Pediatric Multispecialty Clinics

The Child Development Center provides multispecialty care for children with complex neurological problems and childhood behavioral concerns.

We offer a comprehensive system of care that includes coordinated evaluation, ongoing treatment, advocacy and education throughout childhood. We use a team approach to maximize excellence in quality care. This approach decreases multiple visits with other specialties. Your child receives care, often in one day and in one location.

The Child Development Center requires a referral from your child’s primary doctor for most of these services. It is important to include primary doctors when evaluating your child. Contact us for more information by calling (800) 782-8581, ext. 9-5500.

The Child Development Center clinics specialize in the evaluation, treatment and management of:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Behavioral
• Child neurodiagnostic
• Developmental
• Special needs
• Spina Bifida

Our clinic provides complete treatment and rehabilitation services for children with cleft lip and cleft palate.

Our experienced team treats the condition using a coordinated care approach so the right help is available at the right time.

Your care team

Your child’s care team will work together to create a specific plan to address your child’s needs. We will also make sure your child’s appointments with their care team can be coordinated into one appointment.

Your child’s care team may include a:

• Pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon to perform the surgery
• Orthodontist to correct the alignment of the teeth
• Maxillofacial surgeon to help with any necessary surgery of the jaw
• Geneticist to help understand the cause of the cleft
• Ear, nose and throat specialist to help with any issues with hearing
• Pediatrician to ensure total health
• Speech-language pathologist to assess speech and feeding issues
• Audiologist to test hearing

As your child grows up, they may have unique challenges. We are able to follow your child through the entire process and help answer any of your questions.

To schedule an appointment, call (715) 221-7073 or sign in to your My Marshfield Clinic account.

Our Cystic Fibrosis Clinic provides complete care for children with cystic fibrosis using a coordinated care approach. It is a certified center through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Cystic fibrosis is a serious, chronic, inherited disorder ranging from mild to severe. It is caused by a defect that leads to an imbalance in the flow of water and salt into and out of cells. Doctors usually diagnose this disease during the first two months of a child’s life.

Our Cystic Fibrosis Clinic also provides a transition clinic that helps provide lifelong care for pediatric and adult patients.

Your care team

Your team will work with you and your child to develop a care plan that is right for your child based on:

• Your child’s age, overall and medical history
• Extent of the disease (body systems affected)
• Your child’s tolerance for specific medications, or therapies
• Your opinion or preference

Many children today are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis through a newborn screening, but a positive result does not always mean the child has the disease. We will complete a medical history, physical exam and diagnostic procedures to ensure the diagnosis is accurate.

During your visit to the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, you will interact with a pulmonologist, social worker, dietician, respiratory therapist, genetic counselor and psychologist. 

To schedule an appointment, or for more information, call (715) 898-6251.

How we’re improving research for cystic fibrosis

Our cystic fibrosis care team takes part in research to provide better diagnoses and treatments for patients living with cystic fibrosis.

For information on additional research and clinical trials, discuss opportunities with your team. You also may view available clinical trials by visiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Our Diabetes Clinic provides complete care for children with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes using a coordinated care approach.

Diabetes is a condition that happens when the pancreas can no longer make insulin (a hormone). It is a lifelong disease, so there is no cure.

Your health care team will work with you to create the right treatment plan for your child. This includes different ways to watch your child’s blood sugar level and providing insulin or oral medication. A dietitian also will help you develop a meal plan so you understand what foods are best for your child.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (715) 387-5251.

Our multispecialty Immunodeficiency Clinic provides a diagnosis and management for children with immune system problems, which can cause recurrent infections or recurrent fevers. We offer a comprehensive system of care that provides triage, evaluation and ongoing treatment. We’ll connect you and your child with the most appropriate specialist to provide treatment.

Your care team

Your child’s care team is staffed with expert physicians specializing in allergies, immunology and infectious disease.

Our providers see patients for immune deficiency or immune dysregulation, recurrent infections and periodic fever syndromes.

This program is primarily for children between 2-18 years old with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. Typically, this is a BMI greater than 25.

