Clinician Corner: What Dr. Mariela Fuenmayor Finds Most Rewarding as a Telepsychiatry Provider

Iris clinicians are at the heart of what makes our organization such a special place to work. That’s why we’re turning the spotlight on the amazing work they’re doing every day. This month, we’re sitting down to talk with Dr. Mariela Fuenmayor.

Q. How did you find Iris and decide you wanted to be an Iris provider?

A. I found Iris online. I worked for the VA, and the stress level was too high. I started looking for another job that would give me more balance in my life. Then, I found Iris.

Q. How does Telehealth compare to in-person care?

A: There’s no doubt in psychiatry and therapy being able to see someone in person has an impact on people. But the whole world has changed. The amount of reach telehealth can have is amazing.

My school did not approve of telehealth. Now, I see its power, and then the pandemic showed us what we couldn’t see before.

I had been working in telehealth for five years because the VA hired me for telehealth. I was working with high-intensity patients. I already knew how it was, but many people didn’t know.

However, when the pandemic hit, it was a very easy transition to do it. Telehealth has a lot to offer nowadays, especially with the difficulties people have trying to be seen by a psychiatrist. So right now, I see the power, and I don’t think I would go back to the other way.

Q. How do you foster connections with your patients in a virtual environment?

A. My background has an art piece that I’m very connected to. Another thing I use is when talking to the patient, and then I say, “I want to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Fuenmayor. I’m a psychiatrist working for this place. I’m in my office, and it’s my home office, but this is a floor where no one is around. I have four screens in front of me. Sometimes, my dogs are here, and if they are, I will ask you if you want to see them. And sometimes they’re not. So, this is totally private, and the conversation is HIPAA compliant.”

I frame it like that and make sure I move my hands a lot. I’ve read a lot about nonverbal communication, so I practice that, make sure I’m keeping eye contact, and try not to talk when I’m talking to patients, so they feel that they are my priority.

Right now, there is an on-site team member with the patient – often either a nurse, case manager or therapist. So, I explain this to the patient on the call and say, “so-and-so is here.” Before I meet the patient, the on-site team presents everything to me and explains to the patient what will happen. That process has worked out well for me.

Very few patients say, “I want an in-person psychiatrist.” I would say 95% of the patients are okay with telehealth. Some of the patients told me they wanted to see a face-to-face psychiatrist, and they did. Then, they come back to virtual.

Q. How do you manage work-life balance?

A: I live in Arkansas in Central Time and work for California in Pacific Time. I start working at 10:00 a.m. my time and 8:00 a.m. their time. I work an eight-hour shift, and I make sure that my life before my job is the time when I walk and where I do my exercise. I’m a yoga practitioner, and I have time to do it every morning.

I don’t have to drive anywhere. So, I’m just home. I make sure that my office is on the second floor, and I’m never here. This room is just for the office.

It has worked out well for me. I don’t think about work after that. I think about my connection with my family and doing what I want. I do feel like I have achieved that work-life balance. It’s priceless.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A. When I can witness, with the team’s help, that I can change a person’s life for good, I’ve gone full circle since I graduated 30-something years ago. Many times, I felt like it was just running and running and not seeing the effect. When I was in private practice, the effect took years to happen.

Today, I work for Community Solutions, a non-profit organization in San Jose and Morgan Hill, California. There is a large transient population – we deal with the social problems they’re going through.

In two or three months they go one month in crisis, residential, then a three-month residential treatment program. In that time, I can see the change, and it is so fulfilling. I am super excited about this. Sometimes, you lose someone, but most of the time, I can see the effect of the team and the work we do in the patient’s life. That is the reason I went to psychiatry. I feel like I completed the whole circle and am back to where I wanted to be.

