Latest Blogs

Below is a list of blogs written by ACPA members and the National Office Team.

If you are interested in writing a blog, please email Alyssa Kirkman for more information.

*Disclaimer-The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association claims no responsibility for the content published by others on its web site. Published content does not imply endorsement of the organization or the content of the meetings.

Thank you for Supporting ACPA

By Rachel Simon posted 19 hours ago
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Happy New Year to all from ACPA and especially to all the generous supporters who made year-end gifts in 2018. We are so grateful for all who chose to make charitable contributions to further ACPA’s mission to create a world where people with craniofacial differences thrive! We work hard to do that every day and your confidence in us is humbling. From the members who “topped up” their dues with a donation, to family members who recognized the important role we play in easing their cleft journey, to our wonderful volunteer leaders who increased their giving, to those who remembered us by using AmazonSmile while holiday shopping, to those who gave through ...
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ACPA Approved Teams: The Approval Process, FAQs and More

By Erin Mallis posted 2 days ago
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ACPA’s mission is to optimize team care for patients, and the ACPA Team Approval process plays a major part in ensuring this mission becomes a reality. The ACPA Approved Team brochure highlights the benefits of team care and includes information about the ACPA Team Approval process, team requirements and other commonly asked questions. What is an ACPA Approved Team? Teams from the US and Canada can apply for recognition as an ACPA Approved Team. This distinction is for teams that demonstrate they meet the Standards for Approval of Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Teams – standards that identify essential characteristics of quality for team composition ...
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Issue 56.1 of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal is now available

By ACPA posted 7 days ago
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The new issue of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal (CPCJ) is now available. All ACPA Members receive a free subscription to CPCJ - just log-in to your ACPA account to access the online version.   Not a member and want journal access?  Join now ($240 for 2018 National Active Membership) or purchase an individual subscription ($324 for print and e-access). Guidelines for the Ethical Publication of Facial Photographs and Review of the Literature Katelyn G. Bennett, Steven C. Bonawitz, MD, Christian J. Vercler, MD Evaluation of Nasal Airway Volume of Operated Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Patients Compared With Skeletal Class III Individuals ...
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Register for ACPA's 76th Annual Meeting

By Alyssa Kirkman posted 8 days ago
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Join your colleagues at the meeting for cleft and craniofacial specialists. ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting is April 9-13, 2019 in Tucson, AZ. Register by January 31, 2019 to receive the early-bird rate. Meeting registration includes all eye openers, study sessions, foundational courses and social events. Advanced courses are the only sessions with an additional charge. The Pre-Conference Symposium on April 9, 2019 is a separate registration. View the complete schedule for more information.  ACPA is pleased to hold all events at The Westin La Paloma .  The room reservation link will be provided to registered attendees. Current ACPA members qualify ...
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ACPA Publication: Pierre Robin Sequence

By Alexis Giannattasio posted 13 days ago
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Pierre Robin Sequence is a birth condition that involves the jaw, the tongue, and the roof of the mouth. This condition happens once in 5,000 births in isolated form and once in 30,000 births as part of a syndrome. ACPA offers a newly revised fact sheet called Pierre Robin Sequence, providing an overview of the condition including information from diagnosis to treatment. At about 7-10 weeks of pregnancy, the lower jaw usually grows quickly, leaving a space at the bottom of the mouth for the tongue. Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) starts when the lower jaw doesn’t grow enough, pushing the tongue to the roof of the mouth and back toward the throat. In this ...
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ACPA Announces 2021 Meeting

By Alyssa Kirkman posted 14 days ago
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ACPA is pleased t o announce that the 2021 meeting will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The event will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center, April 24 - May 1, 2021. Future dates for ACPA's Annual Meeting include: ACPA's 76th Annual Meeting Tucson, Arizona Westin La Paloma April 9-13, 2019 Registration Opens next week. View the schedule. ACPA's 77th Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon Hilton Portland March 31-April 4, 2020 ACPA’s 78th Annual Meeting Raleigh, NC Raleigh Convention Center April 27 – May 1, 2021 #AnnualMeetin
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Renew Your ACPA Membership by December 31, 2018 to Receive the Early Bird Rate

