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Patient Experience

Reframing the Conversation Around Behavioral Health

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Nicole Bartek and Diana Garcia-Prats
AT THE INTERSECTION OF GIVING, DISCOVERY AND ACCESS
For the estimated 58 million Americans living with mental health conditions like moderate depression and anxiety, seeking relief can seem like climbing up a tall mountain. Long waitlists, limited insurance coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, social stigma and difficulty locating providers are just some of the reasons why fewer than half actually seek treatment. By default, many turn to their primary care physician, but limited time, training and specialization often lead to referrals to specialists for more comprehensive care.
Powered by a philanthropic gift from Barb and Bob Zorich, the Houston Methodist Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health will promote strategic initiatives aimed at advancing genetic research and facilitating access to mental health professionals within primary care clinics. Their support enables the establishment of an endowed chair and a research fund designed to help attract a leading psychiatric geneticist who will spearhead novel research into the roles of genetics, biomarkers and phenotypes in the development of mental health disorders.
"THIS FELLOWSHIP OFFERS RARE, MEANINGFUL SUPPORT AND ADVANCED PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE THAT ELEVATES MY PSYCHIATRIC EXPERTISE AND HELPS ME BE THE BEST THAT I CAN BE FOR OUR PATIENTS."
The Zorichs’ commitment will also initiate the 2026 launch of a two-year pilot program that will expand the department’s fellowship for psychiatric nurse practitioners, increasing the number of fellows per year from one to five. The fellows will further develop their mental health expertise and care skills as they transition into the role of a highly trained professional practitioner, including a six-month rotation in primary care clinics under the mentorship of an experienced psychiatric nurse practitioner. Upon completion of the fellowship, they will be eligible for full-time, self-sustaining positions within those clinics.
“By partnering with primary care physicians and providing psychiatric nurse practitioners this hands-on opportunity to hone their clinical skills, we can significantly enhance patients’ experiences and outcomes while easing the burden on both primary care providers and psychiatrists,” says department chair Dr. Ben Weinstein.
For Nicole Bartek, the behavioral health nurse practitioner fellowship program director, this is a passion project. While the practice of integrating mental health nurse practitioners within primary care is becoming more common, Bartek points out that post-graduate psychiatric nurse practitioner fellowships are not widely available. She adds, “Ours is distinctive because we’ll be offering patients timely appointments for insurance-covered, destigmatized mental health care in a clinic that’s already familiar to them, and in coordination with a physician they already know and trust.”
The first to join the fellowship, psychiatric nurse practitioner Diana Garcia-Prats explains how it fills a critical gap in training. While doctors benefit from applied experience and mentorship during the course of their specialization, nurse practitioners typically do not. “This fellowship offers rare, meaningful support and advanced practical experience that elevates my psychiatric expertise and helps me be the best that I can be for our patients,” she says.
Emphasizing the value of these investments, Bob adds, “The urgency for greater access and high-impact research innovation in mental health care has never been clearer. Barb and I are confident that Houston Methodist is uniquely positioned to lead that charge.”