Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health
The Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health (PCWH) is a family-based program supporting healthy living for children and youth ages two to 17. We help children and their families set healthy lifestyle goals to support growth and overall well-being.
Our team partners with families to set goals in nutrition, physical activity and mental health over a period of approximately two years. We understand that weight gain can have many causes. During your child’s time at our clinic, we work as a team to diagnose, treat and reduce the risk of medical conditions related to weight.
Some conditions we address include early signs of type two diabetes, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, early heart disease, high blood pressure, liver problems and menstrual issues.
Your family’s involvement is essential to supporting your child’s success. At PCWH, we provide a non-judgmental environment where families can discuss concerns and work toward healthy lifestyle changes together. We ask that all family members are open to making changes. Having everyone aligned creates positive role models and stronger support for your child.
Our vision
Our vision is to nurture health and well-being for every family by guiding them toward their best weight and a healthier lifestyle. Through family-centred care, we help families build meaningful habits that support lifelong wellness together.
Referral
- Physician referrals are required to attend; ask your pediatrician/family doctor.
- When our clinic receives a referral, a provider will contact you within three months to review if you are eligible for our clinic.
Our team
Administrative assistant
Our administrative assistant is your main contact for the clinic, helping schedule appointments and keeping everything organized.
Nurse
Our nurse coordinates your child’s care, conducts assessments, helps organize tests and answers any questions along the way.
Pediatrician
Our pediatrician monitors your child’s growth, reviews lab results, checks for weight-related health concerns and discusses treatments or medications as needed.
Dietitian
Our dietitian works with the whole family to make healthy eating a team effort, offering guidance on meals and snacks and helping set realistic, achievable goals.
Exercise specialist
Our exercise specialist encourages enjoyable physical activity, supports healthy sleep routines and helps balance screen time to promote overall wellness.
Psychiatrist
Our psychiatrist meets with you and your child to discuss behaviour, attention, mood and school experiences, ensuring the right support is in place.
Psychologist
Our psychologist helps families navigate emotions, stress, self-esteem, body image, relationships, bullying, some family dynamics, supporting behavior changes and healthy coping skills. We may recommend community mental health resources for issues outside the scope of mental health services we provide.
Before your first visit
Complete and submit questionnaires
Once we have reviewed your referral, a provider will phone you to send an intake form via email. You must complete and return this within four weeks via email or mail before we schedule your initial appointments.
Both parents must consent for your child to take part. If you indicate sole custody, full custody or legal guardianship, you must provide legal documentation about medical decision-making (as required by Covenant Health).
Once we receive your intake form, we will mail you a letter informing you when the first appointments will be.
We will close referrals where intake forms are not returned within four weeks. A new referral will be needed.
Blood work
When your child’s initial appointment is scheduled with a pediatrician, you will receive phone instructions two to four weeks before by the PCWH nurse for pre-visit lab testing.
Provide documentation
Bring a list of all current medications and supplements your child is taking.
Arrange childcare for siblings
We ask that you make childcare arrangements for other siblings who are not being seen in the PCWH program as we are unable to provide childcare during appointments and siblings can be distracting during appointments.
Care is tailored to each child, and a separate referral is required for other family members.
Family members who meet criteria for the program can have some of their appointments booked on the same day.
What to expect during your initial visits
Visits to our program are covered by Alberta Health. Families must cover the cost of transportation and parking.
Families, including all parents and legal guardians, will begin with a one-hour intake assessment with our nurse to review medical history and readiness.
Families will meet with the dietitian, exercise specialist, pediatrician and, if recommended, a mental health provider to gather information about overall health and well-being. Each provider will meet with you for about an hour. These appointments will either be on the same day or scheduled on other days.
To meet the needs of our out-of-town families, we strive to book several appointments on the same day. Our clerical team will do their best to book an appointment that works for your family’s schedule.
We recommend bringing water and a snack.
Mental health appointments are scheduled at the discretion of our team.
Follow-up visits
Depending on the needs of your child and the recommendations from your clinicians, follow-up appointments can be monthly. On each visit you will talk with your team about your successes and challenges.
Parental attendance for remaining follow-up appointments can be discussed with our providers.
Our team can accommodate virtual appointments; however, some in-clinic appointments will be required.
If you need extra support between appointments, contact us and we will do our best to help you.
Cancellation policy
Our clinic requires 24 hours' notice to cancel an appointment. Two no-shows within six months will result in discharge from our program.
Resources
For patients and families
For health care providers
To be successful in this program, patients and families need to be ready to take part. This is a multidisciplinary team that practices family-centred care to help with health behaviour change.
Inclusion criteria
- BMI of 95th percentile or above
- Ages two to 17 years old
Exclusion criteria
- Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
- Unstable mental health occurring within the past six months
- Acute – active suicidal ideation and/or self-harming behaviours
- Trauma and/or abuse
- Features of eating disorders (e.g., anorexia, bulimia)
Other resources
- Alberta Referral Directory
- Communication about weight for health-care professionals - a video to learn more about how to talk with patients and families about weight.
- Resources for healthcare professionals - tools, resources, and education courses for healthcare providers who support patients living with obesity.
Contact
Hours
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and select Mondays.