Frequently Asked Questions

My Approach to Care

  • My care model is highly personalized and collaborative. We move through three deliberate phases to map out, treat, and optimize your health entirely from the comfort and privacy of your home via my secure telehealth platform:

    • Step 1: Comprehensive Intake (90 Mins): We look far beyond surface symptoms to explore your unique biology, history, and goals.

    • Step 2: First Follow-Up (60 Mins): We analyze your laboratory data and other testing results, deepen our clinical partnership, and finalize your customized treatment plan.

    • Step 3: Ongoing Support (30, 45, or 60 Mins): Future visits are never rushed surface-level, medication checks. We choose the right length of time together to actively develop your treatments plan and improve your well-being.

  • I treat the whole body as an interconnected system instead of breaking your symptoms down into separate parts. Rooted in a clinical foundation of both family medicine and psychiatry, I bridge the gaps between physical and mental health. Instead of rushing you through a 10-minute symptom checklist, I take time to listen to your story and use detailed laboratory data to find out why you feel poorly. I draw from conventional and integrative medical treatments to reverse disease and restore your sense of well-being.

  • Standard psychiatry often treats mental health in isolation from the rest of the body. Because I am a board certified psychiatric physician assistant, I deeply understand conventional psychopharmacology, allowing me to expertly manage, optimize, or thoughtfully deprescribe medications with precision. I also combine this medical expertise with functional medicine to look at the biological root causes of your mood, anxiety, and cognitive concerns, evaluating how your physical metabolism, nutrition, and hormones are actively influencing your brain chemistry.

  • I specialize in healing the connections between your physical health, your mental health, and your overall well-being. My core areas of clinical focus include:

    • Metabolic Health & Weight Loss (addressing insulin resistance, metabolic blocks, and systemic "food noise")

    • Gut & Digestive Health (repairing the gut-brain axis)

    • Hormone Health & Balance (with a heavy focus on hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, and adrenal optimization)

    • Integrative Mental & Emotional Health (addressing anxiety, depression, ADHD, insomnia, and burnout from the cells up)

    • Perimenopause & Menopause (utilizing personalized Bioidentical HRT)

    • Andropause (testosterone optimization for men)

    • Autoimmune & Inflammatory Conditions (cooling systemic inflammation)

    • Longevity & Healthspan (optimizing lifestyle and cellular health through longevity and performance medicine)

  • Yes. As a board-certified, licensed Physician Assistant with advanced specialty training in psychiatry, I can prescribe medications when they are clinically necessary and supportive of your goals.

    However, I also specialize in thoughtful deprescribing. If you are taking medications that are no longer serving you, causing unacceptable side effects, or masking underlying issues, we will work together to safely and systematically reduce or taper them while building up your body’s natural resilience.

  • I am not a standalone licensed therapist, however psychological insight and therapeutic lifestyle interventions are a core pillar of my care model. I intentionally integrate behavioral counseling and supportive, insight-oriented psychotherapy into our sessions to identify behavioral patterns that are interfering with health, reframe mindset blocks, and build sustainable daily habits. If dedicated therapy is needed, I highly encourage my patients to maintain a relationship with a traditional therapist and I am always happy to collaborate closely with them to align your physical and emotional health.

  • No, my practice is focused exclusively on adult medicine and psychiatry. I am currently accepting patients who are 18 years of age and older.

Appointments & Getting Started

  • I provide comprehensive virtual care to anyone physically located anywhere within the state of Alaska. Whether you are in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or a remote community, I can provide your integrative care entirely online through my secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform.

  • No, I see patients 100% virtually via my secure telehealth platform. Operating fully online allows me to deliver high-quality, deeply attentive care across Alaska.

    On a personal note: Because my husband's career requires our family to relocate every 3 to 5 years, a virtual practice ensures that no matter where my family moves, my commitment to my patients remains uninterrupted. You will never have to start over with a new provider just because life happens.

  • You can schedule an appointment here. New patients should select either a Complimentary Consult (20-min) or a New Patient Assessment (90-min).

  • You will receive an immediate confirmation email and/or text containing your appointment details and an invitation to join Unscripted Medicine on Spruce Health. You will also receive a digital intake packet. These forms will autosave and can be completed at your pace, however please note that all required intake and consent forms must be completed 24 hours before your visit.

    If new patient forms are still incomplete at that time, your appointment may be canceled to ensure all necessary legal and medical documentation is finalized before your evaluation. You will be welcome to reschedule as soon as the forms are finished.

  • Our initial consult will last up to 90 minutes and include a review of the history you provided in your intake forms as well as a deep discussion of your health and wellness goals. I will provide you with my assessment of your current health concerns, and we will begin developing your personalized treatment plan, which may include ordering labs, initiating medications and/or nutraceuticals, and creating behavioral goals.

