ACPA News

Sex and race appear to have no effect on velopharyngeal anatomy Individuals with previous cleft palate repair tend to have shorter, less voluminous musculus uvulae CHAPEL HILL, N.C. / Sept. 17, 2019 – New insights on the morphology of the musculus uvulae among adults with normal velopharyngeal anatomy, compared to those of individuals with repaired cleft palates, emerged from a recent study. “Morphology of the Musculus Uvulae In Vivo Using MRI and 3D Modeling Among Adults With Normal Anatomy and Preliminary Comparisons to Cleft Palate Anatomy” was published in the September 2019 issue of The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal (CPCJ).“Previous studies ...
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Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, CAE I am a voracious reader and currently enjoying a slim book entitled, The Wisdom of Walk-Ons, 7 Winning Strategies for College, Business and Life. As a Division I, walk-on athlete myself (gymnast at Indiana University), I was intrigued by the title, having met the author at a local bookstore. Using three examples from the world of college football, Paul L. Coronoa, MBA, EdD shares personal stories and draws together the themes that emerge. He also integrates expert advice, which points to further exploration on the topic of leadership. As I read the book, I realized that ...
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BERNARD J. COSTELLO, DMD, MD, FACS I am excited to announce that the nomination period for ACPA’s 2020 Association Awards and the application period for ACPA’s Professional Scholarships are now open. I invite you to submit an application and/or nomination for one of ACPA’s many honors and awards. ACPA Association Awards: Submit a nomination for the Honors of the Association, Distinguished Service Award, Emerging Leader Award, or Family Services Leadership Award. All nominations are due ­­­Friday, October 4, 2019. To nominate a candidate, visit https://acpa-cpf.org/about-acpa/honors-awards/. Professional Scholarships: Consider applying for a scholarship. These awards offer cleft care providers the opportunity ...
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Earn continuing education credits at any time with on-demand courses on ACPA Online Learning. ACPA offers courses on a variety of topics, including Surgical Procedures,Speech and Audiology, Psychosocial Outcomes, Ethical Issues, Care Coordination and more. Register for a live or on-demand webinar today. All webinars are available as on-demand courses within a week. Upcoming live webinars include: GI Management and Feeding in the 22q Population September 2019 4:30 PM ET Challenging Multilingual/Multicultural Cleft Cases in the U.S. and Abroad October 17, 2019 2:00 PM ET Anatomy of The Unilateral Cleft Nasal Deformity and Its Correction October 23, 2019 6:00 PM ...
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Patients with cleft palate have a greater risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea Polysomnography testing can help determine if parents should deviate from AAP guidelines for infants’ safe sleep CHAPEL HILL, N.C. / Aug. 20, 2019 – Children with craniofacial abnormalities are at a higher risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and those with cleft palate may be up to five times more likely to develop OSA. A recent study, “Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Sleep Position: Does It Matter for Infants With a Cleft Palate?”, examined whether sleep position might affect the incidence of OSA in children with cleft ...
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Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, CAE I always love returning from the American Society of Association Executives annual meeting, which was held in Columbus, Ohio this year. It is my professional meeting — a powerful opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from around the country, get new ideas, share stories, learn and grow. This year, I was privileged to present a 90-minute Deep Dive entitled “Leading Differently Together: Lessons from the Chief Executive Officer/Chief Staff Executive Relationship” with former ACPA President Richard Kirschner.  We talked about personality type and how it affects communications and actions. I enjoyed introducing one of our own to ...
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BERNARD J. COSTELLO, DMD, MD, FACS One of the ways ACPA displays its commitment to providing resources for patients and families is by supporting the cleft and craniofacial professionals who provide their care. Through ACPA’s many resources such as the The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, Online Learning and numerous awards, ACPA challenges professionals to grow in all facets of their career, including their leadership skills. At ACPA, we value the efforts of our leaders as they strive to create an inclusive and diverse atmosphere, promote interdisciplinary care and provide the best care for the patients we serve. The qualities we aim ...
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Most children with cleft palate will likely need tympanostomy tubes. The age of first tube placement may affect the total number of tympanostomy procedures. The benefits of tube placement before palatoplasty should be weighed against possible complications, including calcification, perforation, and thickening of the eardrum. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. / July 16, 2019 – Almost all children with cleft palate will eventually need surgery to insert tympanostomy tubes. A recent study examined the impact of when these tubes are placed with regard to complications and tube replacement. The study, “The Impact of Timing of Tympanostomy Tube Placement on Sequelae in Children ...
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Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, CAE National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness month is an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges here in United States for those born with facial differences. This year, we are collaborating with three other organizations as a direct result of a joint meeting during ACPA’s 76th Annual Meeting in Tucson.  A joint press release with Children’s Craniofacial Association, myFace and Smile Train was released on July 9. We continue to hold quarterly conference calls and seek other opportunities to shine a light on what is being done to help those with cleft lip and palate and other ...
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Unprecedented effort to educate public about one of the world’s most common birth defects, and the growing number of treatment options available CHAPEL HILL, N.C. / July 9, 2019 – This year, more than 7,000 babies will be born in the United States with a cleft lip and/or palate or other serious craniofacial condition. But the prospects have never been better for these patients to thrive due to advanced medical treatments and interdisciplinary supporting care. Four leading non-profit organizations that serve these patients and their families — the American Cleft-Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), Children’s Craniofacial Association, myFace and Smile Train — ...
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