SubmittedHigh Plains Mental Health Center is pleased to announce expanded psychiatric and medication services as a result of five new telehealth providers joining its local staff.Adding staff capacity will increase availability and timeliness of access for Northwest Kansas residents needing medication services. New telehealth providers are:Andrew Klise, M.D., is a psychiatrist from rural Ohio who began his career as a researcher at National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University. He earned a master’s degree in biomedical science and then a Doctor of Medicine degree at University of Toledo (Ohio) College of Medicine. He is passionate about treating patients with severe mental illness, and completed his residency at the largest community hospital in the nation, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Klise specializes in treating mood and anxiety disorders.Nirupama Tamirisa, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and ABPN-certified adult psychiatrist. She completed her psychiatry training at St. Louis University, then graduated from a fellowship program at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. She received all-around training dealing with various complexities of mental health disorders.Karen Tonner, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who received her master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is experienced in treating a wide array of mental health disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and trauma in patients of all ages.Myrto Mia McNeil, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse practitioner. She graduated summa cum laude from Rutger’s University, and she has a personal commitment to promoting optimal mental health for individuals across their lifespan using an integrated holistic approach. She has earned several awards for high levels of achievement in both academic and clinical studies.Kelsey Daugherty, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults. The majority of her career has been spent in the outpatient setting working as the sole prescriber in a large private practice alongside therapists of various specialties. She values having a close, collaborative relationship with the clinicians and specialists with whom she shares clients to provide truly integrated care.All five medical practitioners see High Plains clients virtually via telehealth connection, which can be accessed in one of its clinic locations or, in some cases, via Zoom from the client’s home.The providers are employed by innovaTel telepsychiatry but work closely with on-site High Plains staff in caring for clients. They join on-site medical providers Medical Director Mark Romereim, M.D., and Joseph Mindrup, APRN, PMHNP-BC.“We are thrilled to welcome these five talented and caring professionals to join our team. Our new medical providers were selected carefully to ensure a high-quality healthcare experience and to help fill service gaps in our rural catchment area,” said Walt Hill, executive director of High Plains. “They bring valuable expertise and years of experience to the table, which will enhance client care and improve regional access to telepsychiatry services.”High Plains serves 20 counties in Northwest Kansas with six full-time clinics in Hays, Colby, Goodland, Norton, Osborne and Phillipsburg, in addition to 16 part-time community outreach offices.A sliding-fee scale is available for clients who do not have insurance. To learn more about its services or to speak to a mental health professional right away, call 1-800-432-0333.

High Plains expands psychiatry telehealth services