About Fine Tune Psychiatry

Our Mission

To provide exceptional, academically informed psychiatric care, that is accessible to patients, affordable through insurance, compassionate and tailored to each patient’s individual needs. To remain 100% provider owned and led, without the outside influence of private equity or external investors, ensuring that every decision that we make, is driven by clinical expertise, rather than corporate profits. To cultivate an environment where all providers have an interest in the company’s success, fostering a collaborative culture, where providers can work as a team, with one shared goal – to deliver the highest quality of patient care available.

Our History

Fine Tune Psychiatry traces its roots to a group of dedicated colleagues who first began working together at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates, a fee-for-service psychiatric practice founded by Chris Pagnani, MD in 2012. Dr. Pagnani had trained at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (where he has been an Instructor since 2012), and when hiring for Rittenhouse, he focused on finding academically oriented providers, with a similar passion for patient care. Jessica Plocher, CRNP, Elizabeth Milburn, CRNP and Emily Bernstein, MD had all trained at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and/or The University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Pagnani attributes their dedication to the field and the practice, to its growth and success. “RPA” and its providers have received numerous accolades, “Top Doc” awards annually since 2021, and a reputation for quality patient care throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area and beyond.

As “RPA” grew, these colleagues recognized that the fee-for-service model was serving as a significant barrier for many individuals who could benefit from the type of care that they offered. One should consider, that in 2014 approximately 55% of outpatient psychiatrists in private practice did not accept any insurances, and in 2020, 45% of outpatient psychiatrists were still “cash only.” The fee-for-service model was deterring individuals from seeking care, particularly those without significant financial resources.

Elizabeth Milburn, CRNP, Jessica Plocher, CRNP, Chris Pagnani, MD & Emily Bernstein, MD of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates, and now the managing directors of Fine Tune Psychiatry.

In response, these providers began conceptualizing a new practice (Fine Tune Psychiatry or “FTP”), that would accept health insurance, and replicate the quality patient care and academic culture of RPA. By accepting insurance, they hoped to not only make quality mental health treatment more affordable for patients, but to also expand into traditionally under-served areas known for having mental health shortages (such as rural Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the entire state of Delaware). Advancements in Telehealth (as well as Dr. Pagnani’s stubbornness regarding the need to have in-office appointment availability), could further increase access, while maintaining the highest standards of care.

“Fine Tune Psychiatry serves as a new standard for outpatient mental health services, and its inception was fueled by broader industry concerns”

The inception of Fine Tune Psychiatry was also fueled by broader industry concerns. As private equity firms and large corporations were increasingly moving into the medical sector (particularly post covid-19, when Telehealth exploded), these colleagues grew alarmed by what they perceived as a dilution in the quality of mental health care provided in the US. Several rapidly growing telehealth companies seemed to be prioritizing profits over patients, operational efficiencies, short visit times, high patient volumes, and even lackadaisically over-prescribing not only psychiatric medications, but controlled psychiatric medications – with abuse potential. Some of these companies were (and still are) advertising as “mental health specialists” but hiring family medicine physicians and family medicine nurse practitioners, who aren’t Board Certified in Psychiatry, as their psychiatric “experts.” What good is increased access and affordability, if the care is subpar, and in some cases dangerous?

Fine Tune Psychiatry was also created to protect psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychologists. Private practice psychiatry (particularly small 1-2 provider groups) are increasingly unable to keep up with the limitless advertising budgets of private equity backed online telehealth companies. They additionally, often do not have the financial resources or business wherewithal to operate an insurance accepting practice. As excellent psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and psychologists are leaving private practice, job options are dwindling, and more and more providers are choosing to work for giant conglomerates, out of necessity. Job satisfaction at many of these companies is low, as they focus on volume, profits and the next company flip or merger.

We at Fine Tune are determined to grow a private practice, where patients can receive the highest quality of care, at an incredibly affordable co-pay rate, and where providers can regain job satisfaction, and practice they way that they were trained to – focusing on patient care.