Raleigh, NC, March 29, 2023 – The American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA) is pleased to announce that myFace, a nonprofit organization serving the craniofacial community, is a Platinum Supporter for ACPA’s 80th Annual Meeting. myFace and ACPA entered into a partnership in 2022 so as to leverage the strengths of each organization in providing resources and support for families impacted by a craniofacial condition. myFace’s support of ACPA’s annual meeting underscores its deep commitment to this partnership – and to the wider craniofacial community.

“myFace is delighted to be a major supporter of ACPA’s annual meeting – which provides tremendous value to the craniofacial community by bringing together healthcare providers from throughout the world to share their findings in order to elevate craniofacial care,” said myFace Executive Director, Stephanie Paul.  “This is yet another way in which myFace seeks to partner with the ACPA to provide resources that will help to transform the lives of those impacted by a craniofacial difference.”

myFace is a national nonprofit dedicated to changing the faces – and transforming the lives – of children and adults with facial differences by providing them with access to holistic comprehensive care, education, resources and support that pave the way for better outcomes. myFace accomplishes this through its three Pillars of Support, including: (1) Grant funding to craniofacial centers to enable them to deliver medical, dental/orthodontic, and psychosocial care, regardless of patients’ ability to pay; (2) Direct services that meet the day-to-day needs of the craniofacial community, including Virtual Support Groups for parents, prenatal parents, adults, and adolescents, and free Newborn Craniofacial Care Kits given to families in need by our 37 hospital partners; and (3) Public awareness and education efforts including our Transforming Lives Webinar Series, our myFace, myStory: Voices from the Craniofacial Community monthly podcast, and our myFace Wonder Project school assemblies, which strive to raise public awareness about craniofacial differences and foster inclusion.

myFace has recently partnered with ACPA in several other ways as well. In early 2022, myFace provided an educational grant to ACPA to publish a stand-alone issue of ACPA’s peer-reviewed Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal to focus attention on the psychosocial needs of our community. myFace has also been partnering with ACPA to expand the reach and impact of its signature Transforming Lives webinar series. myFace and ACPA have also begun to partner on advocacy initiatives that serve our community, such as the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA). This bill would close loopholes that allow insurance companies to deny medically and dentally necessary treatment and services for patients with congenital conditions by ensuring that any procedure that restores function caused by a congenital condition would be covered by insurance.

“ACPA’s collaboration with myFace over the past several years has proven to benefit patients and providers, which is the ultimate goal of both organizations,” said ACPA Executive Director Adam Levy, CAE. “In serving intersecting communities, we’re grateful not only for myFace’s support of the 2023 Annual Meeting, but for our continued partnership in delivering services and resources to patients and their families.”

ACPA’s 2023 Annual Meeting, taking place from May 2 – 6, will honor ACPA’s past, challenge the present, and inspire providers for the future. The 2023 program features sessions on advances in research and clinical and team-driven care, including poster sessions, panel presentations, and study sessions.

About the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association

The American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA) is an interdisciplinary nonprofit 501(c)(3) association of interested individuals and healthcare professionals who treat and/or perform research on oral cleft and craniofacial conditions. ACPA members provide quality care for their patients. Since 1943, ACPA has worked to optimize outcomes for individuals with oral cleft and craniofacial conditions through education, support, research, advocacy, and interdisciplinary team care. ACPA members represent more than 30 disciplines in more than 50 countries worldwide. ACPA also provides information to affected individuals and families and seeks to educate the public about facial differences through its ACPA Family Services program. For more information, please visit acpacares.org.

About myFace

Almost every hour, a child in the U.S. is born with a craniofacial difference. Each year, the faces of another 100,000 individuals are disfigured through accident or disease. These individuals join a community of hundreds of thousands who will navigate a unique journey of care and support throughout their lives. myFace is there to ensure that individuals and families in the craniofacial community receive the care, tools, and information they need to successfully navigate that journey.

For more than 72 years, myFace has provided access to care to the thousands in need each year by providing grants to top-level medical institutions. We also offer direct services through support groups, newborn craniofacial care kits, and housing for families during medical visits. myFace educates the broader community through free topic-specific webinars, workshops, and online resources. We raise critical public awareness about craniofacial differences through student assemblies that promote kindness and inclusion, and through our podcast series, where individuals can share their stories, be seen and be heard. For more information, please visit myface.org.