The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Program Approved for Five-Year Period
Aditi Kanth, MD, a craniofacial surgeon and pediatric plastic surgeon with The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (left), and Joseph Vella, MD, PhD, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and an otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon at BMSCH, lead the Rutgers Health Cleft Clinic at RWJBarnabas Health, which has been approved by the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association (ACPA). Dr. Kanth also serves as Director of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), and Dr. Vela serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and Chief of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at RWJMS.
New Brunswick, NJ-March 3, 2025–The Rutgers Health Cleft Clinic at RWJBarnabas Health, led by faculty from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH), has been approved by the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association (ACPA). The approval spans a five-year period beginning in January 2025, recognizing programmatic excellence for multidisciplinary care for children and families afflicted by this condition at birth.
BMSCH is part of the Children’s Health Network of RWJBarnabas Health and the hub of NJ’s only academic pediatric medical campus alongside Rutgers Child Health Institute and the PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital for Rehabilitation.
The Cleft Clinic is part of BMSCH’s Cleft and Craniofacial Program, a leader in providing comprehensive care for patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, and craniofacial anomalies. The program brings together a multidisciplinary team led by craniofacial surgeons with backgrounds in both plastic and ear-nose-and-throat procedures, as well as clinicians specializing in surgery, anesthesiology, orthodontics, speech-language pathology, audiology, genetics, pediatrics, dentistry, psychology, social work, and nursing.
A cleft palate is a birth defect that occurs when the roof of the mouth doesn’t close completely during fetal development. This leaves an opening that can extend from the front of the mouth (hard palate) to the throat (soft palate). Remediating cleft palate is an extended process that includes multiple surgical interventions and ongoing outpatient therapy. It is important for families to have access to a multidisciplinary center that can help navigate this process and ease the burden of care.
In addition to BMSCH’s program, other RWJBarnabas Health Children’s Health Network facilities offering cleft palate surgery include Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s Regional Craniofacial Center and Monmouth Medical Center’s Regional Cleft Palate Center.
ACPA advocates for the highest standards of care for patients with cleft and craniofacia
l conditions. Achieving ACPA approval means that the Rutgers Health Cleft Clinic at RWJBH is recognized for its dedication to providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment. As an ACPA-approved team, the clinic also has access to valuable ACPA resources and is listed on its website as an option for patients and families to consider when seeking care.
“We’re proud that our team and program have achieved this approval,” says Aditi Kanth, MD, a craniofacial surgeon and pediatric plastic surgeon with BMSCH, Director of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at RWJMS. “Our program, specifically our Cleft Palate Team, focuses on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of care, which can significantly improve the overall quality of life for patients and their families.”
“It’s uncommon for a program to combine these and other disciplines for cleft care,” adds Joseph Vella, MD, PhD, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and an otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon at BMSCH, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and Chief of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at RWJMS. “Earning this approval affirms our team’s commitment to providing children and families in our state and region with access to a highly skilled team of specialists dedicated to providing them with the most advanced, comprehensive craniofacial care leading to an enhanced quality of life.”
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About The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is part of the Children’s Health Network of RWJBH and the hub of NJ’s only academic pediatric medical campus alongside Rutgers Child Health Institute and the PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital.
A dedicated pediatric teaching facility, BMSCH offers the highest levels of pediatric care available in a family-centered healing environment. From pediatric surgery, urology, and cardiology to oncology, hematology, pulmonology, and pediatric/emergency care, BMSCH’s specialists and intensivists provide advanced care for children of all ages – from fragile newborns to adolescents. BMSCH ranked #34 in orthopedics and #47 in urology by U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 Best Children’s Hospital ranking. BMSCH is also home to New Jersey’s first designated pediatric trauma center and an internationally recognized adolescent bariatric surgery center of excellence. To learn more about BMSCH, visit
www.bmsch.org
About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, healthcare delivery, and the promotion of community health. Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including The Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, and the Women’s Health Institute. The medical school has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 100 medical schools in the nation and No. 1 in the state for research and primary care.
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility and the medical school’s principal affiliate, comprise one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. Clinical services are provided by more than 500 faculty physicians in 200+ specialties and subspecialties as part of Rutgers Health, the clinical arm of Rutgers University. To learn more about Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit
www.rwjms.rutgers.edu