By Alyssa Kirkman posted 21 days ago
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Calling all ACPA Members! Your membership in the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association guarantees you access a variety of benefits . Renew your membership to continue to access everything ACPA has to offer. Renew by December 31, 2018 to receive a $10 early bird discount. There is no discount code this year – if you pay by December 31, the discounted rate will appear on your invoice. Payment must be received by December 31, 2018 to qualify for the early bird rate.  Please also consider how you will support ACPA during this season of giving. If you have any questions about membership or your membership invoice, please let us know at 919-933-9044 ...
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Happy Holidays from ACPA

By Alexis Giannattasio posted 27 days ago
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During this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible in 2018. From all of us at the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, we say thank you and send our best wishes for the Holiday Season.   The ACPA National Office will be closed December 24, 25, 31 and January 1. We look forward to continuing to work with you in 20
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2019 Board of Directors

By ACPA posted 30 days ago
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ACPA is proud to introduce the 2019 Board of Directors. President Bernard J. Costello, DMD, MD, FACS, Pittsburgh, PA President-Elect Patricia A. Beals, DMD, MS, Phoenix, AZ Past President Amelia F. Drake, MD, Chapel Hill, NC Vice President Lynn M. Fox, MA, MEd, CCC-SLP, Chapel Hill, NC Vice President-Elect John A. Girotto, MD, MMA, FAAP, FACS, Grand Rapids, MI   Communications Officer Jamie L. Perry, PhD, CCC-SLP Treasurer Scott A. Dailey, PhD, Iowa City, IA Board Members Patricia Chibbaro, MS, RN, CPNP, New York, NY (2019) Kelly Nett Cordero, PhD, ...
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Schedule for ACPA's 76th Annual Meeting - April 9-13, 2019 in Tucson, AZ

By Jessica Kokos posted 12-10-2018
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The Schedule for ACPA's 76th Annual Meeting is now available. This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Please visit the website for additional information. Join ACPA now to qualify for member rates to the meeting. Meeting registration opens in January 2019.   Tuesday April 9 8:00 AM 4:30 PM Pre-Conference Symposium : Cultural Competence – The Whole Team Treating the Whole Patient* This one-day session will focus on cultural competence and its impact on the delivery of services while emphasizing cultural, linguistic and social needs of patients and families. Breaks sponsored by: KLS Martin 8:00 AM 5:00 PM ...
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ACPA Publication: Help with Hearing

By Alexis Giannattasio posted 12-07-2018
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Help with Hearing is a recently revised ACPA booklet that provides information about the associated hearing issues possible when a cleft palate or other craniofacial difference is present. With updated content and a new design, this resource walks patients and families through every step of the way with hearing, from birth to treatment. Families often ask, “Why do children born with a cleft palate have middle ear problems?” Help with Hearing addresses this question and provides the following answer.  “The muscles of the soft palate are responsible for opening the Eustachian tube. When a child is born with a cleft palate, these muscles may not open the ...
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Join Your Colleagues at ACPA's Annual Meeting in Tucson

By Jessica Kokos posted 12-05-2018
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Join your cleft and craniofacial care colleagues for ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting , April 9-13, 2019 at The Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona. Attendees will learn from colleagues across multiple disciplines, explore advances in research, clinical and team-driven care, and discuss new and old ideas with those experienced in the field. ACPA welcomes all who are interested in cleft care. ACPA’s Annual Meeting is a general scientific meeting with over 300 presentations. The program includes general and concurrent specialty sessions, poster sessions, panel presentations, and short courses including eye openers, study sessions, and advanced courses. The ...
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Pre-Order Your ACPA Cleft Courage Bear Today

By Catherine Choi posted 12-03-2018
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ACPA is excited to introduce the Cleft Courage Bear in 2019. This new design – custom-made by GUND®, Inc. with stitches across the upper lip – is infant-friendly, washable, and made from high-quality plush fabric. ACPA Cleft Courage Bears fill a special role in each home, from cuddling a child on a stressful surgery day to bringing a smile to a challenging teenage time. These special bears provide unique emotional support for children and families, helping them express and navigate feelings about themselves, facial differences and the treatment process. Pre-order your bear today by filling out an ACPA Cleft Courage Bear Order Form. For more information ...
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First CPCJ Podcast: Predicting Adverse Perioperative Events in Patients Undergoing Primary Cleft Palate Repair

