Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic

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$1,960
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Our Story

Since 1938 the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic has served the healthcare needs of infants, children, teens and adults born with cleft lip/palate and other cranio-facial deficiencies or diseases. Cleft lip/palate is the foremost congenital difference in the United States, affecting one in every 700 births. As the pioneer of the team-based approach to treatment, now the international model for patient care, the Clinic treats on average 2,500 patients with cleft annually from 45 Pennsylvania counties and 10 other states. As the only approved craniofacial clinic in Central Pennsylvania, ten percent of our patients live in York County and rely on our services to achieve a bright future (over $300,000 of our annual budget).

We are the only U.S. cleft clinic not affiliated with any major hospitals or universities. Plastic surgeries are provided at Hershey Medical Center by a team of dedicated physicians, and further support services are provided on site in Lancaster--from feeding instruction to audiology, from speech pathology and speech therapy, to orthodontic treatment and regular dental care. Our committed team addresses everything an individual patient needs each Team Day visit, scheduled every three to six months based on an individualized treatment plan. The typical journey for a cleft patient averages 20 years, and can cost a family, on average, over $700,000. Medical insurance often does not cover all costs. It's always been the Clinic's policy to provide treatment regardless of a patient's ability to pay. Contributions from generous donors like you cover approximately 50% of the cost to provide these life-transforming services. 


Memorial Health Fund Stretch Pool