Poppy Pediatric Mental Health welcomes new patients. Here is what to expect if you join Poppy.
First Steps
Using our website, complete our confidential HIPAA compliant Contact Us link. Provide as much detail about your child as you would like, letting us know how we can help. Depending on their age, some patients may prefer to provide this information themselves. Dr. Gardner will contact you by email within 2 days to answer any questions you may have about the practice as you consider whether Poppy might be a good fit for your child. If you decide to use our services, we will send you a link to set up an account on our patient portal. The patient portal will allow you to upload documents, view lab results, and contact Dr. Gardner directly.
First Appointment
The first visit can be quite flexible in time and topic. Bring your concerns and questions so we can best tailor a plan of care. Many patients will come to Poppy with a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety, or depression, and we can discuss and manage medications and holistic care depending on patient and family preferences. Dr. Gardner is happy to address specific concerns and help guide parents and patients through any part of their mental health journey.
Poppy can also help those patients who have had a neuropsychiatric evaluation and parents are wondering how to prioritize the recommendations of the psychologist. Dr. Gardner is experienced in translating these reports into actionable items and will help parents prioritize the next steps. We can provide prescriptions for occupational or speech therapy if they are warranted, and we will direct the patients to the best local providers. If the psychologist recommends medication, we will provide a space to discuss the risks, benefits and science behind the possible medications. If the parents are comfortable with starting medication, Dr. Gardner may prescribe an appropriate medication.
Mental health is often connected to other medical issues, and with her decades of general pediatrics experience, Dr. Gardner is well qualified to evaluate pertinent medical history and make recommendations regarding contributing medical problems and possibly referring to a medical specialist or ordering laboratory studies.
Most appointments will be telehealth and available appointment times are flexible. We offer occasional weekend and evening appointments to accommodate tight schedules. Our telehealth visits can accommodate anyone located in California, and those patients who prefer in-person visits we have appointments available in Pasadena, California.
Parents might wonder if the child has to be present for the first appointment. In many cases it might be best to NOT have the child present as the discussion can cause discomfort or embarrassment. The parents and Dr. Gardner can discuss the best option when we set up the appointment.
If you are wondering if Poppy might help you and your child, please feel free to email through the contact form on the website. Dr. Gardner might ask some follow up questions to get clarification, and parents are certainly welcome to ask any questions that might help them decide if Poppy is a good fit for their child.
Cost
Dr. Gardner charges an hourly rate, and if the appointments are shorter than an hour the cost will be prorated accordingly. After the appointment the parent will receive a “superbill” in their portal inbox. Some insurance companies will pay partial reimbursement for out-of-network providers. In order to try to receive reimbursement from their insurer, the parent will want to submit a claim by uploading the superbill provided by Poppy to their insurance carrier’s website.
Payments to Poppy are easily made through the portal. A statement will be sent to the portal with a link to pay by credit card. Payments by check can be mailed to our mailing address.
Follow up:
If a patient is started on medication, Dr. Gardner will see the patient periodically to follow their progress. For those patients who are not on medication, we might follow up periodically depending on the parents’ desire to discuss ongoing issues. Poppy’s goal is to optimize the patient’s mental health so that ultimately the patient feels confident and comfortable moving on from the practice.
Communication:
Dr. Gardner is intentionally keeping the practice small to facilitate communication with her patients and ensure that they have easy access to appointments. Once a patient is established they will be able to send messages through the portal or text through a HIPAA compliant telephone number.