Talkiatry Adds Clinical and Growth Heavyweights to Leadership Team

• Former University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Physician Chief of the Mental Health and Addiction Service Line Dr. Allison Holt joins as Medical Director; Former Upward Health CFO Todd Yu joins as CFO
• One of the nation's largest psychiatry practices continues to expand talent base, geographic footprint, and in-network insurance coverage

NEW YORK, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talkiatry, a leading provider of high-quality, in-network psychiatric care and one of the largest employers of psychiatrists in the United States, has added Dr. Allison Holt as Medical Director and Todd Yu as Chief Financial Officer. The two join Talkiatry as it continues to expand access to psychiatric care across the nation.

With an ongoing national mental health crisis and psychiatrist shortage, millions of Americans are struggling to access mental health care. Roadblocks include health insurance and affordability issues, long wait times for an initial appointment, and cultural and societal stigma. Roughly 45% of psychiatrists do not accept insurance and a much larger percentage accept a very limited set of plans, which leaves many patients to pay for hefty out-of-pocket cash visits or opt not to receive help because it is a financial burden.

Talkiatry is a national mental health practice addressing many of the accessibility issues that have blighted the mental health care ecosystem. Providing virtual psychiatry and therapy covered by more than 60 health insurance plans nationwide, Talkiatry's team of more than 300 psychiatrists specializes in conditions ranging from anxiety to depression to PTSD. New patients can be seen within days of making an appointment, have 60-minute first visits and 30-minute follow-ups, and see the same psychiatrist every time.

"Talkiatry strives to provide the best possible psychiatric care by extending accessibility and increasing affordability for our patients," said Robert Krayn, CEO and cofounder of Talkiatry. "With Dr. Holt and Todd Yu in the fold, we add two highly capable experts who will improve our care delivery while we grow to meet the mental health needs of more and more people across the country."

Dr. Allison Holt is double-board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry and has 15 years of experience in various settings including health care administration, academia, managed care, hospital acute care, and private practice outpatient care. She is responsible for stewarding Talkiatry's outpatient psychiatric practice model by providing clinical leadership, clinician engagement, mentoring, and quality of care for a team of Chief Psychiatrists.

Dr. Holt was most recently the Physician Chief of the Mental Health and Addiction Service Line at M Health Fairview, the largest provider of mental health care in Minnesota. Concurrently, she was the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs at the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry where she developed effective and collaborative relationships with the department chair and executive leadership team. As the physician chief of the Mental Health and Addiction Service line, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine "Top Doctor" oversaw 340+ acute care hospital beds, 30+ residential dual diagnosis beds, and 150+ psychiatric providers.

"Every doctor dreams of having a positive, life-changing impact on as many lives as possible, and with Talkiatry's nationwide reach, I now join an amazing team who's doing just that," said Dr. Holt. "The well-being of our patients will always be my main priority, and with my new role at Talkiatry I'm thrilled to help lead our psychiatrists in reaching more people with the empathetic mental health support they need." 

As Talkiatry's Chief Financial Officer, Todd Yu brings two decades of financial management and strategic planning leadership experience in the healthcare and finance industries. Todd will be an integral leader responsible for driving Talkiatry's growth and strategy execution. Todd most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Upward Health, a high-growth, risk-bearing, home-based medical group. Prior to that, he was the VP of Finance at The Gersh Organization, an educational institute for students on the autism spectrum.

"With Talkiatry's psychiatrists on the front lines fighting the mental health crisis, I jumped at the chance to contribute to the company's overall strategy and mission by implementing value-based care," said Mr. Yu. ". I've always had a passion for helping the most vulnerable people among us, and Talkiatry allows me to apply these values in the real world by reaching millions of people who are suffering and need mental health care."

"We've been laying down a strong foundation of value-based care at Talkiatry, which is the future of behavioral health," said Dr. Georgia Gaveras, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Talkiatry. "Dr. Holt's clinical expertise coupled with Todd's financial experience at value-based healthcare organizations strengthens our operations and brings us another step closer to making the mental health care we strive for a reality."

About Talkiatry

Talkiatry is a national mental health practice that provides in-network psychiatry and therapy. They were co-founded by a patient and a triple-board-certified psychiatrist to solve the problems both groups face in accessing and providing the highest quality mental healthcare. 60% of adults in the U.S. with a diagnosable mental illness go untreated every year because care is inaccessible, while 45% of clinicians are out of network with insurers because reimbursement rates are low and paperwork is unduly burdensome. With innovative technology and a human-centered philosophy, Talkiatry provides patients with the care they need—and allows psychiatrists to focus on why they got into medicine. Learn more at www.talkiatry.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Talkiatry