Dr. Aneel Ursani has joined Heading as Chief Medical Officer. With his years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience Dr. Ursani brings drive for innovative medicine and a belief that nimble, mission-driven businesses will lead the way for better patient outcomes and a healthier mental outlook. 

 

 

In connecting with Dr. Ursani about this new position he shared his insights and excitement about the new role and what he hopes to accomplish both for Heading and how his plans for Heading align with his vision for improved psychiatric medicine.

 

Why did you choose Psychiatry?

I chose Psychiatry for many reasons, but I was drawn to it in medical school because of how different it was from the rest. Rarely in other specialties do you have the privilege of personally getting to know your patients at such a deep level. Patients share things they wouldn’t share with anyone else. You often see them in their hardest moments and can play a pivotal role in their recovery.

 

How does Psychiatric Medicine continue to inspire you?

The approach to treatment is comprehensive and every case is personalized. Solutions are not solely pharmacological but often involve troubleshooting deep rooted issues which have strong psychological and social components. That’s certainly challenging, but it’s rewarding when it leads to long lasting positive change in a person’s overall health and wellbeing.

What’s your vision for the future of mental health care?

 

We have a lot to address to improve mental health care in our country. We have gaps in access to care, long wait times, a provider shortage, concerns about affordability, as well as accountability. At Heading we are directly working to address all of these.  

 

How is a team approach, with psychiatrists and therapists working together, particularly beneficial?

Patients who have been struggling for a long time often need a combination approach, and they need providers who take their insurance. 

Offering more than one service line, with in-network providers, makes the care process easier for patients. Our goal at Heading is to treat patients with the same care and compassion we’d offer our family – with the right treatment combinations to ultimately achieve full remission. As a company who believes in value based care, having a combination of providers in one practice is a win for everyone involved – providers, payers, and most importantly, patients.

 

Ketamine therapy is growing in interest, as is interest in other psychedelic treatments. How do you think psychedelic treatments will be part of the mainstream psychiatric landscape in the future?

Ketamine therapy has a special place in the psychiatry treatment algorithm. 

 

There is a large subset of patients who are treatment resistant to traditional oral medications and talk therapy. Ketamine certainly has a huge impact on these patients and the fact that we are able to offer this and other interventional treatments to our patients is exciting. Having access to these treatments, and potentially the treatments that may be available in the future, makes me excited about how the field of psychiatry can continue to address gaps.

 

Interventional treatments like Spravato® and ketamine, and other psychedelic therapies which may become more available soon, are still considered fringe by many. How can Heading continue to pave the way for broader acceptance and access for those who need these services?

 

The opportunity lies particularly in the subjects of accountability and outcomes. 

 

We must be a data driven healthcare system anchored in measurement based care – we have to demonstrate that we can help patients heal. 

Our patients deserve the highest quality care, and that means access to the treatment that is right for them. Ketamine may not be the answer for everyone. SSRIs may not be the answer for everyone. Staying close to the science, and offering highly tailored care means better outcomes.  

 

At Heading we strive to provide them the right treatment through our variety of treatment offerings. This includes evaluating the appropriateness for traditional as well as cutting edge interventional treatments. 

 

Heading is a mental health practice offering virtual medication management, virtual therapy, and virtual nutritional therapy statewide in Texas, and in-person IM Ketamine and Spravato® therapies at their centers in Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.  Heading treats adults dealing with a wide variety of mental health disorders and has a particular speciality supporting patients with long-standing and hard to treat disorders like treatment-resistant depression, major anxiety disorders, and PTSD. As he comes on board Dr. Ursani will lead the way in continuing to advance a team-approach for more holistic in-network care that keeps patients at the center of every treatment plan.