Children's Hospital Colorado

Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Program Earns National Approval from ACPA and CPF

Children's Hospital Colorado | December 07, 2015

The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) and Cleft Palate Foundation (CPF) recently approved the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado as a Cleft Palate Team (CPT) and Craniofacial Team (CFT).

Nationally approved for our outcomes and team approach to patient care

To receive this national distinction, teams must meet the required standards of care and outcomes set by the ACPA. This is an important approval because parents who have an affected child tend to seek care by approved teams. Our Cleft Lip and Palate Program has maintained the Cleft Palate Team approval since the program began, but this year the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Program received the additional Craniofacial Team approval for the newly established program.

Our multidisciplinary teams at Children’s Colorado are the largest in the Rocky Mountain Region with over 10 participating pediatric specialties. Our Cleft Palate Team (CPT) and Craniofacial Team (CFT) at Children’s Colorado consistently care for each child’s medical, developmental, psychological and social needs – treating the whole child. Children with facial differences have multiple surgeries, therapies and other treatments to correct physical and functional concerns throughout childhood. Our team approach helps children and parents cope, heal and thrive when faced with facial differences.

Our patients benefit from multiple specialties working together

Isabella, who braved several surgeries to close a cleft palate and improve her speech abilities before the age of 3-years-old, greatly benefits from a team who is intimately involved in every step of her development. Isabella’s parents Kirsi and Bob say, "Isabella’s cleft palate path has been more encompassing than we ever knew in the beginning. Receiving coordinated care from the Cleft Palate Program has been the key to her success.” Read Isabella's story.

Bennett’s mom Jami Kirkbride also credits the doctors from the Craniofacial Program, who treated her son and her family with respect, kindness and expertise during a stressful but necessary surgery. She says, "We couldn’t have been more impressed with these teams of doctors. We will pass along our numerous and positive experiences for years to come.”

What is the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA)?

The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association is an international organization of 2500 healthcare professionals from 30 different specialties across 65 countries. They focus on patient care and research for individuals affected with cleft lip, cleft palate and other craniofacial anomalies. One of the many functions of this organization is to perform reviews of teams from various locations.