LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 28, 2022) – Danielle McPeak, DNP, APRN, has joined CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Behavioral Health in Lexington. Originally from Michigan, McPeak earned her psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner degree in Kentucky and is looking forward to returning and making the Commonwealth her home.
“My start in family practice began at two community mental health organizations,” said McPeak. “Since then, it’s taken me to various cities and practice settings; however, I’m very much looking forward to serving this community. The patients are so appreciative and kind – there is a sense of genuineness here that I haven’t experienced elsewhere.”
McPeak most recently worked at the Cleveland Clinic with the multi-center ELEKT-D study and treatment resistant depression clinic. She has earned three bachelor’s degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where she studied nursing, psychology, and biology. McPeak received her post-graduate education training at the University of Kentucky, where she completed a doctorate in nursing practice in the family nurse practitioner track in 2012. Additionally, McPeak received a post graduate certificate and completed her psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner studies at the University of Kentucky in 2016. McPeak first practiced in various family nurse positions across Michigan and Kentucky before pivoting to psychiatric mental health care once completing her full post-graduate training.
“When I worked in primary care, there wasn’t enough time to analyze and accurately diagnose patients who needed care for their mental health,” said McPeak. “A patient may come in experiencing severe anxiety symptoms and receive a general anxiety disorder diagnosis when they’re actually suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder. While these two disorders may present similarly, they’re treated very differently. In psychiatry, we can focus on the correct diagnosis. Addressing your mental health needs also helps to improve other chronic health conditions. There are many different drivers of patient instability, and I work with patients to determine the root of their disorder.”
A complete list of McPeak’s certifications and licensures include:
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in Ohio
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in Kentucky
- Nurse Practitioner Specialty Certification in Michigan
- American Nurses Credentialing Center Certification in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification in Family Nurse Practitioner
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA, DEA-X)
- Basic Life Support (BSL)
- Certificate in Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care
When she’s not seeing patients, McPeak enjoys spending time in nature, including hiking and gardening. She is looking forward to calling Lexington home with her husband, Ryan.
McPeak is accepting new patients and will practice at 3581 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 350, Lexington, KY 40513. For more information, call 859.313.6333.
About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.
About Saint Joseph Medical Group
CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group is the employed provider network of CHI Saint Joseph Health with 88 locations in 17 communities throughout central and eastern Kentucky.
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