Long wait times, insurance issues and cost barriers can all make it hard to access care for emotional health.
Regional One Health’s primary care providers can fill that gap! Kafila Jaipuri RN, MSN, CFNP, APN, a certified family nurse practitioner at Harbor of Health, helps patients through screening, medication, lifestyle counseling and more.
Your PCP can also make a referral to a specialist and help you navigate your additional care.
Care for emotional health can be hard to access. A shortage of providers means long wait times, and insurance and cost issues can be barriers.
“As a primary care provider, I help fill that gap,” said Kafila Jaipuri RN, MSN, CFNP, APN, a certified family nurse practitioner at Harbor of Health. “In recent years, primary care providers have played a growing role in mental health care. At your next checkup, don’t hesitate to mention these common concerns related to emotional wellbeing!”
I feel sad and anxious. Do I need medication or counseling?
It starts with screening, and your primary care provider can do that during your annual exam.
“We ask if you feel hopeless or sad, and whether you’ve stopped finding pleasure in things you used to enjoy. We talk about changes and circumstances in your life that cause stress or grief,” Jaipuri said.
Kafila Jaipuri RN, MSN, CFNP, APN, said, “In recent years, primary care providers have played a growing role in mental health care. At your next checkup, don’t hesitate to mention concerns about your emotional wellbeing!”
There are several antidepressants your provider can prescribe as a starting point. For a lot of patients, these work great! If you’re still struggling after a few months, they can refer you to a mental health professional for therapy and additional medication options.
If you have to wait a long time to see a mental health provider, you can keep seeing your primary care provider in the interim.
I want to lose weight and get healthy. What can I do?
A healthy lifestyle supports positive emotional health.
“I started my career as a dietitian, so I have experience helping patients use nutrition to achieve many goals: weight loss, improved performance and energy, management of chronic illness, etc.,” Jaipuri said.
“If patients are educated about diet and understand the link between food and feeling better, they feel empowered to improve their health through nutrition and exercise rather than medication, surgery, etc.”
As I age, I worry about serious illness. What can I do?
It’s normal to think about serious issues like heart disease and cancer as you get older because risk increases with age. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do.
Primary care providers prevent serious illness via annual exams, vaccines for illness like shingles and pneumonia, and screening like mammograms, pap tests, colonoscopies and prostate checks.
When it comes to emotional health, primary care providers can offer screening, lifestyle support, prescriptions for antidepressants and referrals to a variety of mental health specialists.
“We manage age-related chronic disease including hypertension and diabetes through medication and lifestyle. We help you avoid hospitalization by diagnosing and treating problems before they get severe,” Jaipuri said. “We can also connect you with all kinds of medical specialists and help you navigate your care.”
By putting you in control of your health, your PCP can help you stay active and age gracefully!
What other emotional health concerns can I bring up?
Just about anything! Primary care providers can counsel patients about smoking cessation and substance abuse, sexual health, abuse, stress, sleep disorders, etc. If you need a specialist, they help you navigate the process.
“Remember – primary care providers want to build a lasting relationship with you to help you achieve your goals,” Jaipuri said. “We are here to listen and help, not judge or reprimand. We want you to feel comfortable talking openly about your physical and emotional health so we can provide evidence-based care and holistic, individualized support.”
Learn more!
Kafila Jaipuri RN, MSN, CFNP, APN is a certified family nurse practitioner at Harbor of Health. She sees patients from age 18 through the geriatric years for acute and chronic conditions.