Q. What do you love about working with Iris?

A. I love it because, technology-wise, whenever I’m having hiccups, someone jumps in, and I feel respected. I have all the support I need. Iris Telehealth and the IT team are amazing. I don’t know them in person, but I’m super grateful. When I cannot connect, someone will jump on in minutes. Technical issues cause the biggest level of stress for a telehealth provider.

Of course, you have that responsibility of the patient. But the big stress is what happens if I cannot connect? What happens if something doesn’t work, and I cannot provide a service? Iris has been amazing at helping me with that.

Melissa Kennedy has also been amazing – she’s an amazing human being. When I have any problems in my personal life that I need to take, she’s very helpful in facilitating that. I feel super supported by Iris, and when I come to work, I want to come to work.

I’m not stressed. I am happy with what I’m going to do. And I know that if something goes wrong, I can text someone, call them, and they can jump on in minutes. That’s what I love about working with Iris.

Q. Why do you think telepsychiatry is the future of mental health care?

A. There are not enough psychiatrists for the number of patients we have. I remember when I used to work in person, no matter what you do or if you try to buy a house close to your office, you still have the commute time. There is a lot of stress about commuting and parking.

Now, we can reach more people and we’re developing more effective ways to communicate. The world is used to video conferences, and there is no question that I can see more people through video than I could see in person. For example, if I have ten patients scheduled today and someone cancels, my team can add someone else to my schedule because I work in telehealth.

When I was working in the office, a no-show was a no-show – and the rate at that time was 30%. From and efficacy standpoint, there’s no question that we can see more patients. I think telemedicine offered a huge step forward in healthcare and telepsychiatry. It’s been a step forward.

New generations are going to ask you for that. I can also see people in person in my private practice when I used to have it, and your people feel comfortable doing video, and they’ll say, “No, let’s do video. I can do it. I can attend your appointment because I just finished working and can do it now. I don’t have to commute.” So, that’s why it’s the future — it makes the service more available to everyone.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who’s new to telehealth?

A. The taxing thing about telehealth is sitting at the desk and in an office. I have overcome that by ensuring I do my outdoor things before I go to work and doing physical exercise.

My advice is to separate your work from your life somehow. I put my office on the floor of my house where no one goes. That way, you have that break. Then, also make sure that you do physical exercise or whatever you do to keep your mind balanced.

Some people do meditation, and I do yoga, but make sure that you do something like that because now, when you walk, you cannot walk in an office. I do have a standing desk, but sitting here is taxing on the body. However, if you make sure that you do that, everything will be okay.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience in telehealth?

A. I’m super grateful and happy. I’m proud to work for Iris. Telepsychiatry is a very effective tool. And from the provider’s standpoint, it can allow you to have a work-life balance, which can be very fulfilling. If you had asked me 30 years ago, I would never have told you I would still be so happy doing this. I am so glad and I’m helping people. If someone is going to try telehealth, give yourself a year of this experience, and if you’re like me, you will have a great opportunity to help people. And that’s the reason you went to medical school in the first place.

At Iris, we believe our providers should be respected, valued, and applauded for the work they do, and we couldn’t be more proud to say, “thank you” to our very own Dr. Mariela Fuenmayor. If you’d like to learn more about working for Iris Telehealth, contact us today.

Telepsychiatry in Action: Meet our Clinical Hiring Team

At Iris, we’re proud to offer a top-notch experience for our clinicians and partners by helping ensure excellent, long-term provider matches. This process, called The Iris Match, helps clinicians find an organization that aligns with their values and needs and enables our partners to secure a provider their patients and providers will love. 

Leading this effort is our incredible clinical hiring team. In this blog, we’re excited to share more about this team’s mission, their approach to hiring behavioral health providers, and how they go above and beyond to help ensure our providers are set up for success. 

The mission of the clinical hiring team 

The clinical hiring team comprises Clinical Hiring Managers (CHMs), Clinical Talent Consultants (CTCs), and Clinical Recruitment Coordinators (CRCs). This team revolves around collaboration, starting with the CRCs, who process provider applications through interviews with the CTCs and placements with the CHMs. 

