Anna Umphress
Editorial Services Manager for Children's Health Care of Atlanta
1001 Johnson Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30342
anna.umphress@choa.org

Photo: Caleb Davis and his family have the support of a team of experts at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta—and the generous gifts of Scottish Rite Masons—in his ongoing craniofacial treatment.
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta understands that the implications of a craniofacial disorder to a child's life are far-reaching. They include basic health and functioning, family and social relationships, and quality of life. That's why the Children's Center for Craniofacial Disorders specializes in evaluating and treating a full range of pediatric craniofacial conditions. Diagnostic, restorative dental, craniofacial, oral and maxillofacial surgical services are available on an outpatient, short-stay, or inpatient basis. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta seeks to provide better and more cost-effective care, less invasive procedures, shorter hospital stays, and potentially fewer future problems for children with these conditions.

The multidisciplinary Craniofacial Services team at Children's ranks first in the region based on patient volume and best practices as defined by the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association. Physicians at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are continually making great strides in the use of leading-edge technology to treat craniofacial disorders. For 8-year-old Caleb Davis (photo above), this expertise means his family can trust in Children's for his continued care.

'The hope of seeing Caleb smile with a mouthful of teeth was just overwhelming," says Timothy Davis, Caleb's father. Pediatric specialists in the Children's Center for Craniofacial Disorders, along with pediatric orthodontists and dentists at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, were committed to making that hope a reality.

'With a very wide unilateral cleft lip and palate, as well as feeding difficulties, Caleb needed extensive treatment," explains Fernando Burstein, M.D., medical director of the Center for Craniofacial Disorders.

Since his birth, Caleb has had more than 10 surgeries at Children's including operations to repair his cleft and help him with feeding and speaking, and surgery at Children's Sibley Heart Center to correct a heart condition. To complete the next step in his progress last year, Caleb needed extensive orthodontic and dental therapy to prepare him for surgery to align his jaws. Gordon Karker, D.M.D., orthodontist, and J.C. Shirley, D.M.D., pediatric dentist, treated Caleb to prepare for his bone graft surgery by Dr. Burstein.

'What happens if we have to stop now?" Timothy asked himself as he and his family contemplated another obstacle: how to cover the mounting costs of Caleb's treatment. Caleb's insurance would not cover the full cost of the surgery or the expansion appliance he needed to widen his upper jaw in preparation for his next surgery. His parents turned to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Clinic for assistance.

Children's is committed to making high-quality healthcare accessible to all children regardless of their families' ability to pay. The 21-member, all-volunteer Child Care Committee evaluated Caleb's needs and a Children's financial counselor helped his family find the necessary funding. The Children's Child Care Fund was able to pay for Caleb's mouth appliance and the remainder of his surgery costs.

"Dr. Burstein and this whole group of people have done the best things for Caleb since he was born," says Timothy, who looks forward to the time years from now when Caleb will no longer need surgery. 'We're so thankful for everyone at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta who is working to help our son have a normal life," he adds, 'and a smile he can be proud of."

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is dedicated to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research, and education. Children's addresses the unique needs of sick and injured children and their families with specially trained physicians and staff, equipment designed for young, growing bodies, and a child-friendly environment. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has been recognized for excellence in cardiology, cancer treatment, craniofacial surgery, emergency medicine, neurosciences, orthopaedics, pulmonology, rehabilitation and transplantation services—among many other pediatric services. With 400 beds in two hospitals, 26 satellites and access to more than 1,200 pediatric physicians, Children's is one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the country.

Through extensive community outreach programs and partnerships, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta strives to ensure that wellness and prevention programs are accessible to families across the state. As a nonprofit organization, we benefit from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support of many community-minded groups and individuals, including Scottish Rite Freemasons.

For more information about Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, call the Children's Foundation at 404–929–8300 or visit our Website at www.choa.org.

Note: On February 1, 1998, Scottish Rite Children's Center in Atlanta merged with Egleston Children's Health Care System to form what is now Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.