Supporting Families Like Neighbors

Children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other craniofacial anomalies face a complex care journey that begins at birth and can span decades. Many patients undergo surgical treatment before their first birthday, and comprehensive care frequently requires an interdisciplinary approach of more than 11 different medical specialists. This can be overwhelming for families.

 

Program Coordinator Pedro Flores Canales helps them seamlessly navigate the process. From the moment a child becomes a patient at Children’s National, Flores Canales and Clinical Coordinator Elizabeth Benitez, PA-C, are there to help families understand their child’s needs and answer questions, arrange necessary clinic visits, coordinate surgical care and provide social support.

 

Flores Canales cares for families as though they are his neighbors. “I try not to view a child as just a patient but as my own kid or the kid down the block,” he says. “I scoot down and speak eye to eye. I consider myself a personal concierge to alleviate the stress of being a patient and navigating the hospital system. It can be intimidating, especially for a family that speaks Spanish. They’re trying to understand signs, wondering where to go and what to expect. Families say it’s a relief that someone is here to speak with them.”

 

The daylong cleft clinic is where kids and families feel the extra effort Flores Canales puts into his work. This clinic is critical to integrated care, and it is common for patients to see many specialists in one location. “By the afternoon, I come in with my treasure box, little toys and decompression gadgets they like to play with,” he says. “This gets kids excited. It also distracts them so that mom or dad can have a productive conversation with the specialist. It feels great to reward patients with a little gift that they’reanticipating after such a long day of medical care.”

 

This exemplary care coordination and access to specialty services improves patient outcomes and satisfaction. Generous support from the Johnston Family Endowment makes the program coordinator position possible.