Adolescent Eating Disorders

The WMed Health Adolescent Eating Disorders clinic is a consultative service that provides comprehensive medical management for adolescents with disordered eating and eating disorders. We function as one part of a multidisciplinary team that includes your primary care provider, psychological therapist, dietitian, nursing staff, social worker, psychiatrist if needed to manage other mental health concerns, parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, and other members that are identified by the patient and family as important to their successful recovery. Our physicians serve as consultants to the Bronson Pediatric Hospitalist Service for patients requiring hospitalization for medical and nutritional stabilization.

Eating disorders are complex illnesses that are influenced by one's genetics, social environment and personal psychology. Patients and families may be familiar with the most common eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. We also work with patients who display disordered eating habits that do not meet the criteria for one of the named disorders, but for some reason are not consuming enough energy to keep up with their body's energy demands. This can be due to other medical illnesses or mental health disorders, as well as physical activity demands that outstrip nutritional intake (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).

Treating an eating disorder is a team sport! All patients working with our medical providers are expected to engage in counseling with a therapist in the community who has specific expertise in managing the psychological consequences of the eating disorder, as well as other co-occurring mental health disorders. Our team is familiar with the evidence-based psychological therapies recommended to treat adolescents with eating disorders and are able to support the work of your therapists, regardless of the model chosen for recovery. Another critical team member is a registered dietitian with additional training in the care of patients with eating disorders. Patients in our clinic may utilize one of our WMed dietitians - Sarah Beatty, RD, MS or Gretchen Kauth Morin, RD, MEd - or they may work with a community-based dietitian who has this expertise. We will provide recommendations to our patients at your initial consultation.

Appointments are available by physician or eating disorder professional referral only. Your initial consultation is scheduled for 90 min with our physician/dietitian, as eating disorders can be influenced by many factors. New patient referrals are typically scheduled on Tuesday mornings. Trust is an important factor in recovery. It takes time to build that relationship and for us to understand the journey our patients have been on, identify barriers to recovery, and work collaboratively to find solutions. Please be sure you have budgeted adequate time on the day of your consult. As we get started with treatment, frequent follow up appointments are necessary to monitor vital signs, labs, and the pace of weight restoration. For patients who are below their healthy weight, the ability to gain 5 pounds in the first month is an important marker for future success in the outpatient treatment.

Before your first visit, we ask both our future patients and their caregivers to complete an intake questionnaire which will help us more efficiently identify behaviors and thoughts that we will need to target in recovery. If your child is currently working with a therapist, please complete a release of information so we may talk with their therapist about treatment goals. We will also need your primary care provider to send us a referral, as well as a copy of your child’s growth record.

We attempt to see patients within 2-4 weeks of receiving the physician referral, but increased patient referrals can result in longer wait times. If a care provider needs our assistance urgently to ensure the health and safety of an adolescent, they can contact us through the clinic and via the Bronson EPIC platform.

Useful Links for Parents and Patients

Our Location and Clinic Days

WMed Health Adolescent Medicine is located at 1000 Oakland Drive on the 2nd floor in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Parking is available adjacent to the building. Our practice is a non-smoking environment. We strive to provide a clean environment that is welcoming for all genders. We are a teaching clinic, so expect residents and medical students to be part of our team. Our specialty clinic is available to see patients Monday and Thursday afternoons and Tuesday mornings.

Fees and Insurance

WMed Health Adolescent Medicine participates with many insurance providers, including Medicaid and Medicaid Health Plans. Before your first visit, check with your insurance company to understand what services will be paid for by your insurance plan. For every appointment, you will need to bring your insurance card(s). Co-pays are due at the time of service and accepted forms of payment are cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. If you have questions, our patient financial counselors are ready to help you. Please call our Billing Department at 269.337.4460.

Referrals

A referral by a healthcare provider is required. To make a referral in Epic, "Add Order" at the bottom of the right of the progress note or within the Meds and Orders section, type in "Ambulatory Referral to WMed Adolescent Eating Disorder Clinic." Providers may choose to refer by phone by calling 269.337.6289 or by fax at 269.337.6547.