What to Expect at Your First Appointment at the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders

When your child is first diagnosed with an eosinophilic disorder, you may feel both fear and isolation. Fear because there is a lot still unknown or misunderstood about the diagnosis, and isolation because it is a rare, often misunderstood condition. The staff at Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders (CCED) at Cincinnati Children’s is working around the clock to change that outcome.

As a patient of the CCED, your child will have access to the latest research and innovations in treatment, as well as resources to help your child and your whole family live life to the fullest. This access includes new clinical trials and studies that can help your child, along with many other children with the same diagnosis. Your first step is contacting our intake team to start the process of making an appointment.

Making an Appointment at the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders

The CCED only treats patients with a confirmed diagnosis of an eosinophilic disorder. We confirm this information by reviewing your child’s medical records, pathology reports and select pathology slides. Before making an appointment, please request that your child’s tests and files from all previous medical providers are sent to us. Our office can help you gather the correct information our team will need before your child’s first appointment.

Your child’s initial evaluation will take about four days, depending on their needs and medical history. These evaluations take place during the day, and your child will not be checked in to the hospital overnight. If lodging is needed, please contact Concierge Services.

For more information about the CCED or to schedule an appointment, contact us.

Before Your Appointment

Before your appointment, we will provide an itinerary and instructions on how to prepare for your child’s personalized visit. Instructions may include whether your child needs to avoid or stop medications for procedures or testing. Our office will determine which specialists should meet with you and your child for the first evaluation, and we’ll schedule those appointments. For example, your schedule may include a bone density test or a meeting with a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy. You may also meet with a psychologist for a family consultation, or an allergist for allergy and immunology testing and education. Researchers and dietitians also might play a role in your child’s initial evaluation.

Most patients will need to have a pre-operative evaluation by a primary care physician within 30 days of a scheduled surgery. Also, we’ll provide a CCED food diary form for your child to complete for three days. Bring the physician’s evaluation and food diary with you to the CCED appointment.

Let us know if you have questions or concerns prior to your child’s visit, including what information our team will need before your child’s appointment.

On the Day of Your Visit to the Center for Eosinophilic Disorders

Arriving at Your Appointment

The CCED is located on Cincinnati Children’s Burnet Campus. The address is 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.

Please plan to arrive about 30 minutes early to find parking, walk to the clinic, and register your child for their first appointment.

During Your Appointment

Our team will review your child’s medical records to eliminate the need for tests or exams they’ve already had. However, your child’s condition may have changed since they last had specific tests. If that’s the case, your child’s itinerary may show a test that needs to be repeated during your first visit with us.

Your child’s personalized itinerary will list what specialists will meet with you and your child for the first evaluation, and the schedule of those appointments. Our team will complete the exams and provide assessments through discussion with you and your child, including recommendations for disease management and treatment. Your care team also will offer advice on quality-of-life issues, strategies for dealing with school and social events, and educational materials for your child’s school and caregivers.

After Your Visit to the Center for Eosinophilic Disorders

Your care team at CCED is invested in your child’s long-term care and well-being. We monitor eosinophilic disorders as we do other chronic conditions. For eosinophilic disorders, we usually see patients at least once a year. Input from CCED gastroenterologists, allergists, nutritionists, social workers and clinical support staff will guide your child’s treatment plan. To make sure your child achieves the best outcomes, we schedule follow-up visits to make any necessary adjustments to your child’s care as they grow and learn to manage their condition.

Specialized Collaborations

Led by director Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, the multidisciplinary structured CCED is composed of professionals in various divisions throughout Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati. These collaborations allow us to draw upon the expertise of varied specialists while still creating a unified plan of care tailored to the needs of the patient and family.

The Division of Allergy and Immunology at Cincinnati Children's specializes in treatment and research for allergic and immunologic disorders.
The Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology helps patients and families develop coping mechanisms and strategies to manage their chronic condition.
The Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children's specializes in treatment and research for gastrointestinal, liver and nutritional disorders.
The Division of Nutrition Therapy at Cincinnati Children's helps fulfill the nutritional needs of all patients at Cincinnati Children’s.
The Division of Pathology provides diagnostic services, including evaluation of biopsy material.
The Division of Speech Pathology provides therapy for patients with oral motor and speech difficulties.

Members of the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disease collaborate with clinicians in the UC Health Digestive Diseases Program at the University of Cincinnati to provide a high level of multidisciplinary care for our adults with EGID. This multidisciplinary approach to medicine leads to better results and more compassionate care for our patients.

The Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders through innovative research, clinical expertise and education via collaborations between scientists, health care providers, patients, and professional organizations. CEGIR is part of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) and has a contact registry. Consider joining today. Learn more