What to Expect From Your Child’s Orthopedic Care Plan

An active childhood often comes with bumps, bruises and breaks. And although kids are wonderfully resilient, their injuries can have invisible effects that outlast a cast or bandage.

Our pediatric orthopedic team has recognized the need to support young patients’ mental health as a key part of their treatment plan. To best serve kids and their families, our referral process integrates mental health from the very first visit.

Read on to learn more about how pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sean Keyes, certified physician assistant Katelyn Smith, PA-C, and Mental Health Navigator Melanie Bergeron, MSW, PhD, collaborate and walk with families every step of the way.

Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

A child’s injury can keep them from playing with friends, practicing their favorite sport and simply getting exercise. That loss of activity often causes feelings of sadness, isolation and even anger.

“An injury can feel very isolating and lead to depression and anxiety that we want to address just as much as their physical health,” explains Dr. Keyes. “There’s a mental and emotional recovery we can’t rush.”

“Biology and psychology heal on different timelines,” says Melanie. “Even when a child’s injury has healed, they still might be afraid to put their gear on or get back on the field. We want them to listen to their body and have the tools to cope.”

Whole-Person Care From the First Visit

AdventHealth for Children pediatric orthopedics is the only local program offering mental health referrals as part of an orthopedic treatment plan.

“When we meet with you, we’ll get to know your family, evaluate your child’s needs and start to discuss treatment options,” says Katelyn. “We’ll also let you know about our mental health care coordination, which we emphasize is not mandatory, just highly encouraged as we’ve seen how helpful it is for our patients.”

“Recovering from an injury can be complicated, but we want families to feel like we are here to make it as easy as we possibly can from day one,” Melanie says.

Adding Mental Health Navigation to Your Team

“I call families after they meet with Dr. Keyes’ team and get their mental health referral,” explains Melanie. “We discuss what kind of counseling they’re interested in, virtual or in-person appointments, insurance information, and anything else I can help them with. I’m happy to take these tasks off their plate so they can focus on their child.”

According to Melanie, some families decline mental health services at first, but later change their minds. As a Mental Health Navigator, she provides compassionate, judgment-free support, answers questions and connects families with resources, specialists, counseling and other services as they go through treatment or recovery. Mental Health Navigation is a complimentary service available to all pediatric patients at AdventHealth for Children.

Tracking the Journey to Recovery and Beyond

Katelyn and Dr. Keyes are passionate about monitoring their patients’ progress in body, mind and spirit as they go through orthopedic treatment and recovery. They work closely with Melanie to make sure children (and their families) are feeling strong and healing at their own pace.

“There can be a big time commitment to treatment, surgery, appointments, physical therapy,” says Katelyn, “and we see frustration in a lot of kids that we want to acknowledge and also help them work through. Validating them that it’s hard to go through this physically and also to miss out on things with their friends or their team.”

“These patients become an extension of our family, so we invest in their recovery and also their success afterwards,” adds Dr. Keyes. “We're in a unique situation where we take care of high school kids who then leave for college, and when they get hurt again, they come from many states away to get care here. We’re honored to be so trusted by them.”

A Collaborative Approach for Your Child’s Well-Being

It’s important to have a care team that understands your child’s mental health matters as much as their physical health. With a whole-person approach, our team treats each child like a unique individual, and each family like their own.

“We understand that recovery isn’t just physical — mental health matters, too. We’re committed to doing whatever we can to help patients reach the finish line,” Katelyn explains.

You can connect with a Mental Health Navigator here and learn more about our pediatric orthopedic program here. We’re always here to help your family feel whole.