Children’s Hospital New Orleans launched the first pediatric hospital- based Feeding and Eating Disorder Center in Louisiana and the Gulf South. The center will provide gold-standard assessments and treatments to adolescents suffering with eating disorders.
Amy Henke, Psychologist at Children’s Hospital New Orleans says there has been a significant rise in eating disorders amongst children and adolescence.
“Feeding and eating disorders almost always start in children and adolescence so its so important for us to catch them now before these kids grow up and become adults and treatment options are more limited,” said Henke.
Henke says the center was designed as an outpatient clinic to give families a chance to receive treatment in their home settings. She says this will allow kids to still be kids beyond their disorder.
“Our treatment really focuses on empowering the family to help and support their child who has a feeding or eating disorder and really wants to provide that support so that parents can be that agent of change,” said Henke.
Patients who don’t live in New Orleans will still be able to access care and treatment. Henke says with virtual care families can still get the same outcome.
“So even if a family doesn’t live in New Orleans, as long as we can be in contact with their pediatrician or other medical providers we can absolutely provide virtual services to anyone across the state,” said Henke.
For more information about providers families can contact the Eating and Feeding Disorder Center, visit chnola.org/eatingdisorder or call 504-896-9827
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