A Clinical Team and its Patients Celebrate

Recently, we hosted a reunion for our Randolph B. Capone Cleft Lip and Palate Program patients and their families. This was their first in-person get together since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Approximately 100 past and current patients and their loved ones attended, in addition to our team members and their families. The mood was buoyant as everyone celebrated gathering indoors after three years, eating a pizza lunch, laughing together at jokes for all ages during a magic show, and socializing with others. Events like this bring the families together in a non-stress environment to meet and form relationships outside of the clinic and encourage our patients to have friendships with peers with similar health experiences.

For those of you who do not know, this program (formally the Greater Baltimore Cleft Lip and Palate Team) was formed in 2006 by Dr. Tonie Kline (Clinical Genetics), Dr. Patrick Byrne (Facial Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology), and Dr. Randy Capone (Facial Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology) through the Departments of Pediatrics and Otolaryngology, and renamed in 2022 the Randolph B. Capone Cleft Lip and Palate Program in Dr. Capone’s honor. Dr. Capone brought smiles and joy to his patients via his unique combination of warmth, intelligence, and surgical skill. Prior to his passing in early 2019, as medical director of the program, he led the efforts of our cleft lip and palate team in being recognized by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), thus making us, at that time, one of four hospitals in the state to receive this endorsement. 

Children born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate are best served by a cohesive multidisciplinary team as opposed to separate specialists. Today, the program follows patients from the prenatal period through adulthood. The specialties include pediatric genetics and genetic counseling, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, oral maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, audiology, and pediatrics, as well as speech and language specialists, a registered dietitian, and social worker (also the team coordinator), with adjunctive pediatric ophthalmology, and neonatology. 

What makes this program so unique is the commitment to patient engagement and support. The team’s desire is that no patient should ever feel alone or without support from the cleft community, and there is an emphasis to ensure patients are not just supported medically, but also emotionally. Through the assistance of donations, the Cleft Program runs several large social family events a year, including the annual Pizza Party; a summer picnic; and other activities for specific age groups that focus on team building, trying new experiences, and building support. The Cleft Program would not be able to do any of this without our generous donors.

So, thank you to our donors and the team for doing this great work and for helping and improving our patients’ quality of life.  

Welcome and thank you!!

I would like to welcome Jeff Berenholtz as our new Department of Medicine Service Line Administrator. Jeff has tremendous and valuable experience in budgeting and strategy deployment, as well as data analysis and management. His experience includes time as a management consultant for Think Consulting, a company that helps organizations innovate, transform, and grow with a specialty around strategic alignment. He also served as an IT Technical Support Manager, IS Project Manager (technology division),  and as an Outpatient Pharmacy’s Business Operations Analyst at LifeBridge Health. Please welcome Jeff to the GBMC family.

I also want to thank Meghan Chan, our Surgery Service Line Administrator. Meghan has been with GBMC since 2013, starting as Manager of Budget and Financial Analysis before being promoted to Director of Corporate Decision Support. In her previous roles, Meghan was the leader of our annual operating budget development for the GBMC HealthCare system. During her time as our Surgery Service Line administrator, Meghan has combined her expertise in clinical and financial analytics with her energy to lead the growth and development of the many programs and services in the Surgery service line. Please join me in thanking Meghan!