By Alyssa Kirkman posted 11-30-2018
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In this inaugural podcast, Oksana A. Jackson is interviewed about her article, "Predicting Adverse Perioperative Events in Patients Undergoing Primary Cleft Palate Repair" published in volume 55 issue 4 of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal . This study aimed to identify risk factors for adverse perioperative events (APEs) after cleft palatoplasty to develop an individualized risk assessment tool. In conclusion, APE incidence was 23.0% after palatoplasty, with a 37-fold higher incidence in extreme-risk patients. Individualized risk assessment tools may enhance perioperative clinical decision making to mitigate complications. Click here ...
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Scholarship Profile: Jarrod

By Catherine Choi posted 11-26-2018
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Jarrod, 2018 ACPA College Scholarship Recipient, studies Marketing and Management at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Having an extensive background with hospitals, surgeries, and cleft-palate-related procedures, Jarrod gained an optimistic personality and a passion for team care. Inspired by his own team of providers, Jarrod hopes to use his education to give back to the cleft-craniofacial community at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh). In his scholarship application essay, Jarrod share a few life lessons he learned throughout his cleft journey: “If I had to give one piece of advice or reassurance ...
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Happy Thanksgiving from ACPA

By Alexis Giannattasio posted 11-21-2018
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From all of us at the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, we extend our greatest appreciation to you for your support in the cleft-craniofacial community and we send you our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.   The ACPA National Office will be closed November 22-23.
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Member News: Steinberg

By Rachel Simon posted 11-19-2018
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ACPA Member Dr. Jordan Steinberg was featured in the article, “Taking on a “Giant” Giant Cell Granuloma . The article tells the story of his patient, 4-year-old Shivaya, who was diagnosed with a central giant cell granuloma after experiencing extreme pain in her jaw. “What it turned out to be, after workups at hospitals in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., was a central giant cell granuloma, not a malignant cancer but an aggressive tumor that was eating away her right jawbone and now beginning to inflict substantial pain. Searching for a treatment for this rare tumor, Aarti and her husband consulted with and visited children’s hospitals up and down ...
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Ways to Give During ACPA’s Fall Campaign

By Michael Friel posted 11-16-2018
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ACPA’s Fall Campaign is an opportunity for you to give back and make a difference in the cleft and craniofacial community. From members to families, your generous contributions promote the mission of ACPA by furthering education, support, advocacy, research, and interdisciplinary team care. As the holiday season approaches, we ask you to consider giving in one of the following ways: Donate online Shop with Amazon Smile and select the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association as your charitable organization. Become a recurring donor by joining ACPA’s monthly giving program. Join by mail, telephone (919-933-9044) or online . Double ...
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ACPA's Annual Meeting in Tucson - April 9-13, 2019

By Jessica Kokos posted 11-14-2018
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You are invited to attend ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting , April  9-13, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. This is the meeting for cleft and craniofacial professionals. Here is everything you need to know to start planning your trip. Location. Tucson is home to unique attractions and a vibrant arts and culture scene - it's a place that’s authentic and comfortable. While in town, we encourage you to set aside some time to take in the city sights. Learn more about Tucson. Hotel. ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting will take place at The Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona. Rooms are $195 for ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting. This rate is per night and does not include ...
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Issue 55.10 of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal is now available

By ACPA posted 11-12-2018
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The new issue of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal (CPCJ) is now available. All ACPA Members receive a free subscription to CPCJ - just log-in to your ACPA account to access the online version.   Not a member and want journal access?  Join now ($240 for 2018 National Active Membership) or purchase an individual subscription ($324 for print and e-access). #CleftProud: A Content Analysis and Online Survey of 2 Cleft Lip and Palate Facebook Groups Nicola Marie Stock, Dphil, Anna Martindale, Claire Cunniffe Comparative Analysis of Three-Dimensional Nasal Shape of Casts from Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Treated at Two Institutions ...
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