Mental health plays a vital role in our overall well-being, but many people still hesitate to seek help. In this episode, Dr. Scott sits down with Skye Hicks from Elite Psychiatry to discuss the impact of COVID on mental health, the stigma surrounding treatment, and how personalized care makes a difference. They also explore cutting-edge treatments like esketamine therapy and how mental health care is evolving. Tune in to learn more about prioritizing mental wellness!
#MentalHealth #Wellness #ElitePsychiatry
Dr. Scott: So we have with us today Skye Hicks with Elite Psychiatry. Skye, let’s start by having you tell us about your journey—what led you to where you are now? Of course, we want to learn about your business. Our goal with this podcast is to provide more information to our community. We’re all in the healthcare field, and obviously, mental health is a big part of that. So give us a rundown on everything.
Skye Hicks: Yeah, so Elite Psychiatry was founded by David and Katie. I think they’ve been around for about a year and a half now. The practice has grown and was looking to expand when I joined.
At that time, I had just graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a degree in psychiatric mental health. Before that, I worked bedside—my wife is also a nurse, and we did travel nursing from 2018 to 2020. We were actually in San Francisco when COVID hit, so we were locked down pretty early. That was a long, tough period, especially since we had hoped to travel more.
Dr. Scott: Yeah, we heard a lot about that. One of the biggest side effects of COVID isolation was the toll it took on mental health. I always say that as humans, we are social creatures, and suddenly, we were forced into isolation. I hear a lot about how this affected children in particular. Would you say it had a bigger impact on younger kids?
Skye Hicks: Absolutely. It had a huge impact on socialization. I’ve seen a number of kids who never transitioned back to in-person school—they continued remote learning, either because it was easier for them or because socialization was difficult. Some even performed better at home.
But in general, I’d agree. A lot of people ask me why mental health issues, particularly ADHD, seem more prominent now. My take is that many mental health conditions manifest in how people respond to disruptions in their daily life. Transitions—big or small—can be a major source of stress, and COVID was a collective trauma for society. It amplified everything people were already struggling with.
Dr. Scott: That makes sense. I would think working with younger patients would be even more challenging because they don’t yet have life processes in place to deal with emotions and stress. So, do you also work with military patients?
Skye Hicks: Yeah, we do see some military patients, though my focus is pediatrics and adolescents. I specialize in treating children starting at age six, but I also see plenty of adults.
Dr. Scott: Let’s go back a bit. Mental health is such a specific field—what first piqued your interest in it?
Skye Hicks: Initially, it wasn’t my first pick. I was actually leaning toward cardiac care because my dad had heart problems, and I wanted to work in that area. I even did my practical hours in CVICU (Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit) and planned to work there.
But right when I finished school, the manager who had verbally agreed to hire me left, so I had to pivot. I ended up in neonatal ICU, one of only two male nurses in the entire children’s hospital. That was my introduction to the medical world. Eventually, I moved to mental health because I was drawn to the complexity of it.
Dr. Scott: That’s interesting how things fall into place like that. So, tell us more about Elite Psychiatry. What do you and the team do?
Skye Hicks: Elite Psychiatry is run by David Vincent and Katie Wainwright, both physician assistants. I’m a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, as is our other provider, Brittany. Katie handles administrative tasks, while David and I see patients. We work closely as a team to provide personalized mental health care.
Dr. Scott: If someone wants to reach out to your practice, what’s the process?
Skye Hicks: It’s pretty simple. You can visit our website, ElitePsychiatryTN.com, or just Google “Elite Psychiatry Dixon TN” to find our contact information. Our office administrators, Michelle and Claudia, handle scheduling. We offer a thorough intake process and a full one-hour new patient appointment to really understand a person’s needs.
Dr. Scott: I love that level of care. It makes a big difference when practitioners genuinely want to help people. I always say that in healthcare, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Skye Hicks: Absolutely. One thing that sets us apart is how connected we stay with our patients. We use HIPAA-compliant messaging so people can reach out between appointments, and we coordinate with therapists, schools, and other professionals to make sure patients are getting the best care possible.
Dr. Scott: That’s fantastic. Mental health is such a crucial part of overall well-being. What’s your take on how it fits into the bigger picture of health?
Skye Hicks: I see mental health as an outward reflection of everything else happening in a person’s life. You can exercise and eat well, but if you’re stressed or mentally overwhelmed, it overrides everything else. Your environment, relationships, and mindset all contribute to your well-being.
Dr. Scott: That’s so true. And our culture plays a big role, too. Social media, for example, is a double-edged sword—it connects people, but it also creates unrealistic expectations.
Skye Hicks: Exactly. People tend to compare themselves to the best versions of others they see online. But you should be competing with yourself, not others.
Dr. Scott: I couldn’t agree more. Before we wrap up, tell us about any cutting-edge treatments you’re offering.
Skye Hicks: We recently started offering esketamine (Spravato) treatment for treatment-resistant depression. It’s an intranasal ketamine-based treatment that was recently FDA-approved as a monotherapy. It helps with neuroplasticity and can improve mental health at an organic level.
Dr. Scott: That’s incredible. Thank you so much for coming in today, Skye. I appreciate your insights, and hopefully, we can continue this conversation in the future.
Skye Hicks: Thank you for having me! I’d love to come back.