Adolescent health services are key to ensuring that teens’ unique health care needs are addressed adequately, giving them a healthy start as they transition into adulthood. At Maimonides Health, Lisa Ditchek, MD, serves as Director of Adolescent Services, bringing a psychologically minded, developmentally attuned approach to help young people thrive.
Understanding adolescent medicine as a clinical specialty
Adolescent medicine is a medical subspecialty focused on the comprehensive healthcare of adolescents, typically from the ages of 10 through 21, addressing their unique developmental, physical, and psychosocial needs.
“Adolescent medicine was born out of the idea that the healthcare needs of a 2-year-old are very different than the healthcare needs of a 16-year-old,” said Dr. Ditchek. “As a board-certified general pediatrician and fellowship-trained adolescent medicine specialist, I integrate tenets of pediatrics, reproductive health, and behavioral health to care for adolescents with both routine and complex medical needs.”
Comprehensive services addressing adolescent health needs
Dr. Ditchek works alongside her patients’ pediatricians or primary care providers to diagnose, treat, and manage conditions that become apparent during teenage years. Adolescent medicine provides focused expertise in the unique medical, reproductive, and behavioral health needs of adolescents, allowing many concerns to be addressed in a single, coordinated setting.
Common conditions and concerns that may benefit from dedicated adolescent care include:
Menstrual and reproductive health concerns: Menstrual suppression, abnormal uterine bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea, PCOS, emergency contraception, and full-spectrum contraceptive care, including starting or adjusting pills, patch, ring, shot, implant, and IUD
Substance use: Known or suspected use of alcohol, cannabis, nicotine/tobacco, or other substances; cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome; and counseling on harm-reduction methods
Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)
STI evaluation and management: Sexual health education and counseling, diagnosis and management of STIs, complex or recurrent infections like pelvic inflammatory disorder, initiating or managing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for individuals at high risk of HIV infection, and PEP or Doxy PEP initiation and/or counseling
Skin concerns: Acne vulgaris
Genitourinary symptoms: Vaginal discharge, itching, odor, irritation, and acute or recurrent vulvovaginitis or resistant symptoms
Reinforcing care with psychiatric services tailored to teens
Maimonides’ adolescent medicine practice draws on a multidisciplinary approach to empowering patients through mental and behavioral health services, offering close collaboration with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and other pediatric subspecialists.
Psychologist Giovanni Billings, PsyD, is an integral part of the Maimonides adolescent medicine care team. With a dedicated psychiatric specialist in the practice, all patients have simplified access to expert resources.
“Together with Dr. Billings, I integrate mindfulness-informed strategies to support teens’ emotional wellbeing, resilience, and autonomy,” said Dr. Ditchek. “This approach underscores all the care we provide here. All of our services are developmentally appropriate and take into account confidentiality and trauma-informed practices.”
At Maimonides, a new inpatient adolescent psychiatric unit is underway, addressing the pressing need for these dedicated services. Together with the adolescent medicine team, Maimonides is making more resources accessible to ensure developmentally appropriate care for this often-overlooked population.
Empowering adolescents through holistic, collaborative care
The adolescent medicine services at Maimonides exemplify a comprehensive approach to teen health that extends beyond treating isolated symptoms. By centering holistic, collaborative, strength-based care, Dr. Ditchek and the adolescent medicine team empower teens to navigate the physical, emotional, and social challenges of adolescence.
Through the integration of specialized medical expertise with dedicated mental health support, trauma-informed practices, and developmentally appropriate care and counseling, Maimonides ensures that adolescents receive the compassionate guidance and autonomy to thrive as they transition into adulthood. This patient-centered model helps normalize the health concerns of adolescents in a comfortable setting, guiding them to emerge with greater resilience and the tools to advocate for their own wellbeing.
For more information, to make an appointment, or to refer a patient, call 718-283-7500.
