El Paso, TX (KFOX14) — Health does not always stay in neat little categories. Someone may walk into a clinic concerned about anxiety, fatigue, a chronic condition or simply the feeling that something is off. The practical question is whether those concerns are being looked at together.
That was the part that caught our attention when we visited El Paso Family Medicine and Mental Health Clinic. We met with Kristan Bannister, NP, PMHNP, a family and psychiatric nurse practitioner whose practice brings primary care and mental health services into the same El Paso office.
“When I first opened up this clinic, I wanted it to be very patient centered,” Bannister told us.
For her, patient-centered care means more than completing an assessment and handing someone a plan. She wants patients to help guide the conversation, explain what they are comfortable with and have a real voice in the decisions affecting their health.
“It’s their body,” she said. “And they should be able to have a say in how they want things done.”
That sounds obvious when she says it, but it is also the part people do not always experience in a medical setting. Bannister’s approach begins with building trust, listening carefully and getting on the same page as the patient before deciding which direction the care plan should take.
Looking at the full picture
Bannister explained that physical and mental health can affect one another. A person dealing with depression or severe anxiety may find it more difficult to focus on physical health needs. At the same time, living with a chronic medical condition can affect someone’s emotional well-being.
“We have to treat both of them together,” she said. “So we have the best outcomes.”
Treating both does not automatically mean prescribing medication. Bannister said care may also involve counseling, a counseling referral or a broader evaluation of what is happening physically.
During an initial visit, the clinic completes an assessment and works to establish trust. Bannister also discussed using lab work to evaluate factors such as vitamin levels and thyroid function when they may be relevant to the patient’s concerns. The clinic offers an in-house laboratory for essential medical testing, which can help keep parts of that evaluation in one location.
After the assessment and any appropriate testing, Bannister talks with the patient about the kind of plan they are interested in following. She told us every person approaches health differently, so the goal is not to force everyone onto the same path.
One office and one continuing conversation
There is also a practical benefit to combining services. Patients who need both primary and psychiatric care may otherwise find themselves communicating with several offices and trying to keep different providers updated.
“I find it’s very easy for patients to come into one place and have us address everything,” Bannister said.
Having those services in the same clinic can create a more connected conversation about the patient’s needs. It also gives Bannister the opportunity to build a continuing relationship rather than treating each concern as an isolated appointment.
“Once I build trust and rapport with a patient, the sky is the limit,” she said. “They enjoy coming in.”
What we liked most was that the philosophy was not complicated. Listen first. Look at the complete picture. Make the patient part of the decision.
For El Paso residents trying to understand how their physical symptoms, mental health and daily life may connect, that kind of conversation may be a useful place to begin.
El Paso Family Medicine and Mental Health Clinic is located at 8929 Viscount Boulevard, Suite LLB, in El Paso. Appointments can be requested through the clinic’s official website or by calling (915) 344-7165.
This feature is for informational purposes and does not replace individualized advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
El Paso Family Medicine and Mental Health Clinic (Courtesy: KFOX14)
Caption: El Paso Family Medicine and Mental Health Clinic (Courtesy: KFOX14) More About El Paso Family Medicine and Mental Health Clinic, PLLC
Provider Featured: Kristan Bannister, NP, PMHNP
Address: 8929 Viscount Blvd., Suite LLB, El Paso, TX 79925
Phone: (915) 344-7165
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m