Adolescent Medicine

Serving more than 2,000 patients each year, our Division of Adolescent Medicine is the only hospital-based adolescent medicine program in Suffolk County. Our mission is to educate and empower patients ages 12-25 to make healthy decisions, avoid high-risk behaviors and develop habits that encourage a lifetime of health.

We provide developmentally-appropriate, comprehensive primary care and consultation services in the inpatient and outpatient settings. We use a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with other Stony Brook pediatric specialists and professionals (such as nutritionists and mental health counselors) to provide personalized care for patients. We understand the need for confidential care, yet we strongly encourage and can facilitate open communication between the adolescent patient and their parents.

The Adolescent Medicine division also engages in vital adolescent medicine research, and all members of our division are educators in the Stony Brook School of Medicine, teaching residents and medical students how to provide adolescent-friendly care.

Services

A time of life characterized by profound physical, mental and psychosocial development, adolescence can be a confusing and challenging phase for teenagers and their parents.

Lifelong habits, both healthy and harmful, are frequently established during the teen years. Additionally, social stress and academic pressure can increase exponentially during adolescence and young adulthood.

At Stony Brook Children's, we recognize these challenges and strive to address them. We offer comprehensive primary care for adolescents and young adults in youth-friendly medical clinics. We specialize in providing confidential medical services in an accessible, non-judgmental and caring environment regardless of sexual expression or gender identity. We also screen for high-risk behaviors common among teenagers and young adults, provide risk-reduction counseling and make referrals to appropriate services and programs.

Our services include:

Primary medical care including routine health care physicals (such as sports clearance, working papers and college physicals)
Medical care for gay, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, queer and transgender teens and young adults
Management of chronic diseases (such as asthma, seasonal allergies, etc.)
Comprehensive medical care for teens with developmental delays
Management of acute medical problems (such as colds, sore throat, headache and abdominal pain)
Primary Care for individuals with complex chronic illnesses, collaborating closely with other subspecialist providers (for example, Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, HIV)
Routine immunizations
Acne treatment and skin problems
Minor injuries
Puberty and growth concerns

Medical visits and laboratory testing
HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) assessments, follow-up and prescriptions
Medical Case Management
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Close collaboration with Pediatric Infectious Disease specialists

Pelvic exams/Pap smear
Menstrual disorders (including irregular periods, menstrual cramps, pre-menstrual mood swings)
Vaginal discharge
Pregnancy testing and pregnancy prevention education

Prevention and risk reduction counseling on STIs, HIV and pregnancy that is LGBTQ sensitive
Birth control education and prescriptions
Emergency contraception education and distribution
Condom distribution
Confidential testing and treatment for STIs and HIV
Expedited Partner Therapy

Close collaboration with Nutritionists and Therapists

Evaluation of mild mental health conditions (such as ADHD, Anxiety and Depression)
Management of mild mental health conditions

Please Note: Individuals with moderate or severe mental health symptoms; refractory symptoms that do not improve with medication trial; significant adverse effects to medications; or individuals with a recent psychiatric hospitalization will be referred to a psychiatric specialist for more comprehensive treatment.

Referrals to appropriate services or programs

Our Team

Our Adolescent Medicine team consists of 3 board-certified Adolescent Medicine physicians, a pediatric nurse practitioner, a highly experienced dietician and an enthusiastic social worker.

This multidisciplinary team works in collaboration with other pediatric subspecialties to provide comprehensive medical care individualized to meet the needs of each patient and their family. All members of the Adolescent Medicine division are also educators in the Stony Brook School of Medicine, teaching residents and medical students how to provide adolescent-friendly care.

Allison H. Eliscu, MD

Division Chief

Zachary Jacobs, DO

Adolescent Medicine

Brittany Ruthinoski, NP

Pediatrics

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Program
Stony Brook improves access to HIV PrEP care for HIV negative patients of all ages, as well as provides community education and outreach. Dr. Allison Eliscu, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, serves as the Principal Investigator for this NYS grant and as Stony Brook's PrEP Champion.

Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
Awarded a NYS Department of Health Bureau of Women, Infant and Adolescent Health grant in 2010 and renewed in 2017, this program provides evidence-based interventions in group settings to address the reproductive and sexual health of teens and young adults. Adolescent Medicine physicians provide workshops to parents/caregivers on sexual and reproductive health issues and parent-child communication.

Patient Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP): A New York State free Medicaid program that provides free healthcare coverage for confidential family planning services (for both males and females). This plan is for those who are uninsured or covered by a parent’s private insurance plan. To enroll in the FPBP or for more information, please call (631) 444-8832.

Emergency Contraception: The generic version of Plan B is distributed free of charge, if needed, during a medical visit. It is also available over-the-counter at all pharmacies.

www.psychologytoday.com: A search tool for mental health providers.

www.bedsider.org: Medically accurate family planning information.

www.youngwomenshealth.org: Medically accurate information on multiple health issues affecting young women.

www.youngmenshealthsite.org: Medically accurate information on multiple health issues affecting young men.

www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/LGBTQ: LGBTQ* Care at Stony Brook Medicine

Definitions

Attention deficit disorder symptoms may include inattention, impulsivity, overactivity, social clumsiness, disorganization and specific learning disabilities.

Attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder may be characterized by difficulty with the following: paying attention, concentrating, following directions, learning, keeping still, and completing tasks. Teens with ADHD may be inclined to make impulsive decisions without stopping to think about the consequences of their choices. Three subtypes of ADHD exist: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders may include excessive worry and apprehension; irritability; fatigue; difficulty concentrating; or sleep disturbances. Panic disorder may involve unpredictable episodes of heart palpitations or chest pain; excessive sweating; light-headedness; labored breathing; tingling in the arms or legs; a sense of disassociation; and fear of losing control.

In teens, depression may involve a combination of symptoms: depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities; sadness and fear with intermittent inability to feel emotion; marked weight loss or gain; changes in sleep patterns; restlessness; fatigue; hopelessness; decreased self esteem; abuse of alcohol, drugs or food; nightmares; problems in school; self injury; or becoming withdrawn or irritable.

Provides treatment for the sex partner(s) of patients diagnosed with chlamydia by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner without the healthcare provider first examining the partner.

These harmful behaviors can result in injury, disease, and death. Examples of high-risk behaviors include unprotected sexual activity (oral, anal or vaginal) without a condom; sharing needles while injecting drugs; using street drugs or abusing prescription drugs; huffing inhalants; using alcohol; drinking and driving; tobacco use; and engaging in violent behavior.

This refers to purposeful harming one's own body whether by cutting, hitting, burning, head banging, choking, scratching, inserting objects into body opening, or other self-destructive behaviors.