ABOUT THE PRACTICE:

Eating Disorder Medical Specialists of Cleveland, LLC (EDMSC) is Cleveland's only private, independent medical practice that provides first-line, individualized assessments, treatment, and referrals to appropriate multi-disciplinary providers to support the medical management of complications that arise in children, adolescents, and young adults ages 5-45, with eating disorders.

EDMSC's mission is to provide evidence-based treatment that results in optimal outcomes in remission and long-term recovery by developing a compassionate partnership between patients, their multi-disciplinary team of providers, and their referring physicians. Referrals for inpatient hospitalization, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or outpatient care with the many groups of therapists and dieticians with whom Dr. G works closely, will be made on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, Dr. Gillespie is trained in, and enjoys caring for healthy adolescents and provides other services, including GYN services such as testing for Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STI's), Pap smears, and birth control counseling. Dr. Gillespie performs these assessments because many pediatricians stop providing these services, and adolescents may not yet be ready to see an internal medicine doctor or an adult gynecologist. 

EDMSC is an LGBTQ+ friendly practice, and Dr. Gillespie has much experience taking care of patients that identify as such. EDMSC has always provided a safe, nurturing environment for these and all patients, and we hope to continue to make patients feel comfortable and safe coming to our practice.

TYPES OF APPOINTMENTS:

Meet and Greet: This 10–15-minute meeting allows prospective patients and families to meet Dr. Gillespie, and the staff. You all will be able to ask questions and decide whether Dr. Gillespie would be a good fit for the patients’ needs and Dr. Gillespie’s scope of practice.

Initial Consultation:  The first step in assessing a patient is a 120-minute consultation.  This involves an extensive history, thorough physical exam, and any appropriate tests as dictated by the history and exam. Many times we discover that we have "nipped" some early issues "in the bud" and thorough education is all that is necessary; or that a patient has developed some disordered eating that can be quickly remedied.  Other times, we see patients for an initial consultation, and they are much more medically compromised than anyone thought, for which we then take the next appropriate steps to aggressively treat these patients based on their individual assessments. This can include referrals for medical stabilization for patients that meet inpatient medical criteria at Hillcrest Hospital (for those under age 22), or Cleveland Clinic Main Campus (for older patients).

Follow-Ups: Based on the severity of the illness, and the time-frame in terms of the recovery process, we may see patients weekly, or if further along in treatment, as infrequently as every 3-6 months, and eventually yearly.  These appointments are much more brief, typically ranging from 45 to 60 minutes.  We do ask our patients to be "patient", as we will always take the time that the patient, and/or families, require as it often varies, and we will extend the same compassionate time, as needed, to all patients.

Additional Medical Services Provided Include:

*Monitoring vital signs

*Weight monitoring and management

*Laboratory monitoring (at the lab of your choice, or as dictated by your insurance, with results sent to and interpreted by Dr. Gillespie)

*Prescriptions for Bone Mineral Density (at the location of your choice with results sent to and interpreted by Dr. Gillespie)

*Electrocardiograms (EKG)  (on site)

*STI (STD) Testing (on site)

*Pregnancy Testing (on site)

*Pap Smear Testing (on site)

*Adolescent Immunizations/influenza vaccines (on site)

*Birth Control consultation, counseling, and prescriptions, as well as administration of Depo-Provera (on site)