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Patient Care Services
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Adolescent Medicine
What is Adolescent Medicine?
Adolescent Medicine is a relatively new but growing subspecialty of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. Specialists in Adolescent Medicine provide comprehensive health services to teenagers that are appropriate for their physical and emotional development. An important goal is to open lines of communication with teenagers, which allows for age-appropriate discussion of health-related issues. Emphasis is placed on health promotion and disease prevention.
About the Adolescent Medicine Program
Greenwich Hospital established an Adolescent Medicine program to meet the broad medical and mental health needs of young people ages 12 to 22. Within the program, adolescents can discuss physical and emotional health concerns with professionals who have the experience, skill and dedication necessary to help.
Making an Appointment
To make an appointment, please call (203) 329-9666. We offer daytime and evening hours.
Location
The Adolescent Medicine program is located at 1011 High Ridge Road, 2nd Floor, Stamford, CT 06903. Directions.
Adolescent Medicine Services
- General well care, sport physicals and assessment of normal growth and development
- Eating disorders, evaluation and treatment
- Weight management program
- Gynecological and sexuality related care
- Chronic illness management
- Behavioral and emotional issues, evaluation and treatment
Who Provides Care in the Adolescent Program?
A multidisciplinary team is led by Marcie Schneider, M.D., a board certified pediatrician with specialty board certification in Adolescent Medicine. Other members include a family nurse practitioner, registered dietitian, and psychologist, and all have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating the problems presented by adolescent patients. The team meets regularly to discuss each patient's needs and progress, which results in excellent coordination of services.
Services are tailored to meet the needs of the individual patient and family. While some teens are faced with more complex situations that require all of our services, others may benefit from a few visits with the nutritionist, psychologist or medical professional.
What Happens at the Adolescent Medicine Program?
The program provides comprehensive health care to adolescents, including medical, nutritional and psychological evaluation and treatment, as well as guidance and support for families. Referrals to the program may be made from many sources including:
- parents
- primary care physicians
- specialty physicians
- school personnel
- mental health providers
- other agencies
Initially, the patient and family are interviewed by an appropriate member of the Adolescent Medicine team. Time is always allocated for the family to speak to the professional staff, and for the adolescent to speak in confidence to a team member. Conversations remain private, but any life-threatening issues are immediately brought to the parent's attention.
Based upon the initial interview, team members recommend the most appropriate course of action, which may include further medical, nutritional, and/or psychological/psychiatric evaluation and treatment. These recommendations are discussed with the patient and family, consistent with the need for appropriate confidentiality. As care continues, patients and families receive regular updates.
Specialized Programs
Eating Disorders
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa often arise in the adolescent years. Both disorders have severe medical and psychological ramifications. Our team offers medical, psychological and nutritional evaluation, treatment and support for teenagers with eating disorders. In addition, nutrition and psychotherapy groups are offered. Parent groups are available as well. When referred by a primary care provider, nutritionist or mental health provider, our services may be tailored to augment their services as requested.
Weight Management
An integrated program focuses on changing the behaviors of overweight teens through treatment, support and education. The Adolescent Medicine team coordinates with exercise physiologists to provide a nutrition and exercise regimen. Emphasis is placed on integrating healthy food choices and exercise into daily life. Goals are focused on improving overall self image by altering body composition rather than "dieting," which can be detrimental to teens who are in the growth phase of their development.
Chronic Illness Management
Teens with chronic illness as well as those with disabilities can benefit from the integrated services offered through the Adolescent Medicine program. Teens and families can access the program's services for ongoing medical management. This is sometimes necessary because adolescents can pose additional developmental challenges with respect to compliance and long term management. A comprehensive needs assessment by the members of the Adolescent Medicine team is performed with the ultimate goal of addressing the primary medical and psychosocial issues that are often overlooked. The team can also help coordinate care for teens and their families by consulting with various specialists and networking to access support groups within their own communities.
To learn more about classes and support groups for adolescents and parents
of adolescents, see Programs & Support Groups. Programs include:
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