ANMC Cleft Lip and Palate Program Receives Award for Community Service

By Southcentral Foundation Public Relations and Corporate Communications

From left to right: Vice President of Dental Sonda Tetpon, Behavioral Health Consultant Kim Trevino, Case Management Support Laramee Hartman, and Registered Nurse Case Manager Allison Gallen.

Alaska’s Cleft Lip and Palate Program at the Alaska Native Medical Center was recognized as a significant contribution to public health by the Alaska Public Health Association (ALPHA) at an awards ceremony Jan. 30.

The nationally recognized program at ANMC offers the only designated cleft palate team in the state. Cleft lip and palate is when part of the lip or roof of the mouth (palate) does not form properly, it leaves a gap, or cleft. This happens early in pregnancy and may be detected before birth. Children can have one or both of these conditions. The multidisciplinary team serves Alaska Native and non-Native families from across Alaska. Since assuming operations of the program from the State of Alaska nearly a decade ago, ANMC has increased the frequency of the clinics each year and expanded the time allotted to evaluation and treatments. ANMC has also provided funding for additional resources to strengthen the services, including behavioral health, registered nurse level care coordination, and support from administrative and quality assurance staff. The program also offers visits to mothers given a prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate.

The 2024 award presented to the Cleft Lip and Palate Program, the Alaska Community Service Award for Health, is presented annually at the Alaska Health Summit.