I am a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner caring for children, adolescents, and adults for conditions such as:
ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Dementia, Schizophrenia and Eating Disorders.
From the moment i realized Nursing was my calling, I have been driven to be the best I can in my field. It is important to me that patients with mental health conditions be cared for with compassion and understanding, and I feel like this is something I have been naturally drawn to throughout my life. Even as an adolescent, my friends seemed to lean on me in times of need. I seemed to be the one giving advice during hard times. Nursing was just a natural fit for me.
I have been a Registered Nurse (RN) since 2002 when I graduated from Texas Womans University (TWU), Magna Cum Laude. I was the Student Body Government President during my education at TWU, and was inducted into the International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau.
I spent the next year working in a very demanding and high acuity Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Baylor University Medical Center downtown Dallas, where I learned a breadth of knowledge that prepared me for my future as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. I entered the Univeristy of Texas at Arlington’s Nurse Practitioner Program in 2003 while I continued to work in ICU as an RN for the next 3 years.
In 2006, I graduated as a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and became board certified (BC) to practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This gave me the ability to diagnose and treat patient conditions, specific to mental health. I am able to prescribe medications, order labs and testing as necessary, and refer to other healthcare providers when appropriate. Since I started actively practicing mental health care, I have worked with three different practices specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. Although I have always continued to treat adults and general psychiatric conditions, I have been blessed to have worked with 3 board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists which has helped me broaden my knowledge in this area immensely. My current supervising physician is Dante Burgos, MD. He is also board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I have worked with him in some capacity for more than 13 years, and am proud he has the faith in me to allow me to practice under his supervision. Current Texas law allows Nurse Practitioners to practice independently if they have a collaborating physician they consult with on a scheduled basis. This is regulated by the Texas Medical Board and The State Board of Nursing.
When I decided to start my own practice in Greenville, TX in 2012, Dr. Burgos graciously agreed to be my supervising physician. Since that time, I have built a flourishing practice, that I am proud of. I have been able to provide high quality psychiatric care in a community that is greatly underserved. Dr Burgos continues to see patients in my office about 1 day per month. He is mostly a hospitalist. He is always available to me for consultations when I need him. I am focused on my outpatient practice now, as I enjoy the relationships I develop over time with patients in this setting. I do have extensive experience treating inpatients, partial hospital and intensive outpatients in multiple behavioral health hospitals over the years: Green Oaks in Dallas, Medical Center Mckinney Wysong Campus, Glen Oaks Hospital in Greenville TX, Wilson N Jones Texas Health Resources in Sherman, TX.
*Common childhood disorders I treat include: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Diorder (ADHD), Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, DMDD, Mood disorder, Eating Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) , Acute Stress Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder.
*Common Adult disorders I treat include: Bipolar I and II disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, PTSD, ADHD, Schiophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, Eating disorders like Bulimia, Binge Eating and Anorexia, Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, Substance abuse, Major Depression Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I pride myself on taking the time each patient needs during a visit. While my main focus is medication management, I recognize there are times that a quick, 15 min ,medication management visit simply isn’t enough. Many patients come in on difficult days where they may be grieving a loss or just overwhelmed by environmental stress. I will take the time to offer these patients the validation and support they need. If that sometimes puts me a bit behind in my schedule, I hope the patients who are waiting a little longer understand that I will do the same for them when their time comes. That said, I am pretty good at running on time. I am always happy to schedule longer appointment times for those who know they will need a little more than just a straight forward medication visit. This helps ensure I stay on schedule as much as possible because I recognize that everybody’s time is valuable.
*I accept Medicare, Humana, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare/Optum. Please check with my office staff to ensure I take your specific plan.
