22q Center
Comprehensive. Coordinated. Compassionate. Every Child With 22q has Unique Needs.
Outcomes for patients with 22q deletion syndrome
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22q Center
The 22q Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides children and their families, from here and around the world, with access to a multidisciplinary team of expert clinicians who understand these special needs.
Under the joint directorship of Richard E. Kirschner, MD, FACS, FAAP, chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and speech scientist Adriane Baylis, PhD, CCC-SLP, the 22q Center team provides comprehensive individualized diagnostic and management services in Genetics, Cardiology, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Speech and Language Pathology, Developmental Pediatrics, Immunology, Neuropsychology, Behavioral Health, Audiology, Otolaryngology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Neurology, Orthopedics and Psychiatry to patients with 22q Deletion Syndrome.
Our Philosophy of Care
22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q) can affect any system of the body, however most children with 22q have heart, immune, learning, speech, and/or behavior difficulties. Each person with 22q has their own unique needs, and interdisciplinary team care is the best management approach. The 22q Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers comprehensive and coordinated care for children and adults with 22q. The 22q Team helps families manage medical, developmental, mental health, and other needs.
Why Team Care?
The 22q Center works with families to streamline scheduling the appointments around each patient’s needs. Each 22q team visit is personalized. 22q team care has the following benefits:
- Patients are seen by many specialists on the same day or within the same week. Providers meet face-to-face to discuss care coordination and follow-up needs
- Coordination of referrals, lab tests, and procedures
- Communication with the patient’s primary care doctor about follow-up needs
- Education and collaboration with primary care providers, therapists, and schools about 22q and the unique needs each child
- Mental health resources, insurance/financial assistance, psychosocial resources, and post-high school education or career counseling, as well as help with transitioning to the adult health care system
- Linking families to educational events, social activities, and family support programs
The 22q Center is on Facebook!
Connect with our team and other Nationwide Children's Hospital patient families.
Our Team
Richard E. Kirschner
Richard Kirschner is the chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, director of the Cleft Lip and Palate-Craniofacial Center and co-director of the 22q Center.
Adriane L Baylis
Adriane Baylis, PhD, CCC-SLP is a speech scientist, craniofacial speech pathologist, director of the Velopharyngeal Dysfunction Program and co-director of the 22q Center.
Coordinated Care for Children with 22q Deletion Syndrome
Each child with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome faces unique challenges. Given the wide spectrum of medical, developmental, and psychological needs of affected patients, optimal treatment requires an individualized and comprehensive approach to evaluation and treatment by a team of experts who understand the unique needs of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients.
All new patients evaluated by the 22q Center team undergo thorough pre-visit screening in order to prepare a comprehensive evaluation plan to address their individual needs. The Center’s staff coordinates each child’s appointments, allowing families to see all necessary specialists in just a few days. Our Welcome Center supports the unique needs of patients and families arriving from out-of-town, including housing, transportation, financial information and other resources. Once all clinical evaluations have been completed, our 22q Center team meets face-to-face in order to develop a coordinated plan of care for each patient.
At Nationwide Children's, the plastic surgeon leads an integrated, nationally recognized team of experts that provides a wide range of services, including:
- Cardiology
- Dentistry
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics
- Hematology
- Immunology
- Neuropsychology
- Nursing
- Orthodontics
- Otolaryngology (ENT)
Clinical Research
Our team is actively engaged in clinical research that aims to help professionals and families understand more about the 22q deletion and its impact on affected children. Through such investigative efforts, we will learn how best to care for our patients and how to best help them live healthy and productive lives.
Find Current 22q Clinical Studies
A Healthy You and 22q – 2024 Family Conference
Date: Friday September 20 - Sunday September 22, 2024
Time: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Education Center, Columbus, Ohio
Join us for:
- Friday family dinner
- Educational sessions and small group discussions with 22q Center team members
- Separate sessions designed for teens, school age and young children
- Family luncheon at the conference
- Sunday morning 22q Awareness Walk
Inside the 22q Center
Meet Grant
When Grant was born he was in respiratory distress and required immediate medical attention. The neonatal nurses rushed in to save him and then admitted him to the NICU.