Your child’s care team may include:

• Endocrinologists
• Social workers
• Cardiologists
• Nutritionists
• Behavioral health specialists
• Bariatric surgeons 

Program timeline

We will first conduct baseline blood tests to check blood sugar, cholesterol levels, liver and kidney function, and for any underlying genetic syndromes. After the completion of these labs, your child can be referred to the program.

The first appointment with your care team typically takes one hour. During this first appointment, your care team will discuss your child’s laboratory results, diet, lifestyle, comorbidities and family history with you and your child.

Following this initial appointment, your care team will meet with you and your child every six weeks to two months for at least a year. Some of these appointments are available using telehealth and many of our providers have appointments closer to your home. 

While the program’s goal is to help your child make healthier choices, these changes often require a commitment from the entire household. We encourage you to bring any family members that would be responsible for feeding your child. Results have shown greatest improvement in BMI when the entire household makes these changes.

For more information about the Lifestyles Management Program, call (715) 387-5039.

Our specialty providers take a team approach to caring for children, teens and young adults with vocal cord dysfunction and work together to accurately test for and treat it. 

The Vocal Cord Clinic condenses, what could be, up to three separate visits into one appointment for the patient. Patients see providers for a pulmonary check, exercise test and speech therapy evaluation. Your providers will run tests to check your breathing and your vocal cords to check for damage and other concerns.

Caring for vocal cord dysfunction

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is different than many other breathing problems because the vocal cords close when you breathe in and out, rather than open. The main treatment for VCD is learning to manage and control symptoms when they occur, as the cause of VCD is often unknown.

Your team will make a treatment plan and recommendations that may include:

• Speech therapy to learn relaxed breathing to control VCD
• Medications to help treat upper airway irritations
• Diet changes for irritated vocal cords or gastroesophageal reflux
• Counseling to help adjust to the new diagnosis and recommended treatments

Our care team offers support for children with complex chronic medical conditions, providing a link between your child’s specialists, primary care team and you.

This service is available for children with very complex chronic conditions that require intense in-home care and many visits to see multiple specialty doctors each year.

Care coordinators are your health care resource, so you can spend more time with your family and less time worrying about health care. They provide help in many areas including:

• Assisting with transportation and other barriers so you can get to your child’s appointments
• Providing support after an appointment if you have additional questions or need help setting up follow-up care
• Help with problems filling prescriptions and picking up medications or equipment
• Working with community partners involved in your child’s care including your child’s school or in-home nurse
• Assisting in filling out paperwork and making sure you understand what it is for
• Working through issues with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), insurance and other programs
• Providing some mental health and social support

Your child must meet specific criteria to qualify for care coordination. This service is for children with complex chronic conditions receiving primary care services with Marshfield Clinic Health System. Talk to your child’s primary care provider for more information.

Enrolling in the program

These are the requirements to qualify for the care coordination program:

• Your child must have more than 10 specialty or sub-specialty appointments a year or five or more days in a hospital
• Your child must have complex chronic conditions
• Your child must receive care from three or more medical or surgical specialists
• Your child must receive care for three body systems
• There may be exceptions to these requirements for newborns

If your child qualifies, an appointment will be scheduled when an opening is available. At this appointment, you and your child will meet with our care coordination team to talk about your child’s medical history and current health concerns. Using this information, we will create a care plan for your child. If your child does not qualify, talk to your child’s primary care provider about available resources that may meet your child’s needs.

Program outline

Your child will continue to receive care coordination services if you comply with the program requirements of:

• Contact every month via phone or telehealth to ensure everything is going well
• Regular follow-up visits with a care coordinator every six months
• Visits when your child is in the hospital or contact after discharge to ensure nothing falls through the cracks

Your child can stay enrolled with the program until age 26 as long as they transition to a family practice or Med-Peds provider in our system for adult primary care. Your care coordination team will help you decide when your child may be able to formally graduate from the program.

To learn more about this program or ask questions, please call (715) 389-3064.