On March 31st, 2015, Kartini Clinic, an internationally recognized pediatric eating disorder treatment center, moved from its longtime home on Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s North Portland campus to an updated facility in the Radiator Building at 3530 N. Vancouver Avenue. The move is part of a long-term initiative to make Kartini Clinic’s evidence-based approach to eating disorder treatment more widely accessible to children and families living with all forms of disordered eating.
The new clinic features 14,000 square feet of treatment space to meet the needs of six age appropriate day treatment and intensive outpatient programs, a commercial-grade kitchen and dining area, a dedicated classroom, art and movement therapy areas and much more; the new facility will create openings for an additional 13 day-treatment patients as well as 10 additional intensive outpatient spots. Kartini Clinic’s CEO, Morgan O’Toole, explains the positive ramifications of moving into a larger space: “In addition to being able to offer more age appropriate treatment options, we also hope to reduce wait list times so that patients who need care can get it in a timely manner. As is the case with many illnesses, prompt action is key to effective treatment of pediatric eating disorders.”
Transitioning to a larger facility is just one of several steps Kartini Clinic has taken to make its services widely accessible to the general public. “In the past,” says O’Toole, “it was assumed that eating disorders were illnesses found only in affluent, white women. Thankfully, research and clinical experience at treatment programs like Kartini Clinic have long since debunked this myth. We know now that eating disorders affect women and men, boys and girls, of all backgrounds and all walks of life. So it’s crucial that high quality treatment options be made available to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status.” With this in mind, Kartini Clinic has contracted with FamilyCare, and continues to work with other Oregon Health Plan plans on an individual basis. Kartini Clinic is also a preferred provider of most quality private insurance plans.
What’s next for Kartini Clinic after it’s settled into its new location? “We plan to expand our services in the areas of personalized medical and psychiatric treatment through the use of cutting edge pharmacogenomic and targeted metabolic testing,” answers O’Toole. “The idea is to understand and treat these complex brain and metabolic disorders with the latest advances in personalized medicine.”
