Carle Health Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery have received recognition as an ACPA-Approved Cleft Palate Team. This designation reflects the Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team’s efforts in providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients. Only 200 teams across both the United States and Canada have received this recognition.
The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) is the premier resource and interdisciplinary professional network for cleft and craniofacial clinicians. To receive ACPA-approval, cleft lip and cleft palate teams must meet ACPA’s rigorous standards to provide care within a patient’s ongoing developmental, medical and psychological care.
“Carle Health has been practicing team care since the team of providers began seeing patients in 1967,” Jayne Wachtel, MA, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, Coordinator, Carle Cleft Lip and Palate Team, Carle Health said. One of the most critical points in the ACPCA approval process is affirming that Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate teams demonstrate quality and collaboration with healthcare systems to best facilitate care.
Nicholas Mechas, DMD, FACS, Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Surgeon, is the leader of the Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team. Dr. Mechas is also a Clinical Associate Professor at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
“We have always maintained the highest standard of care and the ACPA recognition is a great validation of this,” Dr. Mechas said.
Cleft lips and palates are facial birth conditions. More than five thousand infants in the United States are born with either a cleft lip or palate each year. A cleft lip occurs when parts of the nasal process and upper lip process do not fuse before birth. A cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not fuse before birth. Without treatment, they can lead to difficulty during feedings and negatively impact dental and speech development.
The Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team follows over 100 patients each year through their care journey, and patients are seen by each specialist at one location.
“ACPC-approval means the team provides accurate information to patients, families and caregivers regarding services provided by approved teams that meet specified standards,” Wachtel said. “These standards are based on the ACPA Parameters of Care, which have received widespread peer-review, and represent expectations for approval of teams providing care to individuals with clefts and craniofacial differences.”
The Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team consists of multidisciplinary surgeons, pediatricians, dental and orthodontic professionals, speech-language pathologists, audiologists and support services.
“Cleft lip and palate patients need to be followed by a multidisciplinary cleft lip and palate team," Wachtel said. "The condition affects multiple aspects of physical, speech, dental and psychological development and may require coordinated care from infancy through young adulthood."
“There are so many nuances to the types and timing of care, having the expertise of the group to maximize outcomes leads to the best results for patients,” Dr. Mechas said. Many specialties ensure that parents and families have comprehensive support at each stage of care.
After a baby is born, a craniofacial surgeon can provide a treatment timeline. Each appointment is tailored to every patient’s unique needs and age. At Carle Health, treatment is coordinated with a patient's primary care provider into adulthood to ensure comprehensive follow up care.
“Simply put, it means any affected family, whether local, regional, or coming from far away, can rest assured they are getting the highest quality care available here at Carle Health,” Dr. Mechas said. “For many patients, it means they can get attentive care and personalized services without having to travel to a major metropolitan location.”
For more information about the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team or Oral and Maxillofacial surgery with Carle Health, visit carle.org.
The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) is the premier resource and interdisciplinary professional network for cleft and craniofacial clinicians. To receive ACPA-approval, cleft lip and cleft palate teams must meet ACPA’s rigorous standards to provide care within a patient’s ongoing developmental, medical and psychological care.
“Carle Health has been practicing team care since the team of providers began seeing patients in 1967,” Jayne Wachtel, MA, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, Coordinator, Carle Cleft Lip and Palate Team, Carle Health said. One of the most critical points in the ACPCA approval process is affirming that Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate teams demonstrate quality and collaboration with healthcare systems to best facilitate care.
Nicholas Mechas, DMD, FACS, Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Surgeon, is the leader of the Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team. Dr. Mechas is also a Clinical Associate Professor at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
“We have always maintained the highest standard of care and the ACPA recognition is a great validation of this,” Dr. Mechas said.
Cleft lips and palates are facial birth conditions. More than five thousand infants in the United States are born with either a cleft lip or palate each year. A cleft lip occurs when parts of the nasal process and upper lip process do not fuse before birth. A cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not fuse before birth. Without treatment, they can lead to difficulty during feedings and negatively impact dental and speech development.
The Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team follows over 100 patients each year through their care journey, and patients are seen by each specialist at one location.
“ACPC-approval means the team provides accurate information to patients, families and caregivers regarding services provided by approved teams that meet specified standards,” Wachtel said. “These standards are based on the ACPA Parameters of Care, which have received widespread peer-review, and represent expectations for approval of teams providing care to individuals with clefts and craniofacial differences.”
The Carle Health Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team consists of multidisciplinary surgeons, pediatricians, dental and orthodontic professionals, speech-language pathologists, audiologists and support services.
“Cleft lip and palate patients need to be followed by a multidisciplinary cleft lip and palate team," Wachtel said. "The condition affects multiple aspects of physical, speech, dental and psychological development and may require coordinated care from infancy through young adulthood."
“There are so many nuances to the types and timing of care, having the expertise of the group to maximize outcomes leads to the best results for patients,” Dr. Mechas said. Many specialties ensure that parents and families have comprehensive support at each stage of care.
After a baby is born, a craniofacial surgeon can provide a treatment timeline. Each appointment is tailored to every patient’s unique needs and age. At Carle Health, treatment is coordinated with a patient's primary care provider into adulthood to ensure comprehensive follow up care.
“Simply put, it means any affected family, whether local, regional, or coming from far away, can rest assured they are getting the highest quality care available here at Carle Health,” Dr. Mechas said. “For many patients, it means they can get attentive care and personalized services without having to travel to a major metropolitan location.”
For more information about the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate team or Oral and Maxillofacial surgery with Carle Health, visit carle.org.
Categories: Redefining Healthcare
Tags: American, and, Association, Cleft, Lip, Maxillofacial, Oral, Palate-Craniofacial, Recognition, Surgery, Team