Montpelier, Vermont

Be better.

This is the driving force behind North Branch Health.

North Branch Health provides Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Specialty Services for patients of all ages. Our goal is simple: to help you feel better, function better, and spend less time wrestling with insurance paperwork along the way.

We focus on treatments and therapies that are grounded in evidence and experience. Integrative health, to us, means bringing together the best of modern medicine with complementary approaches that have helped people for generations — combined into a single, coordinated plan of care built around you.

We also believe technology should make care easier, not harder. Secure messaging, online scheduling, and telemedicine all exist so that reaching your provider is simple, whether you have a quick question or need to be seen right away.

No-nonsense health care with a focus on results, delivered with the time and attention every patient deserves. That's the way it should be.

  • Schedule your own appointments online
  • Securely text-message with your provider
  • Telemedicine visits easy and available

Multifaceted care, all in one place

What we do.

Family Medicine

Comprehensive care for every stage of life, from routine checkups and preventive screenings to the ongoing management of chronic conditions. Our focus is on keeping you well, not just treating what's wrong when something goes off track.

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Psychiatry

Medication management and integrative mental health treatment for adults across Vermont, coordinated closely with the rest of your care so that your mental and physical health are never treated as separate concerns.

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Specialty Care

Therapeutic ketamine and other carefully selected specialty treatments, all aimed at one thing: helping you get back to the life and activities you care about.

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Family Medicine

How we are different

At North Branch Health, care starts with a relationship — not a rotating cast of providers you've never met. Over time, your provider gets to know your history, your goals, and what matters to you, which makes every visit more useful and less repetitive. You'll be seen when you need to be, and you can reach your provider directly, by telemedicine or in person.

We've built the practice around having enough time for each patient. That single commitment shapes nearly everything else: how appointments are scheduled, how we communicate between visits, and how decisions about your care are made.

  • Appointments can be long, and you will almost never sit in the waiting room.
  • You can schedule your own appointments.
  • Telemedicine consultations are available when you cannot meet in person.
  • Connecting is easy, with ready availability through a private smartphone app.
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Integrative Psychiatry

Compassionate mental health care

Asking for help with your mental health takes courage, and it shouldn't also require navigating a confusing or impersonal system. North Branch Health offers psychiatric care that treats you as a whole person — with attention to your history, your circumstances, and your goals, not just a diagnosis on a chart.

Integrative psychiatry means looking at the whole picture: medication, lifestyle, sleep, relationships, and complementary treatments all play a part in mental health. Rather than writing a prescription and moving on, we work with you over time to build a plan that reflects your whole life.

Medication Management

Evaluation and management of psychiatric medications to support optimal treatment outcomes.

Telemedicine

Remote sessions for flexibility and access. Patients must be living in Vermont; interstate services are not currently offered.

Initial consultation

Your first visit includes a comprehensive assessment to understand your needs and treatment goals.

Personalized treatment plan

Care is customized to address your specific concerns and objectives.

Ongoing support

Regular follow-up and continuous care help adjust treatment as needed over time.

Membership

Direct Primary Care

North Branch Health offers a different kind of healthcare experience: appointments scheduled around your life, telemedicine when you need it, and a level of access and flexibility that most practices simply cannot offer.

Direct Primary Care is, in many ways, a return to the kind of relationship people had with their doctors a generation ago — one provider, ample time, and care shaped by what matters to you rather than by insurance requirements.

Because Direct Primary Care does not bill insurance, it can be a particularly good fit for people who are uninsured or who carry a high-deductible plan. A monthly membership covers your office visits directly, so there are no copays and no surprise costs for the care you receive.

Ask about membership
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Therapeutic Ketamine

Support for treatment-resistant depression and other conditions

As part of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan, ketamine can be a highly effective option for people who haven't found relief through other approaches. When combined with counseling and other appropriate medications, it tends to produce the best and most lasting results.

