Welcome to the Adolescent Health Program
The Adolescent Medicine Health Program at Riley Hospital for Children addresses the unique needs of personality development and physical change for young people between the ages of 11 – 21. Adolescence is a time of great change in a young person’s life—adolescents go through puberty, expand their thinking and problem solving capacity, become more autonomous, and undergo enormous change in their social and emotional lives. Occasionally a physical, behavioral or emotional problem may persist or prove difficult to solve during these changes. The Adolescent Medicine Health Program provides a comprehensive range of health-related services for this unique stage of a young person’s development.
A special Team for Adolescents
Our interdisciplinary health team is specially trained in evaluating and caring for the problems of adolescents. Our physicians are all board certified or board-eligible in adolescent medicine. Our care team also includes nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, dietitians, and social workers. Our expertise in adolescent health includes medical issues specific to adolescents, such as eating disorders, chronic fatigue, or menstrual disorders as well as other reproductive health issues. We also work with adolescents with chronic illnesses facing challenges as they and their families negotiate changes that come with adolescence. We approach each problem by providing immediate attention to the area of concern, and helping young people and parents learn new long-term strategies for treating and coping with their specific issues, and when needed provide additional referral for ongoing care and treatment.
Our adolescent health team is regionally and nationally known for research in adolescent health, as well as its efforts in advocating for the special needs of adolescents. For more information, visit the IU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics.
Adolescent Health Services
The Adolescent Health Program is dedicated to treating any problem in adolescents that persists or requires more specialized treatment than is typically available at the primary care level. The range of services is broad, and includes treatment for physical, emotional and behavioral problems. Most of our patients are referred to us by their primary care provider or through the direct request of a parent or teen to their primary care provider. Patients are seen at the IU Health Riley Outpatient Center or at IU Health North Hospital.
Specific services include:
- Adolescent Medicine Consult Clinic
- Young Women’s Clinic/Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
- Charis Center for Eating Disorders
- Adolescent and Young Adult Diabetes Program
- Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program
Although we do not provide primary care at the above, these services can be found where our team is involved in providing care.
Sites for primary care services for adolescents include:
- Wishard Health Services at 317.692.2338 or 317.692.2863
- Health Net Pediatric and Adolescent Care Center at 317.692.2863
Other related links and services for Adolescents at Riley and Clarian Health:
Depending on the services, patients are seen at several locations within IU Health as well as at community health centers throughout Indianapolis. Adolescents requiring hospitalization for medical needs are cared for at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health and IU Health North Hospital.
For more Information about our services for adolescents or to schedule an appointment, please ask your family doctor for a referral, or call us at 317.274.8812 or fax at 317.274.0133.
