quality of care. His early research papers on Legionnaire's Disease and Toxic Shock Syndrome attracted national recognition and had impact on hospital safety and disease prevention.

In 1985-86 Dr. Helms was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship and worked with the majority staff of the US Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on landmark vaccine policy legislation leading to establishment of the National Vaccine Program Office, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. His interest in these areas never waned, his advice and leadership on vaccine and public policy being sought on Federal, State and professional panels throughout his remaining academic career. Indeed, as his career was closing, Dr. Helms received a coveted Fulbright Senior Scholarship to study implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy for healthcare workers in New South Wales, Australia at the University of Sydney in 2009.

Doctor Helms was an innovative and respected leader in the College of Medicine and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). He served 4 years as an Associate Dean in the College, was elected to multiple terms on the UIHC Hospital Advisory Committee, served 8 years as UIHC Chief of Staff and 10 years as Medical Director of the Office of Clinical Quality, Safety and Performance Improvement.

He was respected at the State level as well. Elected President of the Iowa Medical Society in 2004-2005, he was a strong proponent of cooperative endeavors and collaboration between Iowa's doctors and hospitals to improve healthcare quality statewide. He was the first director of the University of Iowa Institute for Quality Healthcare (IQH), a Robert Wood Johnson funded consortium of Iowa hospitals working together to improve the quality of care of their institutions. More recently he was a founding member, the first Board Chair and an advisor of the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, a nationally recognized successful effort in healthcare improvement initiated by the Iowa Medical Society and the Iowa Hospital Association. Dr. Helms was a leader in implementing and supporting a unique and remarkably successful project to increase rates of influenza vaccination in Iowa's hospital healthcare workers.

Charles and Lelia Helms retired in 2011 and 2013, respectively, in Iowa City, Iowa. They were loyal Hawkeye football, basketball and wrestling fans. They traveled to visit their children, grandchildren and friends. They were active with the First United Methodist Church, where Charles was a liturgist Sunday mornings and Lelia set up a movie interest group for church couples. They quietly tended the grave of their beloved Emily. Both Charles and Lelia renewed 'long lost' singing 'careers', Charles in the Iowa City Chamber Singers and both in the Berkshire Chorus in Massachusetts. They derived great pleasure from singing and traveling together with the Chorus singers to concerts in the US, Canada and Europe. Both Charles and Lelia cultivated strong interests in their family histories that occupied substantial time in their later years. In keeping with the Helms family connection with Goodwill, Charles and Lelia were strong supporters of Goodwill Industries of the Heartland and Goodwill Industries, International. Charles served as Chair of both Boards.

In their youth and in their senior years, Charles Helms and Lelia Biggs Helms made a remarkable couple. Charles often said his success "never would have happened" without Lelia, that "marrying her was the best and most important decision and event in my life." "We were joined at the hip in supporting each other's career hopes and in providing a solid family environment of security for the growth and maturation of our children." Patience, devotion, respect, unselfish teamwork, professional give and take, and love led these two professionals and their family through times of happiness and sorrow. One can clearly say in reviewing their lives together "Sing and be glad that these two were one!"

Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 3pm at First United Methodist Church, 215 E. Jefferson St., Iowa City. (Sunday parking ordinance will be in effect for streets near the church). A time of visitation will proceed this beginning at 1pm until service time. All who knew, Dr. Helms are encouraged by the family to attend. Dr. Helms requested cremation and a graveside service for family at Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City.

A strong supporter of Goodwill Industries of the Heartland and Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Charles was the grandson of Edgar James Helms, a Methodist Minister raised in Iowa who founded the Goodwill Industries movement in Boston, Massachusetts in 1902. The Helms family requests that in lieu of flowers or other gifts, friends consider donating to Goodwill Industries of the Heartland (8200 6th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404) or Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (15810 Indiana Drive, Rockville, MD 208550 to continue the 100+ year old Goodwill mission to help people with disabilities to help themselves.