On the organizational side, this team talks with partner groups to learn about their culture, patient population, and all the soft and hard skills providers will need to succeed. From start to finish, everyone is laser-focused on longitudinal matches with quality providers.

Life in clinical hiring is different each day. Whether they’re talking with providers and potential partners or attending meet and greets between the two, they’re invigorated by finding the best matches for each party. 

When zooming out, what sets this team apart is the dedication to their mission. The clinical hiring team is keenly aware of what patients must endure when there are gaps in coverage. That’s why they ensure they’re not just filling a role but making a mindful, high-quality, long-term match. This mission helps organizations with provider retention amid a shortage of behavioral health providers. 

So, what does our clinical hiring team look for when finding that perfect match? Let’s take a closer look.

What makes an excellent Iris provider

At Iris, we pride ourselves on working with the best of the best providers. While so many healthcare organizations need excellent providers, there are a few key components that we’ve found in making quality, long-term matches. 

In community mental health, an excellent provider understands the patient population, the complexities of delivering care to that population, and the demand it can have on them. We’re proud to give voice to the voiceless, and it requires a provider with compassion, understanding, and someone free from judgment.

Additionally, continuity of care is a significant focus for our organization, and we look for that shared value in our providers, too. Resilience is another tool we look for in our providers. By having something in place to help them avoid compassion fatigue and the secondary trauma that comes with these roles is essential.

For our providers, we help ensure they have the operational support they need in their daily work. For example, our Clinical Operation Managers (COMs) help ensure our providers have things like administrative and operational hurdles taken care of so they can focus on patient care. 

To learn more about our Clinical Operation Managers, check out their spotlight here. 

Providers also benefit from our mindful matches. At Iris, we don’t take a plug-and-play approach. Instead, we consider many components of the job to help ensure it matches what our providers want. For instance, we look at the community where they’ll be placed, ask if they’re comfortable seeing a particular patient population, and make sure their skill set is a match for the organization. 

The matchmaking process 

To help assist with making the best long-term match possible, there are a few considerations our clinical hiring team must learn about the providers. For example, do they have a specific prescribing or therapeutic approach they adhere to? Is there a specific population they want to work with? This team also assesses things like personality and communication style to ensure they’d be a good fit for our partners. 

From our partners, we might ask them any of the following questions:

  • What are you looking for in a clinician? 
  • Do you need someone who is more independent or who wants to be a part of the team? 
  • Do you need someone with specific soft skills? 
  • What kind of support do you have on the ground? 

As part of our rigorous vetting process, the clinical hiring team also does multiple interviews with the providers. This thorough process helps ensure that we’re not just filling slots, but making intentional matches. 

When working to make a match, the clinical hiring team asks themselves, “Would I trust someone I love with this provider?” And if the answer is no, then they may not be the best fit. 

Learn more about the support Team Iris provides

If you’d like to learn how our clinical hiring team can help your organization find the best provider fit for your population, contact us today! 

Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about the other pillars of support our teams provide, check out our other spotlights here:

At Iris, we’re proud to provide quality support to all our partners so they can help their patient population get the quality behavioral health care they need. 

How Virtual Care Boosts Patient Satisfaction

Lack of access to proper psychiatric care in the United States is a major challenge for our healthcare system. However, virtual solutions make psychiatric care more accessible, effective, and patient-centered.

The benefits of virtual care for patients are significant. In fact, a study by the American Medical Association demonstrated 79% patient satisfaction with telehealth. For patients, virtual care opens up access to behavioral health services, facilitates shorter wait times, and cuts out the commute to the doctor’s office.

While these benefits are essential, let’s take a closer look at all the ways virtual care boosts patient satisfaction. 

