HIMS Psychiatrist Profile: Dr. Andrea Nelsen
HIMS Psychiatry
The HIMS Program “is an occupational substance abuse treatment program. Moreover, specific to pilots, that coordinates the identification, treatment, and return to work process for affected aviators. It is an industry-wide effort where managers, pilots, healthcare professionals, and the FAA work together to preserve careers and enhance air safety.[1]”
AMEs, Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Neuropsychologists
Select professionals may earn the HIMS qualification through dedicated training in order to ensure they meet the guidelines of the program. There are four professionals that can be qualified as part of the HIMS healthcare team: AMEs, Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Neuropsychologists.
The HIMS Psychiatrist provides an independent evaluation for an individual seeking FAA medical certification. Specifically for a history of drug or alcohol dependence or for current use of approved antidepressant medication. The FAA may sometimes request a HIMS Psychiatric evaluation for times when the FAA would like a second opinion on a pilot when their own physician evaluations seem incomplete.
Andrea Nelsen MD MPH FAWM HIMS Psychiatrist
Dr. Andrea Nelsen is an aviation-focused Psychiatrist with dedicated Aerospace Medicine training at the Mayo Clinic in addition to being board certified in Psychiatry. She attended undergraduate college at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota before moving on to medical school at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. After medical school, Dr. Nelsen attended her Psychiatry residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and subsequently completed her Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine, a Masters in Public Health along with the aforementioned training in Aerospace Medicine.
Dr. Nelsen’s HIMS Practice
Dr. Nelsen is currently based in Minnesota, but plans to split time between Minnesota and Hawaii. The FAA allows HIMS Psychiatrists to perform their evaluations remotely to help meet demand. Psychiatry is more readily accessible via remote telehealth methods., unlike many other types of evaluations that require physical examination findings,
Capitalizing on this remote evaluation capability, Dr. Nelsen is currently licensed in AK, HI, MN, MT NC, ND, NY, WY, and Guam with plans to get licenses in CA, FL, and TX. The combination of CA, FL and, TX alone can cover nearly one-third of all pilots in the USA. If you are in, or can get to, a state where Dr. Nelsen is licensed, then she can perform any HIMS Psychiatric evaluation.
Personal Information
Dr. Nelsen fell in love with aviation at the age of five when her family flew on Western Airlines. A flight attendant gave her a set of wings, which she still has, and one of the pilots showed her around the cockpit. She has interest in all aspects of aviation since that time to include planes, airports and the people enthusiasts.
During her residency training, Dr. Nelsen was introduced to aviation Psychiatry and she has been involved in the HIMS evaluation process ever since. Not content to sit on the sidelines, Dr. Nelsen is currently working on her private pilot training at the Flying Cloud airport in Eden Prairie, MN. She is hoping to take lessons in aerobatics and has a keen interest in vintage airplanes.
Wingman Med Affiliate
Wingman Med strives to provide the best advice and recommendations to pilots. In keeping with that, we are proud to announce that Dr. Andrea Nelsen is an official Affiliate of Wingman Med. As an Affiliate we have ensured that her status and credentials meet our rigorous standards. Therefore you can have confidence when you are looking for help from other professionals during your path to FAA medical certification. This means that Dr. Nelsen has our full faith and confidence that her knowledge of how to evaluate clients and her ability to write comprehensive evaluations will meet the FAA standards.
References
[1] “About HIMS,” HIMS. Accessed: Feb. 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://himsprogram.com/about-hims/