  • We meet using video and audio (similar to Facetime) via my HIPAA compliant platform on the Spruce Health App.

    Try to find a private, quiet, well-lit place in your home to maximize our time together focused on your care.

    Please note that federal law requires you to physically be in the state of Alaska at the time of our appointment.

  • I require 24-hours notice for cancellation in order to avoid a fee.

    If you late-cancel or no-show to 4 appointments within a rolling 12-month period, you may be discharged from the practice, as stated in the Financial Policy signed as a part of your intake packet.

Insurance & Payment

  • I currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Premera, Aetna, and Optum.

    I will begin accepting ModaHealth on Dec 1, 2026.

    For all other insurance plans, I operate on an out-of-network self-pay basis. I offer a 20% discount for military service members, law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and their families.

    What this means for out-of-network or uninsured patients:

    • I am happy to provide a detailed superbill for patients to submit to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement.

    • HSA and FSA funds can be used for your care.

    • You will never receive a surprise bill. I maintain pricing transparency and my fee schedule can be found here.

    I am in the credentialing process with several other major health insurance carriers here in Alaska. I will announce here as I begin accepting each insurance.

    Note: Insurance coverage, copayments, deductibles, and reimbursement vary by plan and are not guaranteed. It is patient responsibility to verify and maintain coverage.

  • I value complete financial transparency. My self-pay rates reflect a 40% discount compared to insurance billing prices due to the reduced administrative burden.

    • Complimentary Consult (15 Mins) – Free

    • New Patient Assessment (up to 90 Mins) – $350 (your first appointment)

    • Extended Therapeutic Health Review (up to 60 Mins) – $275 (your second appointment and any future comprehensive lab analysis or complex therapeutic follow-ups for established patients)

    • Integrative Follow-Up (up to 45 Mins) – $200 (standard integrated visit for established patients)

    • Well-Being Check-In (up to 30 Mins) – $150 (brief progress check-up for established patients)

  • A Superbill is an itemized medical receipt that allows you to pay out-of-pocket for care and then seek reimbursement from your insurance company.

    Here is the quick, step-by-step process:

    1. Pay for Your Visit at the time of your appointment.

    2. Get Your Superbill containing all necessary medical data (diagnosis codes, treatment codes, and provider NPI).

    3. Submit to Insurance via your insurance company's online member portal; navigate to the "Submit a Claim" section for specific instructions.

    4. Receive Reimbursement: If you have out-of-network benefits, your insurance company will process the claim and mail a reimbursement check directly to you.

    Tip: Always call your insurance provider beforehand and ask: "What are my out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits?" to know exactly what percentage they will refund you.

  • Yes! I offer a Whole Health Membership program that covers functional medicine resources not covered by insurance (such as health coaching) and provides access to concierge care services (such as after-hours & weekend messaging and priority scheduling for non-urgent concerns). There are different tiers available, ranging from $50-175/month depending on your needs; for self-pay patients, higher tier options include all appointment costs at a discounted rate.

  • I accept credit, debit, FSA, and HSA cards, and require a card to be maintained on file.

    Payment is due in full at the time of service. My complete financial policy and fee schedule can be viewed here.

  • That depends on your insurance. I recommend contacting your carrier to verify those details prior to scheduling an appointment, as you will be liable for payment if your insurance denies the claim.

Communication

  • For routine or time-sensitive questions, call or text at 907-891-8327.

    To communicate about matters pertaining to protected health information, message me through the Spruce Health secure messaging app.

  • Spruce Health is a HIPAA-compliant app that allows you to message and video conference similarly to WhatsApp. Within the app, you can easily share pictures and PDFs (such as lab reports) to be automatically uploaded into your medical record so no detail of your care gets missed.

  • I will respond as possible, but always within 3 business days. Whole Health Members enjoy priority communication access within 24 hours.

    Gentle note: Unscripted Medicine does not have the capacity to respond to medical or psychiatric emergencies and crises outside of business hours, and messaging is not for emergencies.

    If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.

    For behavioral health crises:
    Call or text 988
    Call 877-266-HELP (4357)
    Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741

  • The best place to request refills or changes to pharmacy is in Spruce Health.

    Please allow 3 business days for me to address these requests.

  • Because Unscripted Medicine is a 100% virtual, specialized clinic, we do not provide 24/7 crisis or emergency medical coverage.

    If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, a psychiatric crisis, or require immediate urgent care, please call 911, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or go to the nearest physical emergency room immediately.

Desk with computer and book preparing for functional medicine telehealth in Alaska

More Questions?

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