Emerald Psychiatry hopes to change the mental health care industry, starting with Columbus

When Dr. Scott Yoho was in medical school, he quickly saw that no matter a doctor's specialty, mental health was always a conversation.

The need for support surrounds us—depression alone is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. But many struggle with accessing mental health care and are even put on waiting lists.

The revelation is what inspired Yoho, an Ohio University grad, to become an expert on the topic. In 2015, he founded Emerald Psychiatry and TMS Center. The center offers behavioral health services and has locations on Bradenton Avenue in Dublin and, most recently, Old Village Road in Columbus, which also offers substance use disorder treatment.

Emerald's slogan, "Make Hope Happen," was intentionally selected to highlight Yoho's goal—to reach those who have had trouble finding a solution that is sustainable or who haven't felt prioritized at other centers, he says.

"In the mental health industry, you have to attack things from multiple angles. It's not just doing therapy or just doing meds," Yoho says. "If you get relief from one or both of those, great, but if not, we will find another way."

And Yoho prides himself on finding those other ways some haven't considered, namely through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive procedure that relies on an electromagnetic pulse to stimulate cells in the brain known to be less active in those with recurring depression.

For many, TMS offers that plan B, or even plan C. Yoho says to think of the process as a "jumpstart" meant to trigger the mood-boosting chemicals we need.

There's a total of 36 sessions for a full treatment, each less than 20 minutes after the first, and patients can safely drive to and from appointments. Thirty to 40 percent of patients who complete TMS treatment will no longer meet the criteria for depression and two-thirds will see a 50 percent reduction in self-reported depression symptoms, Yoho says. "That's progress."

Emerald Psychiatry has 30 employees as of June, including 11 care providers. Vital to the team is Nick Barger, its former CEO and current human resources leader and childhood friend of Yoho. Before coming to Emerald in 2021, he held human resources roles with companies including Rogue Fitness, DHL Supply Chain and Green Growth Brands.

For Barger, making the move to Emerald's team was a no-brainer.

"[Emerald] was really easy to get behind because I came from industries that make stuff and provide services, which is great, but helping people the way they do is just so easy to support," he says. "It means everything to me."

Barger served as the company's CEO until June but switched positions after he and Yoho offered the CEO role to Peter Horvath, a brand-growth expert, friend and former colleague.

Horvath brings decades of experience, including 19 years with L Brands, five years with DSW where he served as president and took the company public, and additional top-level roles with Victoria's Secret and American Eagle Outfitters.

He currently serves as a partner at Retail Solutions Group, a business consulting firm in New Albany. Emerald has been a client of the group for over four months, but as the relationship progressed, Yoho and Barger agreed they needed Horvath in company leadership to take it to the next level.

To Horvath, the Emerald mission feels personal.

"I've been on the James Cancer Center board since 2006 and I was able to play a key role in helping them do an action plan for increasing donations," Horvath says. "When I was involved in that process, it made me realize how important it is to be involved with health care support. You never know when you're going to need it."

Horvath will also continue to lead Retail Solutions Group.

Weeks in, Horvath already has a plan that Emerald began rolling out in June. It includes changes for extra convenience—like text message appointment reminders and online scheduling for patients, and easy-to-use systems for referral partners.

Two major shifts will be the ability to accept any type of insurance and guarantee next-day appointments. Currently the average wait time for an appointment with mental health care providers can take up to six months, Horvath says.

To help, he plans to grow Emerald's provider team to 30 to 40 people this year, nearly tripling the current total, to ensure help is available even before it's needed.

Once the formula is locked down, Horvath and the Emerald team hope to continue expanding in Columbus and eventually all of Ohio. The goal? Unlock mental health care for all.

"When we're successful with this plan, which we'll know very quickly—and we will be—it's going to motivate other people to copy what we're doing," Horvath says. "And that's great, because we're going to, between all of us, help more people. We're going to fill a real need."

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Emerald Psychiatry and TMS Center

4995 Bradenton Ave., Suite 30Dublin 43017 and 50 Old Village RoadSuite 109, Columbus 43228Emeraldpsychiatry.com

Business: Behavioral health services

Employees: 30, including 11 providers

Founder: Dr. Scott Yoho

Revenue: Would not disclose.