Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Facts

In Illinois, only 48% of adolescents ages 12 – 21 years, who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP insurance plans, had at least one comprehensive well-care visit ¹. Yearly well-care visits during adolescence promote healthy behaviors, prevent risky ones, and detect conditions that can interfere with physical, social, and emotional development.

According to the Youth Risk Behavorial Survey Results ², in 2021 in Illinois...

• 42% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks or more in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities.
• Approximately 1 in 4 high school students currently drank alcohol.
• 48% of high school students reported completing the recommended 1 hour of physical activity 5 days of the week.
• 15.6% of high school students had obesity. Having obesity can increase health problems and may contribute to type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
• 27.5% of high school students reported engaging in sexual intercourse.

A yearly well-care visit allows for a trusted healthcare professional to discuss and address these potential issues, and to help set the adolescent up for a lifetime of good health.

Unlike a sports physical, a yearly well-care visit is comprehensive, and typically includes a health history and physical exam, vision and hearing screenings, immunizations and vaccines, and overall physical health.

For more information on yearly well-care visits, visit our Time For A Wellness Visit page

1. https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/scorecard/adolescent-well-care-visits/index.html
2. https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/app/Results.aspx?LID=IL

Clinic Services Provided for Adolescents

The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend that adolescents conduct a yearly well-care visit with screening and anticipatory guidance for health-related behaviors. Although CUPHD does not provide yearly well-care visits, Health Educators in the Adolescent Health Program here at CUPHD provide many services to adolescents ages 12 – 21 years within our Teen and Adult Services Clinic. These services are provided in addition to the main reason for their clinic visit, be it STD testing, family planning services, or another service.

After seeing a nurse, the adolescent patient meets with a Health Educator to review their depression and substance use screenings. The Health Educator is able to make referrals to other services if necessary. As needed, the Health Educator will also provide the patient with education and/or assistance with the following:

• Connecting to a primary care physician (PCP)
• Transitioning from pediatric primary care to adult primary care
• Scheduling & attending a doctor’s appointment
• What to expect at a well-care visit
• Patient’s health care rights
• Medicaid Applications
• Picking up a prescription
• Reading a prescription label
• Vision clinics
• Dental clinics
• Local food pantries
• Support groups
• Mental health counseling Services
• Substance abuse treatment services
• Other services as needed

For more information about CUPHD's Adolescent Health Program, contact Kelly at kflanigan@c-uphd.org

Access to Healthcare Workshops

There are two versions of the Access to Healthcare Workshop, one for adolescents ages 11-18 years old, and one for parents/guardians/caregivers of adolescents ages 11-18 years old.

The adolescent workshop includes:
• The importance of yearly wellness visits
• Health insurance basics
• How to make a doctor's appointment
• How to go to a doctor's appointment
• How to advocate for oneself at the doctor's
• Consent and confidentiality
• Self-care
• More!

The caregiver workshop includes:
• The importance of yearly wellness visits
• Milestones for specific ages
• Health insurance basics
• Consent and confidentiality
• Self-care
• More!

For more information on the Adolescent Healthcare Workshops, or to schedule a workshop, contact Jenny Galloway (jgalloway@c-uphd.org. Click here for a printable flier!

Training for School and Health Care Staff

School Referrals Training

CUPHD's Adolescent Health Program is providing School Referrals training from the Adolescent Health Initiative to Champaign County school staff. The training, School Referrals, focuses on building your school's capacity to connect students to essential health services. By the end of this training, participants will be able to state what services minors can consent to without a parent's permission, and identify their role in referring adolescents to these health services.

Please contact Jenny Galloway (jgalloway@c-uphd.org) for more information!