FAQ
Questions therapists ask first.
The short version: one named prescriber rather than a platform, two decades in medicine, medication management only, costs confirmed before the first visit, and booking a patient can complete in minutes. The details follow.
PsychMed Partner is a Solutions Psychiatry site for therapists. Patient-facing answers about medication care live at PsychMed Care, and practice logistics live at Solutions Psychiatry. This page answers the questions therapists ask about the prescriber.
Who is Dr. Karel Winner?
Karel Winner, DNP, PMHNP-BC, is the founder of Solutions Psychiatry and the only prescriber at this practice. His education spans several medical fields: an honours degree in podiatric medicine from the University of London, nursing degrees from Alverno College, a Master of Science in Psychiatry and Mental Health Nursing Practice from the University of Tennessee, and a clinical doctorate from Vanderbilt University. His career in medicine spans two decades, including seven years at a Level I trauma center in California. His National Provider Identifier is 1477238004.
Is this a platform or a panel practice?
Neither. This site is an information page for one independent practice, Solutions Psychiatry. Patients book directly with the practice and are seen by Dr. Winner personally, at the intake and at every follow-up visit. There is no marketplace, no rotating panel, and no assignment to an unknown clinician.
What does a patient get here?
Medication management, in two parts. The first is a 60-minute intake evaluation covering the full medication history and the physical picture. The second is a series of 30-minute follow-up visits at which treatment is adjusted one change at a time. Careful psychopharmacology is supported, where the picture calls for it, by targeted laboratory work through LabCorp and by GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing. Medications that are not earning their place are deprescribed.
How are medication decisions made?
Carefully, and in the open. The first visit is a full-hour evaluation of the medication history and the physical picture before anything is started or changed. Where the picture calls for it, targeted laboratory work through LabCorp and GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing inform the choice. Changes then come one at a time, at a dose chosen for a stated reason. A medication that is working is left to work. One that is not is reviewed and, where it is not earning its place, reduced or stopped.
How does therapy fit with this care?
Therapy remains with the patient's own therapist, unchanged. This practice provides medication management only. Once Dr. Winner has evaluated and assessed a patient, that patient is his patient for medication management, and he carries responsibility for prescribing decisions, monitoring, and medication safety in that part of their care. A patient who would rather have therapy and medication from a single clinician can find combined care at the full practice at psych.us.
What does it cost?
Self-pay fees are $350 for the 60-minute intake evaluation and $250 for each 30-minute follow-up visit. Most insured patients pay a copay instead, typically between $0 and $40 per visit. The practice verifies the exact amount before the first visit, so the cost is known in advance.
Which insurance plans are accepted?
The practice is in network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Oscar, Oxford, Carelon, and Providence. Medicare is accepted in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, and Utah, and Medicaid is accepted in Oregon and Wyoming.
Which patients can be seen?
Adults and older teenagers aged 17 and over, located in one of the 34 states and DC where the practice offers telehealth care. The service suits patients whose therapy is established with their own therapist and who need a dedicated prescriber, whether they are starting medication, dissatisfied with a current regimen, or between prescribers. In-person visits are arranged in the patient's state when federal or DEA requirements call for one.
How does a patient book?
Directly, in one of three ways: the IntakeQ booking link, a message through Spruce, or a telephone call to (800) 303-3221. There is no web form collecting clinical details on this site, and nothing for a therapist to file or manage. The booking page gathers the three options in one place.
What if a patient is in crisis?
This practice is not an emergency service. A patient in crisis should call or text 988, call 911, text HOME to 741741 for Crisis Text Line, or call NAMI at 1-800-950-6264. Care here is planned, non-urgent medication management.
Anything not covered here can be asked directly at (800) 303-3221 or through Spruce.