Shriners Hospitals for Children- Houston Expands Cleft Lip and Palate Services

HOUSTON - Feb. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Shriners Hospital for Children – Houston (SHC-Houston) is renowned throughout the region for its pediatric specialty care in four service areas: orthopaedics, cleft lip and palate, sub-acute care and inpatient rehabilitation. Dr. Douglas Barnes, Chief of Staff announced that the hospital will expand its comprehensive cleft lip and palate program with the addition of the Cronin-Brauer Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic. Since 2010 SHC-Houston has had a ACPCF certified cleft lip and palate program headed by Dr. Steven Blackwell, a pediatric plastic surgeon. Dr. Blackwell established and expanded the program in Houston to provide patients a multi-disciplinary approach to cleft care. Specialists in the fields of plastic surgery, oral & maxillofacial surgery, ear, nose and throat, orthodontics, genetics, audiology, speech pathology, pediatric dentistry, psychiatry, psychology, nursing and care coordination combine to treat the specific needs of the patient in a family centered care environment. Dr. Ernest Cronin, medical director of The Thomas D. Cronin and Raymond O. Brauer Cleft Palate and Facial Reconstruction Clinic, a ministry of the CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare, had a similar practice philosophy in the care and treatment of facial abnormalities. A few years ago discussions began about the possibility of combining these two outstanding programs. The result is the establishment of the Cronin-Brauer Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic at Shriners Hospital for Children – Houston.

“The Cronin-Brauer Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic is the oldest and one of the most well-respected programs in the nation,” stated Dr. Barnes. “We welcome Dr. Ernest Cronin and his patients to our ongoing program at Shriners Hospital – Houston. The expertise of our staff and availability of comprehensive care in one clinical setting make our program one of the finest in the nation.”

Dr. Cronin is the principal of a private plastic surgery practice and is the medical director at the Cronin-Brauer Cleft Palate and Facial Reconstruction Institute. He is board certified in both plastic surgery and otolaryngology. Dr. Cronin has a demonstrated commitment to helping those in need to obtain necessary medical care. He founded and serves as the medical director for Operation San José. Staffed by medical professionals, this volunteer organization provides free cleft lip and palate repair to indigent children in Mexico, Central and South America.   He has served as the past Chief of Staff at CHRISTUS St. Joseph Hospital.  Dr. Cronin is a past president of the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons. Since 1995, he has been included in the Best Doctors in America database, as selected by his peers. He received his undergraduate degree from University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children^®

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a system of 22 health care facilities dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment regardless of the families' ability to pay.