Many patients notice an improvement in their symptoms within just a few hours of their first treatment. Ketamine itself is far from new — it has been used safely as an anesthetic for decades, at doses much higher than those used in office-based psychiatric treatment.

A growing body of research supports the use of low-dose, sub-anesthetic ketamine as a safe and effective treatment for several conditions that have not responded adequately to other therapies, including major depressive disorder and PTSD, certain types of chronic pain, and alcohol or other substance dependence as part of a broader treatment program.

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Why ketamine?

When other medications and treatments have not provided relief, ketamine can serve as an effective adjunct treatment for treatment-resistant anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a number of other conditions.

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How soon does it work?

Many patients notice improvement after their very first treatment, though responses vary from person to person. A typical initial course consists of at least eight treatments, usually given twice a week.

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Requirements

To be considered for treatment, patients must be over the age of 18, have no history of psychosis, and have blood pressure that is within the normal range or well-controlled with medication.

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Why North Branch?

We have offered therapeutic ketamine since 2018, and that experience has taught us that it isn't the right fit for everyone. That's why every patient is carefully screened before treatment begins, to support both safety and a good outcome.

Healthcare Workers

Confidential services for healthcare professionals

We offer confidential services to healthcare workers both in person and by telemedicine.

The stigma surrounding mental health treatment means that many healthcare workers never seek — or never receive — confidential care, particularly within the hospital systems where they are employed. Because North Branch Health operates independently of any hospital system, we are able to offer services that are genuinely confidential.

In healthcare settings, depression and anxiety often show up in less obvious ways: burnout, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and a quiet sense of being stretched too thin. We welcome healthcare workers from anywhere in Vermont, whether you would prefer to be seen in person or by telemedicine.

We will find room for you. Please do not hesitate to call or text if you need help: 802.828.1234
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Portrait of Jeff Lourie, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Who we are

Jeff Lourie

FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Jeff believes that good care takes time — more time than a typical visit usually allows — and that mental health and physical health are too closely connected to be treated as separate problems. He is a dual board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

He studied chemistry and anthropology at The Evergreen State College before earning a graduate degree as a family practitioner at the University of Southern Maine in 2010, and subsequently completing additional training in psychiatry at Regis College.

He has practiced in central Vermont since 2013. Before opening North Branch Health, he worked at Gifford Medical Center and at the University of Vermont Medical Center (then Fletcher-Allen Healthcare), experience that shaped his understanding of how primary care and mental health care work best when they're connected rather than kept apart.

His approach is about meeting you where you are in life — focusing on improving your quality of life and overall well-being, both right now and over the years and decades to come.

Jeff's professional interests include weight management, diabetes and metabolic disease, the relationship between mental health and substance use, and the integration of complementary medicine into the treatment of both acute and chronic illness.

“Jeff is the best healthcare provider I’ve seen in many years. He’s easy to talk to; he listens and I never feel rushed or pressured.” — P

Testimonials

What patients say

“I am thrilled to have found this practice. The feeling of being understood and listened to as well as feelings of validation is a great thing to have when you leave the doctor’s office.”— T
“Jeff is not only incredibly knowledgeable but truly cares. I feel lucky to be his patient.”— H
“Jeff is exceptional. He truly takes the time to listen to my thoughts, concerns and ideas.”— M

Current Patient Links

Useful links

Contact Us

Send all new patient inquiries through the web form.

At this time, we have a small number of openings for ketamine therapy. For our other services, demand is extraordinarily high, and while we read every inquiry, we are only able to respond when we have availability.

Please allow a few days for a response. We will only reach out if we are able to take on new patients, and we do not currently maintain a waiting list. If you are a relative of a current patient, please mention that in your message.

Office Location
250 Main St, Suite 201
Montpelier, Vermont 05602

Mailing Address
PO Box 503
Montpelier, Vermont 05601

Phone / Text
802.828.1234

Fax
802.828.1221

Please refer to our Privacy Policy and HIPAA information above before sending any information.