Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
Adolescence is a complicated time for young people as they transition from children to adults. The Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children’s Mercy provides a place where adolescents ages 10 to 21 can meet with a specialist to address a wide range of physical and emotional issues that are unique to this age group.
What is an adolescent medicine specialist?
An adolescent medicine specialist is a physician or advanced practice provider who has additional years of training in treating preteens, teens and young adults. Rapid and intense changes in the brain and body take place during adolescence, and providers in this specialty have focused their efforts on understanding how best to help young people with their unique medical needs.
Just like neonatologists focus on infants and geriatricians work with the elderly, adolescent medicine is age-specific, not condition-specific. It includes all types of issues that are typical in the teenage years, from acne to menstrual concerns to behavioral health, but through the lens of the adolescent’s ever-changing needs.
Our adolescent medicine specialists are pediatricians and family medicine providers who have undergone additional training and certification in adolescent medicine. They regularly participate in continuing education to stay current on the issues facing teens today. Our clinic also includes advanced practice providers and other support staff who enjoy working with teens and young adults.
How to find a primary care provider
Your primary care provider is the go-to person for your child’s well checkups, sick visits and health concerns. If you don’t have a primary care provider or pediatrician, we can help you connect with our Primary Care Clinic or a pediatric practice in your community. Your insurance company may also have a list of providers that are covered by your plan.
The Children’s Mercy Primary Care Clinic sees children and adolescents from newborn through age 21.
About the Adolescent and Young Adult Specialty Clinic
The Adolescent and Young Adult Specialty Clinic (AYASC) can help you and your family with in-depth care for teen-specific medical needs. While your adolescent’s primary care provider is an excellent resource for overall health care, they may refer you to our clinic if you need extra support in our areas of expertise — scroll down to see the list of conditions we often treat.
The first visit with our adolescent and young adult medicine specialists is typically 60 minutes long. This allows the care team to really get to know your young person and build a comprehensive treatment plan with a whole-person approach. Learn more about what to expect at your AYASC visit.
Another advantage to the AYASC is our collaborative relationship with other departments at Children’s Mercy, including Gynecology, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Developmental and Behavioral Health, and many others. If we need to connect with additional specialists to meet your young person’s specific needs, they’re all right here at Children’s Mercy. We even have scheduling specialists who can help you line up multiple appointments on the same day, if needed.
Social workers also support our clinic and can help you find additional resources in the community to assist your family.
If you think your adolescent would benefit from seeing one of our adolescent and young adult medicine specialists, ask your primary care provider for a referral or call us directly at (816) 960-4152 to schedule an appointment. We will always keep your primary care provider informed about the treatment plan so that everyone can work together.
Protecting privacy
Many of the concerns that young people bring to the AYASC are very personal — sexual and reproductive health, mental health problems, and substance use, to name a few.
We always encourage our patients to include their parents/caregivers or other support people in their health care decisions. Most patients have part of their visit with an adult in the room with them, then the adult will step out to allow the patient to meet one-on-one with the doctor.
However, patients can choose to keep their entire visit private. Our priority is the health and wellbeing of each person in our care. We will provide the best possible care for each patient, while helping them feel comfortable being fully transparent with their doctor.
Clinical Services
Any primary care provider, patient or caregiver can request an appointment with the AYASC. We provide in-person or telemedicine consultations at multiple Kansas City metro-area Children’s Mercy locations, as well as telemedicine appointments for families across Missouri and Kansas. Our adolescent and young adult medicine specialists also serve the unique population of Synergy Services, including unhoused youth.
Conditions
We care for adolescents and young adults ages 10 to 21 who are dealing with any of the following medical issues:
Overall health needs
- Development and growth of adolescents (social, emotional, physical).
- Complex and chronic disease during adolescence.
- Acne and other skin concerns.
- Guidance and counseling about adolescent health issues and healthy relationships.
- Support from social workers for additional needs and connection to community resources.
Guidance and care for reproductive and sexual health
- Counseling, prevention, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for all people, including cervical cancer screening and the HPV vaccine for cancer prevention.
- Comprehensive and emergency contraception care and guidance.
- HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
- Gynecology care, including menstrual concerns and assistance with menstrual management.
- Diagnosis and treatment of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and metabolic syndrome.
- Urology care, including screening for testicular cancer.
- Guidance and care for sexual health.
Substance use
- Alcohol use, including how to lower your risks and stop drinking alcohol.
- Marijuana use, including how to lower your risk and quit using marijuana.
- Suboxone treatment for opioid use disorders.
- Smoking and nicotine cessation (how to quit smoking or vaping).
Mental and behavioral health
- Mental health assessment and medication management of depression, anxiety and ADHD.
- Behavioral concerns such as problems at school, school avoidance, and complex challenges at home.
- Sleep problems such as sleeping too much or not enough, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Partnership with social workers for community mental health resources and support.
Nutrition, weight and eating
- Disordered eating: If you know or highly suspect your child is struggling with disordered eating, please also consider the Eating Disorders Clinic.
- Nutrition counseling and resources for healthy eating.
Dizziness, fainting & blood pressure problems
- Dysautonomia (nervous system disorders)
- POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome)
- NMH (neurally mediated hypotension)
- Chronic fatigue
- Non-cardiac syncope/near syncope (fainting)