The UAB Cleft and Craniofacial Center at Children’s of Alabama is now home to the only American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association-approved teams in the state. The center’s cleft team and craniofacial team both recently received approval from the ACPA, making its comprehensive program the first of its kind to receive this distinction in Alabama.

Dr. James Johnston Jr.

The center comprises an interdisciplinary group of physicians from a number of various specialties, including the Division of Pediatric Surgery’s James M. Johnston Jr., M.D., and Curtis J. Rozzelle, M.D., as well as the UAB Department of Surgery’s John Grant III, M.D., Timothy King, M.D., Ph.D., and René Myers, M.D., whose mission is to serve as a one-stop-shop for complete cleft and craniofacial care and to deliver the highest-quality treatment for patients with facial differences.

Dr. Curtis Rozzelle

“The UAB Cleft and Craniofacial Center at Children’s is a multidisciplinary clinic that provides all the specialists needed to treat pediatric patients in a single visit, avoiding multiple trips to multiple offices,” said Grant, who serves as the center’s director. “This promotes better communication and allows families to leave the clinic with a clear treatment plan.”

The ACPA is a nonprofit organization for healthcare professionals and individuals who treat oral cleft and craniofacial conditions. ACPA approval is reserved for groups who have shown a dedication to improving team care by providing patients with coordinated and consistent treatment within the framework of their overall developmental, medical and psychological needs. The teams at Children’s received approval from the ACPA in January.

[Daniel Bracker contributed to this report.]