Lifestyle changes can be difficult to make – and they certainly don’t happen overnight. It takes learning, commitment and support to succeed. That’s why we will be right there with you every step of the way. You can count on our guidance and support to help your child and family build a new, healthier way of living.
This clinic is designed to help your child and family reach personalized, healthy lifestyle goals. We strive to provide you with the tools, resources and support you need.
Ready for a Spark?
Contact your child’s primary care provider to request a referral to our clinic.
Our multidisciplinary team will work with you to create a plan specifically for your child and family. We will meet with you monthly to coordinate care and services to help keep you on track.
The key
SPARK principles are:
-
Strong - Our mission is to help children feel physically and mentally strong by offering support, guidance and education.
-
Positive – The benefits of a positive attitude and environment are well documented. We work to foster positivity in children and their families so they can achieve their goals.
-
Active – Physical activity is essential to healthy development in children and teens. We provide a safe, fun environment to help kids move more and find activities that work for your lifestyle.
-
Responsible – Each family’s responsibility is to help us help their children. We help you set achievable, realistic and agreed-upon goals that easily fit into your family’s lifestyle.
-
Kids – We focus on helping children and teens learn new, healthier habits that can last a lifetime.
Weight Management Clinic Areas of Focus - How We Ignite a SPARK
-
Our clinic providers assess medical conditions your child may have or may develop due to unhealthy weight, such as diabetes, elevated cholesterol or liver conditions. Bariatric surgery may be an option for some children. This requires a medical evaluation by our board certified pediatric surgeon.
-
Our dietitian will work with your child and family on making healthier food choices and building better eating habits. This involves identifying specific nutrition needs and developing a plan of action.
-
Our physical therapist will work with your child and family to find ways to increase activity levels and improve strength, balance and flexibility, all of which help promote weight loss and prevent injuries.
-
Our team of mental health providers will coordinate with your child and family to break barriers that might be preventing new habits from taking root. Creating a plan to change and identifying unhealthy habits is an important stepping stone to building a new, healthier lifestyle.
Health and weight changes happen over time. The best way to get there is to make subtle changes in diet, exercise and behavior. What may seem like a small change will help put your family on the path to a healthy future. We follow the four principles listed below to help guide real, positive change.
- We make small, realistic changes.
- We meet your family where you are.
- We set realistic goals.
- We build healthy habits, together
Bariatric Surgery
For some children, bariatric surgery may be an option. This requires a medical evaluation to determine if the child is a candidate for the procedure. Our pediatric weight management team has a board-certified pediatric surgeon experienced in bariatric surgery, and we collaborate with the Nebraska Medicine Bariatric Center.
Refer a Patient
We accept any patient with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile. Please fax the patient’s demographic information, last office visit note, and any lab results (fasting insulin, fasting lipid profile, Hgb Alc, TSH, CMP/Chem 14 results). We will contact the family to schedule a parent orientation meeting. All new families that live in the Omaha metro are required to attend this orientation meeting to learn about our program prior to making a new patient appointment. If they are a distance patient, we will call to schedule their first visit. Our schedulers make 3 attempts to contact the families. If we are unable to reach them, or they are not interested in the program, we will send you notification.
