The Adolescent Medicine Division at Children’s Hospital of Michigan specializes in the care of adolescents from ages 11 through 21. The division provides comprehensive adolescent health care services to all male and female adolescents, including complete school, camp, sports and routine physical examinations and immunizations.  Other services include full pelvic examinations and pap smears, and management of chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, seizure or bowel diseases in close cooperation with other specialists.

Special programs include the Adolescent Transition Clinic designed to assist special needs patients in transitioning from the Adolescent Clinic in a pediatric hospital to an Internal Medicine setting and psychological services.

Adolescent Medicine Conditions and Treatments

• Adolescent Female Puberty
• Adolescent Health Problems and Injuries
• Adolescent Problems with the Teeth and Mouth (in conjunction with the Department of Dentistry)
• Annual Physical Exams
• Bones & muscles - sprains, muscle injuries
• Comprehensive preventative adolescent health care to teens age 10-21
• Complementary/Alternative Therapies
• Delayed Puberty
• Emotional Health - counseling for depression, sadness, anxiety, problems sleeping, school problems
• Emergency Department follow up visits
• Follow-up care for sexual assault/abuse
• Growth
• Gynecological Services
• Immunizations
• Menstrual Concerns
• Nutrition Concerns - weight gain, weight loss, eating disorders
• Psychosocial problems - Parent-Teen Conflict, counseling, school concerns
• Pre-participation sports physicals
• Respiratory illnesses - breathing problems like cough, colds, sore throats, asthma, chest pain
• Screening for sports participation
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Adolescents
• Skin Disorders - acne, eczema
• Stomach problems
• Reproductive Health - birth control, menstrual problems, pregnancy testing, testing & treatment for sexually transmitted diseases

Adolescent Medicine Services and Innovations

DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Adolescent Medicine provides comprehensive adolescent health care services to all male and female adolescents. The Adolescent Clinic allows teens to be seen for confidential services according to the Michigan State Minor Consent Laws.

Special Services also include:

Adolescent Transition Clinic

With advances in diagnosis, surgical and medical treatment of pediatric conditions, more and more children are surviving into adulthood that previously did not. It is estimated that over 90% of children born with chronic or disabling conditions will live beyond their 20th birthday. There are now equal numbers of patients with congenital heart disease over the age of 21 as there are younger than 21. It is estimated that one of every 640 adults between the ages of 20 and 39 are survivors of cancer. People with Down syndrome will likely live into their 40’s to 50’s. Similarly, most children with cerebral palsy will reach adulthood. These persons will continue to need specialized care from either pediatric subspecialists or adult subspecialists who are expert in their conditions. However, they also will require a medical home with care provided by a primary care provider who is not only familiar with their chronic conditions, but who is familiar with the assessment of acquired “adult” conditions as well as preventive medicine.

The Adolescent Transition Clinic was designed to assist special needs patient's in transitioning from the Adolescent Clinic in a pediatric hospital to an Internal Medicine setting. Special needs patient's in their twenties continue to be seen for two to three years in the same Adolescent Clinic but instead of being seen by the Adolescent providers, they are seen by internists with specialization in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics.

Clinic Mission

The overall goal of the DMC/WSU/Children’s Hospital of Michigan Transitional Care Clinic is to provide a medical home for these growing number of patients. Specifically, the clinic aims to:

• Provide uninterrupted health care that is patient centered, age and developmentally appropriate, flexible, and comprehensive
• Educate the patient about his/her disease
• Educate the patient about the differences between adult-centered care and pediatric-centered care
• Educate families regarding potential legal issues regarding insurance and guardianship
• Promote skills in communication, decision-making, self-care, and self-advocacy
• Promote personal and medical independence, to promote sense of control over one’s health, health care decisions, and psychosocial environment
• Maximize quality of life and future potential