Cleft Lip and Palate Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Our nationally recognized team has a single, clear focus – caring for the whole child for their whole life. From our perspective, expert surgery is only the beginning. True healing occurs when we build a lifelong relationship that continues to address each of the physical and emotional aspects associated with your child’s condition.

The Cleft Lip and Palate Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers children and their families comprehensive care from a multi-disciplinary team of nationally recognized clinicians. Led by Richard E. Kirschner, MD, FACS, FAAP, chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and co-editor of the textbook Comprehensive Cleft Care, our team comprises experts from plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, otolaryngology (ENT), speech - language pathology, nursing, dentistry, social work, audiology, genetics, and psychology.

The Cleft Lip and Palate Center is recognized as an affiliate team of the American Cleft Palate - Craniofacial Association (ACPA).