State of virtual behavioral health care

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people found themselves relying on telehealth to get care. In fact, during the first four months of COVID-19, telehealth visits accounted for 23.6% of all interactions. Today, telehealth continues to provide care to those who cannot reach behavioral health services as easily.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals and health systems continue to experience challenges meeting patient volume and needs with limited behavioral health resources.

Additionally, the ongoing provider shortage underscores the importance of leveraging virtual care as patients still struggle to receive timely care. Thankfully, telepsychiatry can ensure patients receive quality, timely, and sustainable care by connecting them to providers regardless of geographic location.

Patient satisfaction by the numbers

Convenience is an essential factor that contributes to patient satisfaction. According to the American Medical Association, 62% of physicians feel like their patients have higher satisfaction since they’ve started offering virtual care as an option.

At Iris, our clinicians have a similar experience with patient satisfaction. Dr. Kavita Vasu, one of our psychiatrists, says virtual care gives her patients flexibility, allowing them to access care from wherever they are – whether at home or work. Dr. Vasu also notes that no-show rates are significantly lower.

Additionally, research shows that virtual care is an effective way to increase patient access. According to the 2022 CVS Health Care insights, 59% of patients said that accessing virtual telehealth services was essential to their health.

Overall, the data is clear – patient satisfaction with virtual care is high. 

The J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study says that a growing number of patients prefer telehealth visits for various types of care, including routine care, prescription refills, and regular mental health visits. The survey also says 94% of patients and their families who have used telehealth in the past “definitely will” or “probably will” continue to utilize it.

Virtual care reaches those who need care most

In a database released by the Health Resources & Services Administration, numbers show that 157 million people live in a mental health professional shortage area (HPSA). Virtual care makes access to specialty behavioral health providers more easily available to those who live far from care.

Here are just a few of the populations that benefit from telepsychiatry access:

  • LGBTQIA+: For LGBTQIA+ youth, access to mental health can be difficult due to inadequate mental health care, fear of discussing mental health concerns, and stigma. Utilizing virtual care can help LGBTQIA+ youth overcome some of these barriers by promoting a safe and accessible method for the delivery of care.
  • Youth: Child psychiatry is more important than ever, with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Hospital Association, and the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry declaring a mental health emergency for youth in October 2021. With virtual care, children can be screened for mental health conditions, and have a psychiatrist ready to support and treat them. Additionally, parents no longer have to take time out of their day to bring their children to their mental health appointments, making care more convenient for both families and children.
  • Geriatric populations: Early intervention, collaborative care, and a holistic approach are both vital when it comes to addressing the health of the geriatric population in your community. Virtual care can be an essential tool for older adults to receive care from the comfort of their own homes while maintaining a sense of autonomy.
  • Rural populations: Barriers like limited health literacy, transportation challenges, and privacy are just a few challenges that rural populations face when they’re trying to get the care they need. However, virtual care provides an opportunity for rural communities to connect to a high-quality mental health provider without a long commute and fear of stigma.
  • Underserved populations: Social determinants of health create and exacerbate mental illness by making access to mental health care more difficult. Access to providers that are culturally competent can allow minorities to connect with a provider who can better relate to their experiences.

How virtual care boosts patient satisfaction in the ED

In the emergency department (ED), virtual care can allow patients faster access to behavioral health care through a virtual visit. This improved access means patients don’t have to wait hours to receive treatment and can have a shorter stay in the ED – leading to an improved patient experience overall. 

Avoiding ED boarding is crucial to patient satisfaction, as there are many downstream harms that can come with it. The Joint Commission (TJC) recently shared how boarding is a patient safety risk that leads to increased medical errors, compromised patient privacy, and increased mortality, especially if it exceeds four hours. With the help of virtual care, organizations can  increase throughput in the ED and decrease the need for patient boarding.

How Iris can help

At Iris Telehealth, we envision a better world through healthy minds. If you’re looking to meet the behavioral needs of your community and help your patients achieve better health outcomes, telepsychiatry is the perfect solution. Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about implementing telepsychiatry into your organization.