Specialties & Conditions PCOS Clinic
Multidisciplinary Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Program
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects more than 10% of adolescent females and can affect each young person differently. Lurie Children's Multidisciplinary PCOS Program brings together specialists from Adolescent Medicine, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Clinical Nutrition and the Wellness and Weight Management Program to provide holistic care for adolescents and young adults with PCOS. Our clinic is the only multidisciplinary clinic in Chicago dedicated to adolescents and young adults.
We know that getting this diagnosis as a teen or young adult affects people in different ways. Our approach is to understand each of our patients, how this affects them, and how we can help them reach their treatment goals, while understanding that goals may change as they get older.
The Lurie Children's Difference
- Individualized, patient centered care: PCOS can have an impact on an adolescent’s metabolic, reproductive, and mental health. A number of treatments are available to improve the symptoms of PCOS. Our providers will focus on the priorities of the patients in tailoring an appropriate treatment plan.
- Streamlined clinical care: Due to the various impacts of PCOS on an individual’s health, many patients need to see multiple specialists for their treatment. Our program allows for coordinated and efficient care for the patient.
- Cutting edge treatment approaches: Lurie Children’s has been an active site for NIH-funded clinical research in PCOS for over 15 years. Our physicians’ work in PCOS clinical investigation enables us to offer cutting edge treatment options to our patients.
Conditions We Treat
PCOS symptoms and comorbidities, including:
- Menstrual dysfunction
- Acne
- Hirsutism, or excessive hair growth on the face or body
- Hidradinitis suppurativa
- Obesity
- Insulin resistance
- Prediabetes
Our Team
Laura C. Torchen, MD
Dr. Torchen is a pediatric endocrinologist with a special interest in the origins and treatment of PCOS. In addition to her clinical work, she maintains an NIH-funded clinical research program focused on understanding the causes of PCOS.
Brandi M. Kenner-Bell, MD
Dr. Kenner-Bell is a pediatric dermatologist interested in adolescent skin health and hard-to-treat dermatologic issues. She values building relationships with her patients in order to cultivate trust and partnership to achieve their best versions of themselves.
Suzanne (Maggie) McKay, RD, LDN, CDE
Suzanne (Maggie) McKay is a Registered Dietitian at Lurie Children’s who specializes in nutrition management of Endocrine disorders, including PCOS and Type 2 diabetes. She enjoys helping families incorporate healthy behavior changes into their daily lives. Other areas of interest include: Nutrition management for prediabetes, Type 1 diabetes, and hyperinsulinemia. She is also interested in community-based nutrition and public health projects.
Maggie Ryan, RN
Maggie Ryan is a clinical nurse in the division of pediatric endocrinology. Maggie serves as the nurse coordinator for the Multidisciplinary PCOS Program.
Brianna Sommer, MS, RDN, LDN
Brianna Sommer is a Registered Dietitian at Lurie Children’s, who specializes in pediatric wellness and weight management. Brianna is passionate about helping patients and their families create sustainable nutrition habits that promote lifelong health. Her additional areas of interest include nutrition intervention for critical care, neurological care, and food allergies.
Brianna Sommer, MS, RDN, LDN
Registered Dietitian
Make an Appointment
To join our PCOS Clinic, please have your primary doctor make a referral for PCOS treatment to Endocrinology and have them send any blood work from the last year. To contact Endocrinology, please call 312.227.6090.
Our nurse coordinator will then reach out to you to schedule your appointment. Our clinic for new patients meets the first Wednesday morning of each month at 1440 Dayton Avenue in Lincoln Park.
We request that you come 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
Follow up visits have more flexibility and may also be via telemedicine.
What to Expect
Prior to coming to your appointment, we ask that you fill out an intake form. This helps us prepare for our visit with you. The initial visit will be close to two hours and will give you time to meet with a dermatologist, a dietician, and an endocrinologist or adolescent medicine specialist. We hope that this visit will help solidify your goals for treatment and give you an outline for what to expect.
Research
The Multidisciplinary PCOS Program is a participant in the Multicenter Adolescent PCOS Registry, a collaborative effort of several academic medical centers across the United States. The PCOS Registry aims to study the clinical presentation and course of PCOS among adolescent patients in an effort to improve treatment options.
Dr. Torchen is the primary investigator of a research study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) aimed to study the very early origins of PCOS in young girls who have increased risk.
Community Partnership
The Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine is proud to partner with The Chicago Period Project to end period poverty in Chicago. If you have trouble accessing menstrual products please visit ChicagoPeriodProject.org. Additionally, there is a donation box in the lobby if you would like to contribute new menstrual products (pads, tampons, menstrual underwear) to this organization.