Yes. Lyte Psychiatry sees Big Spring and Howard County patients by secure video, in network with Medicare and the major commercial plans. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. Insured patients usually pay a $0–$30 copay per visit; a self-pay psychiatric evaluation is $250. There is no Lyte office in Big Spring, so every visit is by video.
Who is this Big Spring page for?
The George H. O'Brien Jr. VA Medical Center sits on the north edge of Big Spring, and it draws veterans from across West Texas for care they cannot get closer to home. If you are a veteran who lives here, you may already be enrolled there and still want a private psychiatrist for one of two reasons. Either the next VA mental health opening is further out than you can wait, or you would rather see one prescriber every time on a Medicare plan or a spouse's employer coverage than rotate through whoever is on the schedule. Lyte is a private practice that you can use alongside your VA care, and that veteran is the first reader of this page.
The second reader works out of Big Spring in the Permian Basin oil patch or at the Delek refinery on the east side of town, on a rotation that leaves no daylight hours for a clinic in Midland. The third teaches at Big Spring ISD or works at Scenic Mountain Medical Center and has a BCBS TX or UnitedHealthcare card that no local psychiatrist takes for new patients. West Texas Centers, the public mental health authority for Howard County, is headquartered in Big Spring and serves residents without coverage first. An insured patient, or one who can pay $250, is usually seen faster by a private practice that takes the plan and does the visit by video.
What can Lyte treat for Big Spring patients?
Mode for Big Spring: secure video only. Our one clinic is in Pantego, inside Arlington, roughly 270 miles east on I-20. Nobody in Howard County should drive that far for a routine visit, so we do not ask you to. You need to be physically in Texas during the visit and somewhere you can talk in private, whether that is your kitchen or a truck parked at Comanche Trail Park. The same prescriber sees you at every visit.
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are available for adults, teens, and children. Therapy is with licensed professional counselors using CBT, solution-focused, and trauma-focused work, and the therapist and the prescriber write in one shared chart. ADHD evaluation and treatment for adults and teens covers stimulant and non-stimulant medication.
Conditions we treat: depression, anxiety, panic, social anxiety, PTSD and trauma, OCD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, insomnia, postpartum and perinatal mood problems, grief, and stress and burnout. Dr. Akintola is a licensed Suboxone prescriber for opioid use disorder, which can spare a Howard County patient the drive to Midland or Lubbock for medication-assisted treatment. Clinical letters for work, school, or a hearing are written on request.
If you are starting a stimulant for ADHD, our policy is that the first evaluation happens in person at our Pantego clinic; follow-ups can be by video. Non-stimulant ADHD medication and everything else can start by video. From Big Spring, the sensible first step for most adults and teens with ADHD is a non-stimulant started by video, and your prescriber will walk through the difference with you before you commit to a 270-mile trip for a stimulant.
Video visits are available in Spanish; ask when you book. Prescriptions go electronically to any pharmacy you choose, including the chain stores on Gregg St. If you work a hitch, tell us the rotation when you book and we can alternate visit times week-on and week-off.
Learn how therapy and psychiatry work together when both are part of your care plan.
What the numbers say about Big Spring
Big Spring has a slightly lower diagnosed depression rate than Midland, 40 miles west, and a slightly higher rate of frequent mental distress. CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2023) reports that 21.2% of Big Spring adults have been told they have depression, against 21.9% in Midland and 19.7% across Texas. Frequent mental distress, meaning 14 or more poor mental health days in a month, is 18.1% in Big Spring, 17.6% in Midland, and 16.1% in Texas. The same release counts 20,367 adults in Big Spring, which sits in Howard County. At 18.1%, that is roughly 3,700 adults in a town this size who reported a bad month, in a county where private psychiatric care has meant leaving town.
| Measure | Big Spring | Midland | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults diagnosed with depression | 21.2% | 21.9% | 19.7% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress (14+ bad days/month) | 18.1% | 17.6% | 16.1% | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
| Adult population (county labeled) | 20,367 | 96,467 | CDC PLACES, BRFSS 2023 |
The supply side is thin. Texas DSHS reported that 162 Texas counties had no psychiatrist in 2025. Big Spring is unusual for a town of its size in that it hosts both a VA medical center and Big Spring State Hospital, but those two institutions serve specific populations, and a Howard County resident with a commercial plan who needs a routine medication visit has not had many local options.
The depression and frequent mental distress figures are model-based estimates. Read the CDC PLACES methodology for the survey years, population basis, and estimation limits.
What does a psychiatrist cost in Big Spring with Medicare or private insurance?
