ESTABLISHING CARE

• The process of establishing care at Apollo Psychiatry begins with a complimentary 10-15 minute phone conversation. This offers you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about my practice, policies and services.

• If we mutually feel that Apollo Psychiatry might be a good fit for your needs, I will send you an invitation to sign up for a patient portal where you will find important practice forms.

• First-time patients will complete an extensive questionnaire followed by a one-time 60-90 minute consultation. This comprehensive assessment will explore your medical, psychiatric, developmental, and social history. We will determine a treatment plan collaboratively, including input from your other providers, if applicable.

• Establishment of a doctor-patient relationship will be a mutual decision at the consultation visit. In the event that it is determined that your needs would be better served under a different model of care or with a different provider, I will provide you appropriate referrals.

ONGOING CARE

I offer 25-minute or 50-minute follow-up visits, depending upon your preferences and the complexity of your ongoing care and needs. Although the time between appointments will depend on your individual needs and treatment plan, it is my practice to see patients every 3 months at a minimum for ongoing medication management, so that we can continue a safe and effective therapeutic alliance. While medications are being initiated and/or adjusted, more frequent follow up every few weeks can be necessary. Closer follow up may also be needed based on your psychiatric symptoms and any current challenges.

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

• Refills should be requested at regularly scheduled visits. Medication adjustments and changes can only be made during scheduled visits, unless there are medication side effects that necessitate changes before a visit can be scheduled.

• Apollo Psychiatry is a telepsychiatry/televideo only based practice, and I do not offer in-person appointments at this time. This has important considerations for prescribing controlled substances. Controlled substances include medications such as, stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, etc.); benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc.); sedative-hypnotics (Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta, and others). Please discuss this with me during your phone consultation if you anticipate requiring these medications.

FEES AND BILLING

• Payment is due at time of service. Accepted payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

• While I am not paneled with any commercial insurance companies and I am considered an “out-of-network provider”, you may be able to submit receipts for reimbursement by utilizing any out-of-network insurance benefits. Patients are billed directly and you will be provided with a receipt called a "superbill" with your treatment codes, which you can submit directly to your insurance company to facilitate reimbursement.

• Here is a useful guide that might help you understand out-of-network benefits and how they are reimbursed. Coverage terms vary by insurance and plan, therefore, it is important that you discuss any out-of-network reimbursement benefits with your insurance company prior to your visit with me.

• Apollo Psychiatry reserves the right to provide diagnosis and treatment based on clinical judgement and information provided, and fees are not contingent on receiving specific diagnoses, prescriptions, or treatment. Consultation and follow-up visit fees can be found here.

APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

• I reserve your appointment time to offer you my full attention and care. If you need to postpone your appointment, you are required to give at least 2 full business days notice (48 hours NOT including holidays and weekends). This allows me to offer that appointment slot to another patient in need. Cancellations within two business of the appointment as well as any missed appointments will be charged the full appointment fees.

• If you are more than 10 minutes late to your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule your visit and the visit will be considered a missed appointment. Emergencies and extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that insurance will not reimburse for missed appointments or late cancelations.

COMMUNICATION

Communication in your patient portal in CharmEHR is preferred as it is HIPAA compliant and secure. You can ask questions about appointments, medications, and request refills in the portal and also view your visit summaries and upcoming appointments.

Email should not be used for medical advice or a prescription request. Current patients must send all refill requests, medication questions, scheduling concerns, etc., through the Patient Portal, which is the fastest way to get in touch with us.

Patient Portal Link:
https://www.apollopsych.com/patientportal

Medication changes are addressed only during patient appointments, but please do not hesitate to reach out to me by phone at 214-506-3334 about concerns regarding medication side effects. Voicemails are checked during normal business hours between Monday through Friday. Kindly allow 1-2 full business days for a response, not including holidays.

EMERGENCIES

If you require immediate assistance, are feeling unsafe, or are in an emergency or a crisis situation, please do not wait for me to return your call or message.

Please call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room for any life threatening medical emergency or mental health crisis.

For urgent but non-life threatening mental health issue or crisis, please call 988.

You may also call the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) Mental Health Support line at 1-833-251-7544 or the LifePath Systems Crisis Hotline at 1-877-422-5939, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.