Renewing Hope
and Building Smiles
By John L. Alonge, MS, DDS
Orthodontist H.K. Cooper founded
the nonprofit Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic
in 1938. Prior to that, children with a cleft
lip and/or palate received piecemeal care;
surgery from one person, dental care
from another, speech and hearing from
another. Dr. Cooper was the first to create
a team–initially an orthodontist, plastic
surgeon and speech pathologist–to
deliver cleft care.
During my years of serving in the United
State Air Force Dental Corps I had the
privilege of being a team member of
what we called the Craniofacial Anomaly
Board. After my military service, I chose to
return to Erie County to practice Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, and I jumped at the
opportunity to be part of the
Northwestern PA Cleft Institute that
received approval by the State
Department of Health in 1969. Our
mission is to serve children with cleft lip/
palate and their families by connecting
them to care and providing them
education and support.
Our team consists of highly qualified
and dedicated medical and non-medical
volunteers that include a plastic surgeon,
an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, pediatric
dentists, orthodontists, a prosthodontist,
speech/language pathologists, feeding
specialists, behavioral health specialists,
and an audiologist and support staff.
Bringing all but the ENT specialists
into the clinic at one time, and providing
multidisciplinary care to patients in a
single day, saves families travel time,
missed work hours, missed school, and
overall frustration.
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This is truly patient-centered care.
All team members meet with patients
and families on Friday afternoons every
other month. We then review notes,
create a treatment plan, and send
summaries to referring doctors and
agencies. We have a remarkable bond
and strive to not only help these kids and
their families but also each other. What
the behavioral health specialists contribute
and share never ceases to amaze the rest
of us. In turn, the visible results of the
dental team and plastic surgeon care
are always at the highest level.
Helping children and families with clefts
is one of the most rewarding things
I have ever been a part of as a health
care provider. Mother Nature gave them
a challenge, and God has given us the
talent to make huge differences in their
lives. We do not charge for our services,
but the return on the investment of
time and talent are truly inspirational.
Attending the Cleft Institute after a long
week and seeing what these children
and families go through, trusting in our
collective compassionate care, surely
is a time to pause and reflect on how
fortunate we are.
We can only hope the next generation
of providers will have the same
commitment to serve outside of the
comfort of their everyday schedules.
Helping children and families with clefts is one
of the most rewarding things I have ever been a
part of as a health care provider.
— John L. Alonge, MS, DDS