Psychosocial Program
Because IBD impacts a child’s ability to maintain healthy friendships with their peers, we provide a support system to help the child manage their disease while nurturing hope for their future. Since the entire family balance can be jeopardized, our program offers multiple patient and family services, including traditional support groups for these young people as well as their families. We also assist the patient during an extended illness, and have advocacy programs to help our families cope with issues concerning school, insurance, and public benefits.

IBD respects few boundaries. Its cause is unknown. The cure remains elusive.

Research and Education
Our patient and professional<br> education programs are on the

forefront of information about the latest diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic approaches.

We offer clinical trials to study the newest therapies being offered to children with IBD, epidemiology studies to look at the prevalence of this disease in children, and natural history studies to look at the course of the disease. We are actively engaged in genetic research to identify the genetic influences on the presentation of IBD in children and immune research to search for the markers of the immune system that are associated with IBD. In addition, we are leading a research network composed of pediatric gastroenterologists from the western region of North America who have come together to support these vital efforts.