SPRING (Specialized Program that Respects Individuals and Nurtures Growth)

What to Expect at Your Visit

The SPRING team includes specialists from many different disciplines who will work together as a team to treat you or your child. Our team will assist you with any of your family's medical questions, housing, transportation, insurance or scheduling needs.

What to Expect Prior to Your Visit

• Immediate contact from our Intake Specialists to gather demographic information and get your child’s electronic medical record started.
• Communication from our social worker to discuss your child’s previous and current medical and surgical history.
• Review of this information with our collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
• Direct call or telemedicine visit if needed in certain circumstances.
• Prompt scheduling of your child’s unique care plan for their first visit.

What to Bring to Your Visit

• All patients must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the evaluation. Guardians who are not biological parents need to present legal documentation or proof of guardianship.
• Insurance card – co-pays will be collected if required
• List of current medications
• Please come prepared with extra care items for your child’s individual needs

What to Expect While You Are Here

• Please call (614) 722-3121 if you need to cancel, reschedule, or if you have any questions.
• Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before each of your scheduled appointment times for parking and registration.
• In general, providers from all applicable specialties (such as urology, endocrinology, gynecology, psychology, social work, genetics) will see you and your child together as one group.
• You and your child are in charge of the conversation and any physical exam during the visit. If a physical exam is needed, we will limit the number of people in the room to only those who are absolutely necessary. If your child is not comfortable with an exam, this does not have to be done at the first visit.
• After your child's visit is completed, you will receive instructions for follow up care and future appointments/instructions. In some cases, surgery and/or other exams will be scheduled at a later date.

We welcome any feedback to make your experience better, please share with us your thoughts at any time.

Meet Our SPRING Team

Using a collaborative approach, the SPRING team provides long-term comprehensive medical and surgical care for individuals with complex reproductive conditions, including:

• Establishing an initial diagnosis and discussing an anticipated plan of care.
• Assisting families in talking with their child and others about the diagnosis.
• Helping the individual, at an age-appropriate time, gradually learn about their condition and share information with others as needed.
• Meeting with families throughout the child’s development to provide support and education on long-term expectations, sexual function and fertility, and to promote positive psychosocial adjustment and self-image.
• Providing psychosocial support and connections with peer support.

Meet Our Team

Social Work

• Provides initial assessments regarding psychological, social and financial needs.
• Offers psychosocial support to caregivers and the patient regarding diagnosis.
• Offers psycho-education to develop skills around healthy emotional and sexual well-being.
• Optimizes psychosocial function and future sexual function.
• Assists with issues related to body image, information sharing, and relationships.
• Promotes a young person’s transition to adulthood and encourages their ability to discuss their medical information.

Endocrinology

• Evaluates and diagnoses any underlying hormone abnormalities.
• Explains and educates families about the normal and abnormal processes associated with the diagnosis, including possible effects on fertility.
• Monitors and discusses puberty.
• Develops a treatment plan, if necessary, to include hormone replacement or substitution to promote growth and puberty.

Urology

• Evaluates and explains the underlying anatomical condition.
• Discusses the long-term functional expectations with patients and families and helps determine if surgical intervention is needed.
• Discusses the type of surgery that might be performed, expected outcomes, and recovery.
• Offers long term follow-up to ensure adequate preparation and transition to adult life.

Psychology

• Works with individuals and families to promote adaptive adjustment and coping skills to manage diagnosis and medical care.
• Assists with issues related to body image, information sharing about diagnosis, and relationships.
• Conducts general assessment of behavioral, social, neurocognitive, and psychological functioning
• Provides optional in-person or telehealth therapy services outside of clinic to continue support

Gynecology

• Diagnoses, manages, and treats gynecologic conditions and anatomical variations, both medically and surgically as needed.
• Evaluates and discusses need for surgical interventions and expected outcomes.
• Provides counseling on short and long term reproductive and sexual health concerns, including fertility options.
• Discusses menstrual suppression, contraception, and hormonal replacement therapy.

Genetic and Genomic Medicine

• Evaluates and diagnose possible underlying genetic causes of condition.
• Provides guidance to families and medical team regarding genetic testing options to further support or confirm a diagnosis
• Considers other medical issues that may arise from a genetic cause.
• Provides information about possible etiology of condition, inheritance of condition, and recurrence risk to family members

Why Choose Nationwide Children's for Your Child's Care?

The SPRING team includes specialists from many different disciplines who will work together as a team to treat you or your child. Our collaborative team, including urology, gynecology, endocrinology, social work, psychology, and genetics are dedicated to providing compassionate support and evidence-based care for complex urologic, gynecologic, and reproductive conditions. We provide individualized care which may start with counseling prior to birth and carries through adulthood. We work closely with families during the journey to a diagnosis and continue close care for long-term management of these rare conditions.

Resources for Families

Access national resources below.

• Accord Alliance – Provides resources and information for health care providers, patients and families, other stakeholder communities, and the general public.
• Beautiful You MRKH Foundation – Provides education and support for those affected by Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) and advocates to expand knowledge about MRKH.
• CARES Foundation, Inc.- Provides education and research for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia while providing the resources and the latest information available for managing life with CAH.
• DSD Diagnosis Disclosure - Provides tips on how to talk to your child about their DSD diagnosis and explains why this disclosure is so important.
• DSDFamilies and DSDTeens – United Kingdom-based websites providing support to families and teenagers who are diagnosed with DSD.
• DSD Guidelines - Provides information for parents and their children with DSDs.
• Differences of Sex Development-Translational Research Network -Our clinic is part of a collaborative network on hospitals who specialize in interdisciplinary care for these conditions with the goal of continuing to improve medical and psychosocial care and outcomes for patients and families.
• Hypospadias and Epispadias Association - Gives parents the information and education needed to make informed decisions about their child's care.
• InterConnect (formerly Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and other Disorders of Sex Development Support Group (AIS-DSD) - Provides information and support on Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) and similar conditions. regarding DSDs and their families.
• MRKH Organization - Offers support for women with Vaginal Agenesis through linkage with support and general information.

Becoming a Patient

Our team would be happy to answer any questions or schedule an appointment at (614) 722-3121, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Whether you are traveling from outside the United States or from another state, our Global Patient Services team can help make your trip as seamless as possible. If you live outside the United States., please fill out our International Medical Inquiry Form.