Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Improving the Medical, Surgical, Psychological and Social Care of Children With IBD
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
The IBD Center at Nationwide Children’s provides comprehensive, collaborative care for children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Gastroenterology and GI Surgery.
About the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center
Each year, hundreds of children and adolescents come to Nationwide Children's Hospital for diagnosis and treatment of their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We are one of the largest pediatric IBD centers in the U.S. In addition, Nationwide Children’s is one of the leaders of ImproveCareNow, an international, multi-institution collaborative focusing on improving outcomes in IBD patients and also one of the leaders in clinical research.
The diagnostic capabilities at the IBD Center are some of the most advanced in the world and include:
- The use of flexible scopes, called endoscopes and colonoscopes
- State-of-the-art imaging services including MRI scans, CT scans intestinal ultrasound and fluoroscopy
- Interventional radiology services
- The non-invasive capsule endoscopy or “PillCam”
We recognize that, like any chronic illness, inflammatory bowel disease can affect children and adolescents every day of their lives as well as impacting their family. We treat the whole family, using an approach that addresses psychological and social concerns in tandem with the most advanced medical treatment.
One-on-one teaching to newly diagnosed patients and their families is provided by an IBD nurse, IBD psychologist, IBD dietitian, and IBD social worker. IBD nurses discuss the disease process, understanding and identifying symptoms, treatments, and long-term management of care. Psychology services including assessment of psychosocial concerns, pain management (including biofeedback), and psychotherapy addressing coping with the disease and other issues are also available. The IBD dietitians will meet with you during new diagnosis teaching day and will assess your child’s weight and growth and vitamin and mineral needs and give ideas/recommendations if improvements are needed. They are your resource to good eating with IBD and give personalized guidance for information you may have heard or read tailored specifically for you/your child. Our IBD social worker will provide services to assist with out-of-pocket medical costs, information about school resources and accommodations, assist with insurance needs, and assess barriers to care. We also have an IBD pharmacist who assists in medication education, navigating insurance authorizations, and much more.
We also offer an annual IBD office visit which the patient and parents meet with our IBD team. The IBD nurse practitioner reviews routine health maintenance recommendations, continues education about IBD, and helps with transition to an adult provider when ready. The IBD psychologist screens for depression, anxiety, and quality of life. The IBD social worker assists with financial counseling and school issues. The IBD dietitian reviews diet options for IBD patients and recommended nutrition labs when appropriate.
We provide the most current medical therapies that are tailored to each patient. For those who require surgical interventions, we have a dedicated team of surgeons who employ the latest techniques including the use of laparoscopic surgery when appropriate. When surgery is a consideration, we have a specialized IBD surgery clinic with an IBD surgeon, GI doctor and IBD psychologist so families can discuss both medical and surgical recommendations during one office visit and make informed decisions regarding the best treatment plan for their child.
We also have an IBD-Rheumatology combined clinic, where patients with musculoskeletal concerns common in those with IBD can be seen by their GI doctor and a pediatric rheumatologist in the same visit allowing for streamlined care and shared decision making.
Learn More About IBD
Meet the IBD Team
We have a team of expert physicians, surgeons, psychologists, researchers, dietitians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and social workers who provide diagnostic services, clinical management, patient and family education, nutritional guidance and counseling. Our goal is to improve the medical, surgical, psychological and social care of all children with inflammatory bowel disease regionally through direct patient care, and nationally through continued research. In addition, we work closely with other specialists in these areas: Infectious Disease, Hematology, Rheumatology and the wound/ostomy team.
Brendan M. Boyle
Brendan M. Boyle, MD, is section chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and director of the IBD Center at Nationwide Children’s. A professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Boyle has a clinical and research focus on treating children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Ross M. Maltz
Ross M. Maltz MD, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist and director of research for the IBD Center, as well as director of the center’s Very Early Onset IBD Program. He is also a principal investigator in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, and an associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His clinical interest involves all aspects of pediatric gastroenterology with a special interest in IBD and very early onset of the disease.
Hilary K. Michel
Hilary K. Michel, MD, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist and medical director of the IBD Center at Nationwide Children’s. An associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, her clinical interests include general pediatric gastroenterology with a focus on caring for children and adolescents with IBD.
Benedict C. Nwomeh
Benedict C. Nwomeh, MD, is the pediatric surgeon and surgical director of the IBD Center at Nationwide Children's. Dr. Nwomeh is a professor of Surgery and Pediatrics and serves as vice chair for Global Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
IBD Center Research and Quality Improvement
Research is critical in continuing to improve the care of children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Current research activities include clinical drug trials and studies examining the psychosocial effects of chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. The center also participates in multiple national and international IBD research cohorts which are being used in the ongoing effort to improve the treatment and quality of life for all those with IBD.
