Your Provider
Developer of Diagnostic Psychiatry Methodology
The ICU to Psychiatry Journey
19 years across 7+ ICU specialties brings systematic medical investigation to mental health care. Board-certified psychiatric provider combining ICU diagnostic rigor with comprehensive psychiatric expertise.
Experience
19 years across 7+ ICU types
Credentials
PMHNP-BC, MBA
Locations
Los Angeles & Phoenix
Telehealth
Available
Initial Visit
75-90 minutes
of psychiatric patients have undiagnosed medical causes
of our patients achieve significant improvement
average time to significant improvement
typical wait for new patient appointments
The Foundation
Why ICU Experience Matters for Psychiatry
In the ICU, every patient is a diagnostic puzzle. You can't simply prescribe and wait—you need to understand exactly what's happening physiologically, identify root causes, and intervene precisely. There's no time for trial-and-error when someone is critically ill.
After 19 years across 7+ ICU specialties—from trauma and burn units to cardiac surgery and ECMO—I developed a systematic approach to medical investigation that I now apply to psychiatric care. The methodology is the same: comprehensive assessment, systematic investigation, and targeted treatment based on findings.
Most psychiatric evaluations last 15-30 minutes and focus on symptom management. My approach starts with 75-90 minute evaluations that investigate the whole clinical picture—because psychiatric symptoms often have medical causes that standard evaluations miss.
The Discovery
The 40% Discovery That Changed Everything
When I transitioned to psychiatry, patterns emerged immediately. Patients on 4-5 psychiatric medications weren't getting better. Standard evaluation had missed:
- Severe hypothyroidism causing 'treatment-resistant depression'
- B12 deficiency so severe it mimicked schizophrenia
- Sleep apnea causing anxiety and depression (80% undiagnosed rate)
- Beta-blockers causing depression (medication side effect, not primary illness)
- Iron deficiency causing fatigue misdiagnosed as depression
Research confirmed what I was seeing: up to 40% of patients with complex psychiatric symptoms have underlying medical causes. These aren't rare zebras—they're common, systematic failures in diagnostic investigation.
Qualifications
About the Credential: PMHNP-BC
I'm a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), which actually provides some advantages for comprehensive medical-psychiatric care:
- Broader medical scope: With dual specialization (psychiatric + primary care in progress), I can directly evaluate and treat medical causes.
- More time per patient: Nurse practitioners typically allocate more time per visit. My standard initial evaluation is 75-90 minutes.
- ICU diagnostic foundation: The diagnostic rigor comes from 19 years across 7+ ICU types.
Education
My Broader Clinical Training
Beyond psychiatric specialization, I'm completing Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner certification at Purdue University. I hold an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, which informs how I think about practice systems, patient outcomes, and sustainable care models.
Professional Memberships
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA)
- American Nurses Association (ANA)
- California Board of Registered Nursing
- Arizona State Board of Nursing
Career Path
Professional Journey
2006-2011
New York Presbyterian
Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, Surgical ICU, Respiratory ICU, ER Float Pool. Learned systematic diagnostic approach from master clinicians.
2011-2023
California Hospitals
Cardiac/Medical ICU at HCA Los Gatos. Cardiothoracic ICU at Community Regional Fresno and USC Keck. Medical-Respiratory ICU at Cedars-Sinai.
MBA
UCLA Anderson
Learned healthcare economics, operations, strategy. Began thinking about systemic problems in healthcare delivery.
Present
Transition to Psychiatry
After 19 years in critical care, pursued psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner certification. Developed systematic Diagnostic Psychiatry methodology.
Core Beliefs
The Diagnostic Psychiatry Philosophy
Every Symptom Has a Cause
Comprehensive assessment upfront prevents months of trial-and-error later.
ICU Philosophy
Each month under-treated matters. We match visit frequency to your needs.
Numbers Don't Lie
We use validated outcome measures and track symptoms systematically.
Request an Appointment
Experience the Diagnostic Psychiatry approach. New patients typically seen within 3-5 days.
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