Part of the reason Iris Telehealth has been able to grow so much since it was founded in 2013 is because of the amazing employees who work relentlessly to dominate their jobs. So we figured it was time for us to spotlight them and give you a behind-the-scenes look at our staff! One of those fabulous employees is Katherine Dreyfuss, an Account Executive who is affectionately called Kiki in the office. She’s a major yogi, an incredible chef (Asian food is her specialty), and has an obsession with English Bulldogs. But that’s just the beginning of her awesomeness.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what you do for Iris Telehealth?
A: My job is to reach out to different health systems in California and Arizona to determine how we might best be able to help them with their psychiatry needs.
Q: And what’s your favorite part of the job?
A: I have a lot of favorite parts. But my most favorite part is kind of getting to know the areas and figuring out how we can best make a difference. There are a lot of groups in rural or underserved areas where we’re able to make a difference and I think that’s the most exciting part — finding out the impact we can make.
Q: What do you say to people who might be skeptical of how awesome telepsychiatry can be?
A: That’s a great question! It actually surprises me how open the patients are to telepsychiatry because oftentimes you might find that it’s easier to open up to a stranger who’s not sitting in the same room as you. The computer screen kind of serves as a buffer and often allows patients to open up even more about what’s going on. More than anything, I try to relay that the clinician is someone who’s dedicated to helping this patient whether it be in person or via video conference. It’s all real time and all effectively helping the patient overcome whatever they’re facing.
Q: You’ve also encountered people who’ve used telepsych services from other companies. Why do you think Iris is the best telepsych company out there to work with?
A: Iris in particular is the best company to work with because we focus on providing a clinician to each health system we partner with that will be a good cultural and clinical fit. The clinician is in it for the long haul, which means that they develop a good relationship with the health system’s patients and staff. It’s a win-win for everyone involved because it provides long-term relationships and continuity of care, which we find to be extremely important.
Q: What are some of the things you’ve learned after working for Iris for almost one year?
A: What I’ve learned is… A LOT. I’ve learned that there is a lot of stigma against mental health in general, and therefore there is stigma against telepsychiatry. But there are so many different ways to make a difference when it comes to mental health and telepsych is only one way. So it’s been pretty powerful to be a part of spearheading an innovative way to treat mental illness. And I’ve been able to learn a lot through that.
