Phoenix Children’s offers leading-edge therapies, educational programs, support groups and research opportunities to help kids with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience the best possible health and quality of life.

Inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that cause chronic inflammation and damage in the gastrointestinal tract. The most common types of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There is currently no cure for IBD. However, scientists are discovering new drugs and treatment strategies that help improve symptoms and reduce the long-term effects of this disease.

More than 500 children and adolescents with IBD rely on Phoenix Children’s for their care. They benefit from our IBD Multidisciplinary Clinic, which offers appointments with several providers who specialize in IBD care, including pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatric surgeons, an IBD nurse practitioner, an IBD pharmacist, registered dietitians, nurses and a clinical psychologist. Some of these providers have IBD themselves—they know from personal experience what it’s like to manage this lifelong disease.

Phoenix Children’s is the only hospital in Arizona that is a member of Improve Care Now, an international quality improvement and research network working toward improved health and standardization of care for children with IBD. Improve Care Now is driving innovation and helping us apply new discoveries to the patient care setting right here at Phoenix Children’s.

Patient Resources

An IBD diagnosis can be challenging, and we want to give families the support they need to thrive. Take advantage of all we have to offer:

  • Parent Working Group: Sign up for our Parent Working Group newsletter and see how you can help improve outcomes for kids living with IBD. The Parent Working Group works closely with our clinicians with the mission to improve outreach, education, fundraising and clinical experiences for the IBD center.
  • IBD Blog: The blog provides tips for managing IBD and personal stories authored by our providers and patients.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation offers extensive resources for families who are living with IBD, including advocacy, special events and webinars about IBD care and research. CCF also offers Camp Oasis, a residential summer camp program that provides a fun, safe and supportive environment for children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Learn more about IBD from our very own specialists:

You can download these materials to learn more about the Phoenix Children’s IBD program.

To learn more about the IBD Multidisciplinary Clinic, please call Annie Rabasca, RN, MSN, the IBD nurse coordinator, at 602-933-5754 or contact us at IBD [at] phoenixchildrens.com (IBD[at]phoenixchildrens[dot]com)