171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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December 2005
Feature Story
By: Mary Sue Lawrence, Trio Solutions Inc.
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Janice Key, MD
Director of Adolescent Medicine |
Adolescents require unique treatment, and the Division of Adolescent Medicine at MUSC Children's Hospital makes sure they get it.
"These patients are halfway between being an adult and a child," explains Janice Key, MD, director of the division. "You have to treat them
uniquely. They often look like adults -- they use big words," she laughs, "but they're not."
Before Dr. Key created the Division of Adolescent Medicine in 1991, she says residents weren't aware that this patient group had distinct
needs. "The resident doctors treated them like children, really. Now they know to treat them differently."
Addressing the healthcare needs of this age group goes beyond identified health concerns. The transition between childhood and adulthood
is filled with major changes in physical maturity and sexuality, cognitive processes, emotional feelings, and relationships with others.
Therefore, health providers must also deal with the complicated interactions of developmental changes on healthcare needs, the effectiveness
of treatment, health education, and health promotion.
"Our first goal is to train pediatricians so that they do a fantastic job of taking care of preteen and teenaged patients. I think we have
the best training program in the country," says Dr. Key. "We continually improve it. Part of how we take care of South Carolina is by
sending out all these great graduates every year to take care of all the preteens and teens across the state."
Two new physicians-- Dr. Sergio R. Russo Buzzini, MD, MPH, and Trish Hutchison, MD - joined the division this year, expanding the team
to 11: three physicians, one counselor, five research project staff members, and two administrative assistants.
The division offers a general adolescent medicine clinic in Rutledge Tower nearly every day of the week. It also added a new outreach
rural clinic this year in Hollywood, run cooperatively with the Sea Island Medical Center.
Bringing new specialties to the team, Dr. Buzzini and Dr. Hutchison have broadened its outreach. Dr. Buzzini is spearheading a new
sports medicine clinic for adolescent athletes, while Dr. Hutchison, who specializes in adolescent girls, created a girls-only
program, Girls2Women, at the East Cooper Women's Center in Mt. Pleasant.
The division also supervises the College of Nursing staff at the Burke High School-based clinic, where Dr. Buzzini oversees improvement
and expansion of services. Through a contract with the College of Charleston Student Health Services, the division also works with
college students once a week.
The team's in-the-field research focuses on helping adolescents through this crucial time "without getting into trouble," says Dr. Key.
"Our research is out in the schools with preteens and teens in the community, so it takes a lot of effort. It's harder than doing research with test tubes."
There are currently three ongoing major clinical research projects, all located in school-based settings. These projects include teen
pregnancy primary and secondary prevention. "Our Comprehensive Care for Adolescent Families program for teen mothers and their babies,
in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, is one of the most effective in the country," says Dr. Key. The
division also collaborates on programs that provide abstinence education, smoking cessation, and pregnancy prevention. The division has
also initiated a community intervention in the Sea Island area of rural southern Charleston County funded through the New Morning Foundation.
"Adolescence is a key period. It's when many of us first initiate behaviors that will affect the rest of our lives," explains Dr. Key.
"For instance, many people start smoking in their preteen or teen years, or having sex. We call these risk-taking behaviors, and it's
critical to prevent or intervene and address these behaviors at this point in a patient's life."
"This is a key phase in a young person's life," continues Dr. Key. "We are determined to help adolescents get through this challenging transition."
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