Alston, Kristen J., Ph.D.
Specialties: Family Medicine, Health Psychology
Gender: Female
Biography: Kristen J. Alston, Ph.D. is a Clinical Health Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UMMC where she works collaboratively with residents, physicians, and other healthcare providers as a part of an integrated care team providing behavioral health clinical services to patients with comorbid behavioral concerns and acute/chronic health conditions. She earned her B.S in psychology from Howard University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from East Carolina University. She completed internship training at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, M.I., and fellowship training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition to her clinical interests, which include primary care health psychology and working as a part of an integrated health care team, Dr. Alston’s teaching interests include physician wellness, assessment and management of behavioral health concerns in a primary care setting, and patient/provider communication skills. Her research interests include examining treatment adherence and the management of behavioral and acute/chronic health conditions in underserved patient populations. Dr. Alston also has interest in mental health advocacy as it relates to eradicating mental health stigma in the African American community. In 2020, Dr. Alston served as the first African American President of the Mississippi Psychological Association.
My Approach to Healthcare
As a health psychologist within the Department of Family Medicine, my practice involves working as part of an interdisciplinary care team to provide collaborative, quality care to meet the behavioral, physical, and psychosocial needs for the overall health and well-being of patients. In doing so, I focus on a whole person approach, helping patients to change thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to distress and engage in lifestyle and behavioral changes to improve overall health. Helping patients to build the skillset and confidence to utilize tools to improve their mental and overall health is an important focus of my practice.
Practice Locations
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1
Flowood Family Medicine - UMMC
2466 Flowood Drive, Flowood, MS 39232 View Location |
Accepted Insurance Plans
The University of Mississippi Medical Center accepts all plans, but may not be an in-network provider with your plan. We encourage you to contact your insurer and ask if the plan is in network with UMMC. Always contact your insurance carrier for specific coverage information.
*Note: Grenada and Holmes County locations have different payor contracts. Oral Surgeons are considered in-network to the medical health plans listed below NOT dental.
Medicare health insurance plans
- Humana Medicare Advantage
- Medicare - Fee For Service
- Railroad Medicare - Fee for Service
- Shared Health Mississippi
- United Healthcare (except DSNP)
- Vantage Health Plan - Medicare Advantage
- Wellcare - Medicare Advantage
Medicaid health plans
- Mississippi Medicaid
- MS CAN - Magnolia Health Plan, Molina HealthCare, United Healthcare
- Medicaid MS CHIP - Molina MS CHIP and United Healthcare
Dental plans
- Always Care
- Medicaid
- MS CAN - Magnolia Health Plan, Molina HealthCare, United Healthcare
- Ambetter - Magnolia Health Plan
Commercial, Marketplace and other health plans
- Always Care - Dental & Vision
- Avesis (Molina)
- Aetna Health Management
- Ambetter - Magnolia Health Plan
- American Life Care - PHCS/Multiplan
- Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi
- Cenpatico - Behavioral Health
- Cigna PPO and Behavioral Health (excludes transplants)
- Corvel Healthcare Corp
- First Choice Health Plan - includes Humana PPO Commercial, but not Humana Medicare Advantage
- First Health Network/Coventry - Aetna
- Government Employees Health Insurance Association (GEHA) - United Healthcare
- Hattiesburg Clinic Professional Association - MPCN
- Interlink Health Services - Transplant Services
- LifeTrac - Transplant Services
- Mississippi Department of Rehab Services (MDRS)
- Mississippi Health Partners (MHP) - Family Medicine Only
- Mississippi Physicians Care Network (MPCN)
- Mississippi State Hospital
- Mississippi State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan (AHS Network administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi)
- Multiplan - PHCS/American Life Care
- North Mississippi Health Link
- OptumHealth Care Solutions, Inc. - Transplant Services
- OptumHealth VA CCN
- PPO Plus, LLC/Zelis/Stratose
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- Tricare
- United Healthcare - PPO Commercial, CHIP, MSCAN, Behavioral Health
- Vantage Health Plan - Commercial, PPACA Plan and Medicare Advantage Plan
- Veterans Administration
Education
| Fellowship: | University of Mississippi Medical Center |
| Internship: | Henry Ford Hospital |
| Medical Education: | East Carolina University |
Experience
Current Positions
| Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS | 07/2021 - Present |
| Adjunct Graduate Faculty, Department of Psychology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS | 12/2019 - Present |
Specialty Certification Licensure
| Licensure, Psychology, Mississippi Board of Psychology | 08/2016 - Present |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| Journal of Pediatric Psychology Most Cited Paper Award (Co-Author). Awarded for paper titled "Investigating the Sleep–Pain Relationship in Youth with Sickle Cell Using mhealth Technology", published in April 2019, Journal of Pediatric Psychology | 2021 |
| Selected to attended APA's Practice Leadership Conference as a fully-funded Early Career Representative, American Psychological Association | 2018 |
| UNC Campus Scholarship, East Carolina University | 2013 |
| UNC Campus Scholarship Recipient, East Carolina University Clinical Psychology Faculty | 2013 |
| The Miller-Moore Graduate Scholarship in Psycholocy, East Carolina University | 2013 |
| Association Scholarship Recipient, Rocky Mount Engine Recreation Association | 2010 |
| Trustee Tuition Scholarship Recipient, Howard University | 2006 |