People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. It's a well-used saying, but according to Dr. Ron Zedek it's more than just a saying. "There is biological evidence for it," said Zedek. "Only when people sense you really care about them do they become interested in what you know that can help them."
Zedek is a nationally recognized psychiatrist who is planning to be in Winnemucca to see patients one day every three weeks, starting July 22.
Zedek has been practicing psychiatry in Nevada since 1996; his first office was in Las Vegas. He has since also opened offices in North Las Vegas, Pahrump and Elko, and is expanding to Reno and Winnemucca.
He said the need for a psychiatrist to be available in Winnemucca became obvious to him when he noted how many patients he was seeing in his Elko practice were from Winnemucca. He's interested in helping people in underserved areas.
"I'm told I have the largest psychiatric practice in the state," said Zedek. "When you love what you do, you want to do it all the time." he added, "I get a lot of referrals from other doctors."
How does he see so many patients? "I think I have a gift, a talent for it. I feel God has given me an innate ability to help people; it's my mission."
In addition to children, adolescents and young adults, which Zedek said is his "forte," he is also one of a shrinking number of private practice psychiatrists who will see Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Zedek was trained in New York, with a bachelors degree in biology from The State University of New York at Binghamton. He received his M.D. at New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY and completed his psychiatric residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, also in New York. He trained other psychiatrists in state-of-the-art psychiatric care as Chief Resident of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. Also while at Mount Sinai, he researched development of innovative medications for the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders including panic disorder.
Local mental health counselors confirmed Winnemucca as an under-served area. Dr. Zedek has contracted with two local mental health counselors to provide some additional services to their clients, including prescribing and overseeing psychiatric medications, which only a psychiatrist (who is also a medical doctor) can do.
"I feel there is a great need here for services like the ones Dr. Zedek can provide," said Annie Perkins, a licensed mental health counselor who worked for Nevada Mental Health in the past, and has had her own practice here since 2009. Perkins and Dr. Zedek will work with some of the same patients.
Local marriage and family therapist, Jennifer Hood has also contracted with Zedek. Hood said the ability to evaluate and prescribe medication is an absolutely critical facet of mental health services for some patients. "Prescribing and managing psychotropic drugs is a fine art and we have not had someone here to do that, patients had to drive to Elko or wait on such a long list for a state psychiatrist."
Continuing prescription drug management is essential for patients who have been prescribed medication for to assist in achieving a mental health balance, according to Hood. "Depending on what meds they're taking, environment and stress can make a difference in how those meds may work, and adjustments have to be made," said Hood.
He has been recognized nationally with the Exemplary Psychiatrist of the Year Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest nonprofit, grassroots mental health education, advocacy and support organization. Zedek said his continuing medical education includes the most recent findings and information on depression and panic disorder, and he is anxious to assist individuals locally with these and other mental health issues. "It's not as important that I'm nationally recognized or that I have many years' experience as it is that I actually give a hoot about people," he said.
Sunny Johnson will be Zedek's liaison in Winnemucca, as well as working with some patients who can benefit from basic skills training. "My nursing background will help with that," commented Johnson. "I know Dr. Zedek will be an asset to our community," said Johnson, adding, "his patients I've seen in the Elko office love him; each one feels the individual care he gives."
More information is available on Zedek's web site at www.drzedek.com.[[In-content Ad]]
