Our Journey: Where we Began, Where We Are, and Where We're Going
At North Idaho Ketamine & TMS, our story is one of growth, resilience, and a deep commitment to providing life-changing care. I want to share our journey with you—from where we started to where we are today—and the exciting direction we’re heading.
Where We Began
Our story started at the intersection of pain and curiosity. As a young psychiatrist fresh out of residency, I found myself questioning my path. Despite working in various settings—VA medical centers, psychiatric hospitals, detox centers—I often wondered, Am I truly helping anyone?
Then, at an addiction conference, I attended a lecture on ketamine and the default mode network. A man next to me shared his personal experience with ketamine treatment; the light in his eyes gave me hope. Soon after, I tried ketamine myself. It was life-changing—it created space around my pain and gave me the courage to take risks.
In 2021, with my wife’s support and a leap of faith, I liquidated my savings and took out loans to open TMHCare (Tranquil Mind Health Care). It was just me at first, but with the help of an incredible team we grew into North Idaho Ketamine & Wellness (NIKW) and eventually North Idaho Ketamine & TMS.
Where We Are Now
Today we are proud to have flourished into a passionate team, serving a growing number of patients. However, we face significant challenges:
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Inconsistent Payments:
Reimbursements are often delayed or insufficient, making it difficult to sustain care without financial strain.
Administrative Burdens:
Managing refunds, clawbacks, and overpayments from insurance has become unsustainable for our small team.
Rising Costs:
We’ve invested heavily in improving treatments—hiring therapists, infusion specialists, and support staff—because we refuse to compromise on quality. ​
These challenges have pushed us to reimagine our business model while staying true to our mission.
Where We're Going
To address these issues and ensure long-term sustainability, we’re adopting a hybrid concierge model starting May 1, 2025. Here’s what this means for you:
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Wellness Clinic:
Our Wellness business is not contracted with insurance companies and will expand into a membership-based service focused on neuroplasticity and non-insurance-billable services like private rooms, aromatherapy, music therapy, and enhanced staff support
Membership Fee for Ketamine Treatments:
1 hour Infusion: A flat fee of $250 will cover these services.
2 hour infusions: A flat fee of $650 will cover these services
We proudly offer a 20% discount to Veterans & First Responders-- a flat fee of $200 for 1 hour infusion
Insurance Billing:
North Idaho Ketamine & TMS will continue billing insurance for office visits and IV infusions where applicable. Patients without insurance can pay a discounted rate of $200 per ketamine treatment (totaling $450 for a one hour infusion with the membership fee).
No More Refunds for Overpayments:
We are eliminating the Financial Agreement (FA) and the need for refunds, which simplifies our billing process and reduces confusion for both our patients and staff.
By charging a membership fee separately from the insurance billing, we avoid the complications that arise when insurance payments do not fully align with the treatment cost. This ensures a smoother, more predictable billing experience for everyone and decreases the upfront costs of treatment making ketamine treatment more affordable.
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This new structure will allow us to continue serving our broad patient population more effectively and reduce administrative burdens, allowing us to expand our offerings and focus on providing quality patient care.​​​ ​
Your Feedback Matters!
We know this change may impact each patient differently-- some may pay more while others may pay less-- but it's a step toward creating a sustainable model that benefits everyone in the long term.
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We invite your thoughts and feedback as we move forward together. Please share your ideas or concerns by emailing us at help@tmhcare.com.
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Thank you for being part of our journey and trusting us with your care.
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Warm Regards,
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John M. Thurston, MD
Founding & Chief Care Officer
