Craniofacial Physicians: The Team Approach to Care
A multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of craniofacial disorders is vital to meeting the unique demands of children. The Craniofacial team can access, treat and support the on-going care of pediatric patients, enabling them to live normal and healthy lives.
Craniofacial Surgeons
The craniofacial surgeon is a plastic surgeon with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of skeletal abnormalities of the skull and facial bones.
-
|
 |
|
Dr. Williams and Dr. Burstein with patients |
Fernando Burstein, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P.
Medical Director, Center for Craniofacial Disorders
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Clinical Associate Professor,
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,
Emory UniversitySchool of Medicine
Dr. Burstein specializes in cleft lip and palate, craniofacial deformities, hemangiomas, perinatal consultation and dentofacial anomalies. He is fluent in Spanish and was named as one of “Atlanta’s Top Physicians” by Atlanta magazine in 2000, 2001 and 2005. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 articles and book chapters for publication and made more than 70 presentations at national and international conferences.
- Joseph Kerwin Williams, MD, F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P.
Chief of Plastic Surgery, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Director of Clinical Research,
Center for Craniofacial Disorders
Clinical Assistant Professor,
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,
Emory UniversitySchool of Medicine
Dr. Williams specializes in cleft lip and palate, craniofacial anomalies, hemangiomas, perinatal consultation and dentofacial deformities. He has authored 14 book chapters and more than 20 national publications.
Speech Pathology Specialists
The pediatric specialists of the Speech Pathology Laboratory work with plastic surgeons and dental specialists for appropriate surgical and prosthetic management of hypernasality.
Dr. Riski specializes in the study and correction of speech problems and resonance disorders related to cleft palate and other craniofacial problems. He is a past president of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (2000) and was named “Clinician of the Year” by the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association for 2005. He has authored 50 research publications and 13 book chapters. He has given more than 170 national and international presentations.
- Kara Kenkel
Speech Pathologist
Orthodontists
Our orthodontists work closely with craniofacial surgeons, pediatric dentists and other members of the craniofacial team to provide orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.
Dr. Granger specializes in the treatment of cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial deformities. He is involved with the infant nasal alveolar molding (NAM) appliance and has lectured at national conferences.
Dentists
Work closely with orthodontists and surgeons to meet the unique needs of all children and to address the special dental needs of medically and physically compromised children.
Nurse Coordinators
The nurse coordinators are registered nurses who combines experience in pediatric nursing with specialization in the care of children with craniofacial disorders. While the coordinators serve many functions, one of the most vital is that of liaison between the family and the craniofacial team.
- Bonnie Pepper, M.S.N., C.P.N.P.
Nurse Coordinator
- Janice Rouille, R.N.
Nurse Coordinator
Geneticist
In some complex cases, consultation by the geneticist is essential in determining the cause and nature of the syndrome or disease.
- Kim Armfield Uhas, R.N., C.P.N.P.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Neuropsychologist
The neuropsychologist is available to monitor the child's intellectual development. Current treatment guidelines for children with cleft lip or palate or other craniofacial conditions recommend screening evaluation to identify possible problems in cognitive, motor and socioemotional development.
- Lauren Buono, Ph.D.
Neuropsychologist
Occupational Therapist
The occupational therapist provides feeding and oral motor development consultation to the Craniofacial team. The therapist performs a comprehensive oral motor evaluation and feeding assessment on each child.
- Jessica Martin
Occupational Therapist III
Nutritionist
During the first year of life, infants with craniofacial disorders are often at increased risk for nutritional deficiencies. The dietitian evaluates these children for nutritional deficiencies by monitoring growth parameters such as objective weights and diet histories.
Pediatric Neurosurgeon
The pediaric neurosurgeon is an expert in the growth and development of the brain and cranium. He is often called upon to help diagnose and treat craniosynostosis or any condition in which there is premature closure of the cranial growth plates.
Plastic Surgeon
Concerned with the aesthetic as well as the functional results of treatment, the plastic surgeon has many roles on the Craniofacial team. Traditionally, the plastic surgeon concentrates on cleft lip and palate conditions, performing the initial treatment of the cleft lip or palate as well as ancillary procedures such as a pharyngeal flap or pharyngoplasty for velopharyngeal incompetence.
Psychologist
Psychological treatment is key to allowing a child, adolescent and family experience optimal healing and long-term success. The psychologist also works to break down barriers of communication that may result from parents' frustrations related to their many responsibilities in meeting the needs of their child.
Ophthalmologist
Children with a craniofacial disorder may experience a variety of eye problems requiring the expertise of an ophthalmologist. The timing of ophthalmologic intervention is critical to the overall treatment plan.
Otolaryngologist
Children with cleft lip or palate conditions often have associated middle-ear problems. The otolaryngologist coordinates medical and surgical therapy with the rest of the team members in order to normalize hearing as much as possible.
Social Worker
The social worker provides guidance and counseling for patients and families. Serving as a link between the patient, family and the Craniofacial team, the social worker works to assure open communication, understanding and coordination of care.
Team Coordinator
The team coordinator optimizes the care received by infants, children and adolescents with craniofacial disorders by coordinating each individual's needs with the multiple resources of the Craniofacial team.
Audiologist
Audiologic assessment, performed in conjunction with speech assessment, includes impendance studies to assess the middle-ear functioning, auditory brainstem response, computerized hearing assessment, hearing-aid evaluation and fitting, as well as central auditory processing testing.