New patients

Parents or guardians of children and adolescents who are new to our clinic or have not been seen by a physician in our clinic in the past 3 years must complete a brief virtual group orientation that provides basic information about our program. After this session, if you feel the program is right for your child, you can call and schedule a new patient appointment. It is helpful for our providers to have a copy of recent lab work, growth charts, and medication lists. 

Prepare for your first visit

• Be sure you have referrals for your appointments at the Health and Well-being Clinic, if required by your insurance plan.
• Fill out the online “Welcome” questionnaire; if you do not fill out at home, please allow extra time to fill out before your visit.
• Bring your child’s current insurance card to every visit, including any secondary insurance information.
• Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time to allow time for registration and assessment. Your appointment may last between one to two hours.
• If you need to cancel your appointment, please provide at least 72 hours’ notice. Another family will be grateful for your time.
• Please be aware that if you arrive late for your visit or without referral or insurance information, your appointment may be rescheduled.

Referrals and financial information

If your insurance plan requires referrals from your pediatrician (your child's primary doctor), please be sure to get one before your visit. Please check with your insurance company about the benefits that are provided for your visit and testing at the Health and Well-being Clinic at CHOP. 

You should also ask your insurance provider about what co-pays or deductibles you will owe at the time of your visit. If you are scheduled for multiple visits within the same day, you may be responsible for paying a co-pay or deductible for each visit. 

For more information about your financial responsibilities, an explanation of any bills you will receive, and a list of resources available to you if you have questions about health insurance or billing, please refer to Billing and Insurance. 

What to expect with your visit

Your first visit

The first visit will be with the physician and, when possible, the dietician, physical activity specialist, and behavioral health provider. This will include a physical exam, medical assessment, and collecting information about your child’s mood, nutrition and exercise. We will make initial treatment plans, order testing and decide on the best follow-up plan. 

Program structure

We recommend meeting with a team member from the Health and Well-being Clinic every 1 to 2 months over the course of several months. 

Our providers include:

• Physician
• Dietitians
• Physical activity specialists
• Psychologists
• Social Worker 

Below is the typical process for most children, though your child’s path might vary based on their needs. 

Physician visit

During the initial visit, the physician will complete a full medical assessment, which includes a review of prior information and a physical exam. We will order the necessary labs or studies. If appropriate, medication or surgical options will be discussed. Your medical provider will also coordinate care with the rest of the Health and Well-being Clinic team and other medical providers your child sees, including their primary care doctor. 

At follow-up visits, the physician will review the growth chart, any completed labs or studies, and your child’s progress on lifestyle changes and any medications being prescribed.  

Weight loss medications 

In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, medication might be necessary to treat weight-related conditions. Our team has expertise in using these medications, and we have developed a protocol to keep medication usage safe and successful for our patients.  

Medications are not always covered by insurance; you can call your insurance to ask about coverage and out of pocket costs. If weight loss medications are a plan exclusion, we cannot overrule the decision with letters or calls.  

Before we start your child on medication, our team will first work with you to make lifestyle changes for about 2 to 4 months. 

After starting medication, your child will have regular in-person visits with key members of our team: 

• Physician – every 2 to 3 months
• Nutritionist – every 3 to 4 months
• Physical activity specialist – every 4 to 6 months
• Psychologist – every 4 to 6 months 

Physical activity specialist visit

Your initial visit will focus on discussing activities your child enjoys doing, current physical activity habits, and any barriers to exercise. Follow-up physical activity visits will be movement-based and take place in our teaching gym.  

The exercise physiologist will give your child resources, including workout options and demonstrations, to help them be more active at home. At every visit, you and your child will set short-term goals to work on at home between sessions.  

Here’s how your child should prepare for every visit with the exercise physiologist: 

• Eat breakfast/lunch prior to the visit
• Wear sneakers
• Wear comfortable clothing
• Bring any medications that can affect exercise safety (for example, inhaler for asthma, blood glucose testing equipment for diabetes or rescue medications for seizures) 

If your child arrives without eating, wearing proper shoes or clothing, or without needed medications, they will not be able to exercise at that visit.  

Registered dietitian visit

Your initial visit will be focused on gathering information, assessing daily food intake and eating habits, understanding the food culture of the family, education around healthy choices, and providing resources. Follow-up visits with the registered dietitian will continue to be education-based and tailored to your family’s needs. 

Topics for discussion include: 

• Eating routine and schedule
• Balanced meals and snacks
• Getting enough of certain nutrients, such as fiber and protein
• Portion sizes for age
• Label reading
• Choosing healthy drinks
• Safe eating for medication 

At every visit, you and your child will set short-term goals to complete at home between sessions.  

Psychology visit

Your initial visit with psychology is focused on getting to know you and your family as a whole and includes questions about eating behaviors, exercise habits, challenges to making healthy behavior change, motivation for change, as well as questions regarding general well-being, mood, anxiety, behavior and family dynamics. Our team’s psychologist will continue to work with your family at various frequencies depending on your child’s needs. 

Our psychologist specializes in addressing health behaviors specifically. This includes but is not limited to: 

• Emotional eating
• Food sneaking/hiding
• Constant hunger
• Anxiety around exercise
• Family conflict around eating and exercise
• Mild picky eating
• Binge eating
• Difficulty setting limits
• Behavioral sleep concerns
• Motivation for healthy behaviors
• Negative body image 

Our psychologist does not treat primary concerns of: 

• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADHD
• Disruptive behavior
• Trauma 

Our psychologist can help you determine if more general mental health support would be helpful for your child. It is common for a child or teen to have a regular outpatient mental health provider and have a consult with the Health and Well-being Clinic psychologist. 

Social work

Our social worker is a key part of the behavioral health team and can help your family identify needs (including food, school resources, mental health care), perform behavioral health assessments, and address barriers to meeting goals. They can help identify and connect families to resources within CHOP and the community.