Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Blizzard.
Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been a nurse and nurse practitioner for over 28 years. I have been practicing as a nurse practitioner for the last 13 years of my career in both family and psychiatric medicine. In 2021, my husband and I started a psychiatric practice that grew from a handful of patients to over 900 patients in about two years time. It was strictly telepsychiatry and it grew quickly. In 2023, my husband and business partner was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died 5 weeks after his initial diagnosis. This was an astronomical loss for me both personally and professionally. He was the business side and I was the medical provider. He handled everything from insurance to billing and everything in between. Overnight, I was suddenly forced to learn how to manage a growing medical practice plus care for patients during the day. It was overwhelming, but the business continued to grow. We opened our first office location in Winter Garden January of 2024. We had 4 nurse pracitioners, a medical tech, and two administrative staff. In February of 2024, the insurance industry suffered a cyberattack that ultimately led to the closure of my practice due to several hundred thousands of dollars in non payment. From that point, I had lost all hope of ever continuing forward in this field, but I decided that my husband and I did not work so hard to build something to just let it go. That is when I decided to start completely over. I opened a new practice, Blizzard Psychiatry, and just as before I started with a handful of patients and am now open and growing again. I currently serve about 250 patients here locally and continue to add to that number daily. I have a small office location in Winter Garden and I am the lone provider. Mental health is a huge need in our communities and to be able to continue to provide this service is a privilege. As I continue to build this practice, I am hopeful that we can once again offer the same excellent care and service that my husband would be proud of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has been a very difficult and challenging road. But I have learned so much. I laugh and tell myself that when I closed Excel Psychiatry, I was a “successful failure.” Learning from this has been invaluable, even if it was the most difficult time in my life.
As you know, we’re big fans of Blizzard Psychiatry. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a board certified psychiatric and family nurse practitioner. My practice currently serves ages 13 and older and cares for a variety of mental health concerns. We are a comprehensive psychiatric medical practice that strives for excellence, safety, and high quality care. My practice prides itself on spending time with patients, ensuring they have their concerns and questions addressed and feel safe in our care. Our initial visits take about an hour and follow up visits run anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes depending on patient needs. I never want our patients to feel rushed or unheard. We aim to make everyone feel cared for like they were family.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Empathy, determination, resiliency, and genuine concern for others.
Pricing:
- Initial visit for cash pay patients is $225 and follow up visits are $125. This is an exceptional price for psychiatry services.
- We also accept several insurances, making us very affordable for most people
- I offer free services to the community through Matthew’s Hope as I volunteer there to provide mental health services to our local homeless population
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blizzardpsychiatry.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sblizzard7/
