Hancock Physician Network’s May Office of the Month: Hancock Counseling & Psychiatric Services

The staffs of our Hancock Physician Network offices have two important things in common: They’re healthcare pros, and they’re amazing people. This month, meet the staff of Hancock Counseling and Psychiatric Services, including Melinda Cobb, MD; D. Renee Gill, MD; Ben McAllister, MD; DeLynn Williams, MD; Michael Miller, PhD; Katie Jones, LCSW; Kevin Knott, LCSW; Jennifer Luchtefeld, LCSW; Tricia Ring, LCSW; Rebecca VanDenburgh, LCSW; Kelle Zeabart, LCSW; and Office Manager Vicki Swinney. They provide multiple-diagnosis mental health services for patients as young as four years old.

120 W. McKenzie Rd., Suite F, Greenfield, IN 46140-1072

(317) 468-6200; after hours, (317) 832-6149

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

1. How do your office’s duties fit into Hancock Physician Network?

We’re seeing patients both virtually and by phone, assuring that we uphold the care schedules we made before stay-at-home restrictions. We’re also offering phone assistance to Hancock Health employees who need extra support during the challenges we’re all facing. Additionally, we’re providing employee assistance program (EAP) counseling within 48 hours of initial contact for Hancock Health personnel who need more support.

2. How does your office coordinate or collaborate with other departments?

Our office manager participates in daily meetings to keep up with the constant pace of change. All our providers remain available to consult with HPN practitioners and assist with the mental health needs involved in patient care.

3. What is your office’s most important function?

We are committed to upholding the wellbeing of our current and future patients through mental health care.

4. How does your staff make health possible for patients?

We’re offering three different types of virtual visits to provide services that are compatible with all our patients’ communication capabilities. We also provide phone-based appointments for those who lack access to the technology involved in teleconference-style visits.

5. How do you work with patients to eliminate fears or worries?

This is the core of what we do, and it’s always been our focus. Our providers specialize in helping patients decrease worry and anxiety, including concerns about the process of accessing the healthcare system.

6. Why should a patient visit your office rather than another practice?

We excel at patient care because our providers truly care about everyone who visits us. Technology enables us to offer virtual visits when in-person appointments aren’t an option. When patients need services that go beyond our capabilities, we refer patients to other providers. We support employees who seek help through their employee assistance programs, and we coordinate with the resources available through Healthy 365 to assure that everyone gets the services they need.

7. How do you make patients feel heard and welcomed?

Listening to our patients is the basis of what we do. That focus begins with our initial evaluations, during which we obtain a full picture of each patient’s needs so we can address them effectively.

8. How has your staff gone above and beyond to help patients?

We’ve transformed our practice into a virtual office in response to the restrictions on in-person patient visits. Our practitioners use technology to communicate with patients and maintain necessary documentation. In some cases, the process requires multiple attempts to reach patients and a detailed approach to using virtual forms. Our entire treatment staff is committed to assuring that every patient receives the same standard of care we’ve always offered.

9. How does your office approach health care differently from other health systems?

Hancock Health has enabled our office to implement multiple virtual approaches to seeing patients, and has been fully supportive of staff and providers as we continue patient care and do our best to keep everything running smoothly. They’ve shown employees how much they care about them, paying our insurance premiums, providing us with an onsite grocery store, and offering us bonus checks. All of these things help keep up staff morale, which makes a big difference in the process of patient care.

10. What’s the innovation that excites you most, and what does that development mean for health care as a whole?

Virtual care offers an exciting new trend in mental health. We didn’t envision relying on it to this extent this soon, but we’ve welcomed it as a way to maintain our standards of care during exceptionally challenging circumstances. We see this as an important new way to uphold our dedication to patients.