Weight Management Clinic

Department Physicians

• James W. Wallace, MD

Our Weight Management Clinic located at Sanford Children’s Specialty Clinic is the only one of its kind in the region. Children have the opportunity to receive one-on-one medical, nutrition, exercise, and mental health care from specialists in the area of the medicine, fitness, nutrition and mental-health aspects of this issue.

The program is designed with a 6-visit minimum as the goal. Each week new topics are taught to patients and their families. After completing the program, graduates and their families should be well-equipped to manage their weight for a lifetime.

Our Team:

Dr. James Wallace, M.D will obtain a detailed history and perform an examination to look for evidence of weight related problems that may cause or be the result of being overweight. He will also discuss laboratory tests that may be necessary to complete the evaluation of your child.

Kay Husman, RN is the team coordinator. She will assist Dr. Wallace with taking a medical history, and will also arrange any follow-up testing that may be required.

Tami Streich and Kim Crowley are exercise specialists who will help to develop a realistic fitness plan. They will analyze your child’s current activity level, and provide achievable goals and ideas to increase activity that take into account your child’s age and ability.

Rachael Meyerink, RD, CSP, LN and Cindy Matthes, RD, CSP, LN are Board Certified Specialists in Pediatric Nutrition and are also Board Certified in Pediatric Weight Management. While meeting with them you will learn about the Stoplight eating plan, healthy food choices, meal preparation, grocery shopping, label reading, eating out and more. They will make individualized nutrition recommendations based on your child’s unique needs.

Becky Palugyay, MSW is a social worker who will evaluate the needs of the family and link the family with appropriate resources to promote a positive outcome. Becky can also assist with any insurance and billing issues your family may have concerns about.

Carrie Kindopp is a Child Life Specialist who will concentrate on empowering children and teens with positive coping skills. Through facilitating therapeutic activities or offering suggestions for expression of feelings, Child Life promotes coping strategies to enhance self-esteem and self-worth.

To schedule an appointment with the Weight Management Clinic, please call Sanford Children’s Specialty Clinic at (605) 312-1000 or 1-800-850-0064 to request a packet of information. Please note, this packet of information will need to be completed and returned before scheduling an appointment.