MU Children's Hospital offers the only board certified adolescent medicine physicians who practice outside of St. Louis and Kansas City. Our team of specialized physicians and other health care experts provides diagnostic and treatment services for young adults 12 to 22 years old in an age-appropriate setting. Physicians and other health care experts provide both primary care and referral adolescent medicine services.

Why Choose an Adolescent Specialist?

Adolescence is a time marked with significant growth and change as kids move from childhood to adulthood. This special time in a child's life is filled with major changes in physical maturity, cognitive processes, emotions and relationships with others. Addressing the healthcare needs of kids in this age group requires not only addressing specific health concerns, but also considering the complicated interactions of developmental changes on healthcare needs, treatment options and health education. Our physicians are board-certified in adolescent medicine and belong to the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Additionally, each has years of clinical experience and expertise in the specific medical issues that can often appear during this time in a child's life.

The ADOBE Clinic

More and more of Missouri's children and teens are plagued by obesity. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control or CDC reports that more than 30 percent of Missouri's kids are overweight or at risk of becoming obese. These kids are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure issues and emotional difficulties due to their weight.

We realize these kids need a health care clinic tailor-made to serve their unique health care needs. Because of this, Children's Hospital's Adolescent Diabetes and Obesity, or ADOBE, Clinic was born.

The clinic was created and is run by Aneesh Tosh, MD, a board certified adolescent medical physician and assistant professor of adolescent medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Medicine.

This generally outpatient program is geared specifically to help treat and counsel children and adolescents who have or are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Some of the things offered at the ADOBE clinic are medical evaluations, nutritional counseling, lifestyle education, access to physical activities and resources, and behavioral health screening.

Common Health Care Needs of Our Patients

• General care including routine physicals
• Gynecology and menstrual disorders
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Eating disorders
• ADHD
• Depression and anxiety disorders
• Growth and development concerns
• Other conditions teens may encounter during their development

Who We Are

Melissa Lawson, MD, division director
Aneesh Tosh, MD

Where We Are

Children's Hospital Specality Clinic
402 Keene St., Suite 101
Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 882-6921

For the ADOBE clinic
(800) 500-6979