In network: BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, Cigna and Evernorth, Aetna, Humana, Ambetter, Medicare, Tricare, and more (see the full list). Benefits are verified before the first visit. Most insured patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit.
| Visit | Self-pay |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric evaluation (new patient) | $250 |
| Medication follow-up | $150 |
| Therapy, first session | $150 |
| Therapy, follow-up | $125 |
| QbCheck ADHD test | $150 |
| Late cancellation / no-show | $100 |
Medicare is the card we expect most from Big Spring, from veterans past 65 and from retirees who stayed in Howard County. Behind it are BCBS TX through Big Spring ISD's TRS-ActiveCare coverage, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna from the oilfield operators and service companies that staff out of the Permian, and Ambetter for people buying their own plan. Tell us your plan when you book and we will tell you the copay before the visit. Self-pay is a flat price with nothing added later, and HSA and FSA cards are accepted, which suits an uninsured oilfield worker between jobs.
Who will you see at Lyte?
Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD, is our medical director and supervisory psychiatrist, board-certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He trained at Johns Hopkins, stayed on faculty there, and moved to Texas in 2012. Toyin Awe, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 12 or more years of experience. Therapy is with NaTascha Jones, LPC, and Prishina Jimenez, LPC. Lyte has served 3,000+ patients with a 4.9-star average from 200+ Google reviews.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions from Big Spring patients
Can someone in Big Spring get psychiatric care by video instead of driving to Midland?
Yes. Every Lyte visit for Big Spring is by secure video, so a Howard County patient does not drive the 40 miles of I-20 to Midland or the 100-plus miles to Lubbock for a medication visit. You need a phone or laptop, a private spot, and to be inside Texas at the time of the call. The same prescriber sees you every time.
Where is the closest Lyte office to Big Spring?
Our only clinic is at 2900 W Park Row Dr in Pantego, inside Arlington, about 270 miles east of Big Spring on I-20. That is why Big Spring is served by video only. The one reason a Howard County patient would make that drive is the in-person first evaluation for a stimulant ADHD medication, and most patients start a non-stimulant by video instead.
How quickly can a new patient in Big Spring be seen?
Most new Big Spring patients are seen within 1–2 business days of booking online. If the VA in Big Spring or a Midland practice has quoted you a wait of weeks, you can book with us in the meantime without a referral. Benefits are verified before the visit, so the first call goes straight to the evaluation.
I get care at the Big Spring VA. Can I also see a Lyte psychiatrist?
Yes, as long as you have coverage we accept or pay the self-pay rate. Lyte is not part of the West Texas VA Health Care System, and your VA care continues on its own. A Big Spring veteran can use Medicare, a spouse's employer plan, or pay $250 for the evaluation and $150 for follow-ups. With your permission we can send visit notes to your VA primary care team so both records match.
How much is a psychiatry visit in Big Spring with insurance, and what if I have none?
With an in-network plan such as Medicare, BCBS TX, UnitedHealthcare, or Aetna, most Big Spring patients pay a $0–$30 copay per visit. Without insurance, the new-patient evaluation is $250, a medication follow-up is $150, and a first therapy session is $150. Those are the same prices whether you live on the Scenic Mountain side of town or out toward Coahoma, and HSA and FSA cards work.
Can Lyte see a student at Howard College or a teenager at Big Spring High School?
Yes. Dr. Akintola is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, and we see teens and college students from Big Spring by video with a parent on the call for anyone under 18. A Howard College student on a parent's plan from Midland or Lubbock is covered the same way. We write letters for Big Spring ISD or Howard College accommodations on request.
I work a two-week hitch out of Big Spring. Can I keep appointments, and can I start ADHD medication by video?
Yes to both, with one limit. Tell us your rotation when you book and we alternate visit times week-on and week-off so you never have to choose between a shift and a follow-up. Non-stimulant ADHD medication and everything else can start by video from Big Spring. If you are starting a stimulant for ADHD, our policy is that the first evaluation happens in person at our Pantego clinic; follow-ups can be by video.
Nearby areas we also serve
Explore care across West Texas & the Panhandle or all Texas locations.
We also see patients by video from Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, Abilene, and San Angelo.
Free and low-cost mental health resources in Big Spring
West Texas Centers is the public mental health authority for Howard County, with its main office in Big Spring, and serves residents without insurance. Call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Veterans enrolled with the West Texas VA Health Care System can use the mental health clinic at the George H. O'Brien Jr. VA Medical Center, and the Veterans Crisis Line is reached by dialing 988 and pressing 1. Scenic Mountain Medical Center is the emergency option in town for a psychiatric crisis that cannot wait for a scheduled visit.
Book a video visit at book.lytepsych.com and we will verify your benefits before you are seen. Or call 469-733-0848.
Find the public mental health authority for your county through the Texas HHS local authority directory.