Still Something of a Hidden Gem: Interior Health’s Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic
- elisetomalty
- Oct 21
- 2 min read
Adapted from “Still Something of a Hidden Gem” by Janice Bennett, RSLP — originally published in Vibrations Magazine, September 2025 (Speech and Hearing BC)
Supporting Families Closer to Home
For more than 50 years, Interior Health’s Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic has been providing essential, team-based care to children and families across the BC Interior. Despite its long history and impact, the clinic remains a lesser-known resource for families navigating the complex journey of cleft lip and palate care.
Established in the 1970s by speech-language pathologist Dorothy Deakin—at a time when only two SLPs served the entire Interior—the clinic has long offered families the chance to access specialized treatment closer to home, without the need to travel to Vancouver for care.
Comprehensive, Collaborative Care
Cleft lip and palate occur in approximately 1 in 630 births in Canada, often requiring multiple surgeries, speech and hearing support, and ongoing dental and orthodontic treatment. The Interior Health clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team of professionals to help coordinate every stage of a child’s care from birth through adolescence.
The clinic, based at the Community Health and Services Centre in Kelowna, typically serves 65–80 families at a time. Referrals can be made by physicians, nurse practitioners, public health nurses, or midwives — often beginning prenatally after a cleft is identified on ultrasound. Services are fully covered by the Medical Services Plan.
A Team Dedicated to Lifelong Support
Clinics are held four times per year, with specialists from across disciplines working together to deliver comprehensive care. The team includes:
Plastic surgeons Drs. Valnicek and Williamson
Oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Scott Martyna
Otolaryngologists (ENTs) Drs. Achtem and Harris
Pediatricians Drs. MacKinlay and Vosloo
Orthodontists Dr. Edsard van Steenbergen and Dr. Smith
Pediatric dentist Dr. Terry Farquhar
Audiologists Stacie Larsson and Shahrzad Homayuni
Speech-language pathologist Janice Bennett
Plus a dental hygienist, clinic coordinator, and admin support staff
Services begin prenatally or at birth, ensuring families are connected with the right providers early — from feeding and hearing assessments to surgical and speech-language milestones. Families typically have their first full-team visit around 18 months of age and continue to receive coordinated care until age 19.
Continuing to Grow and Raise Awareness
Though well established, the Interior Health Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic remains, in many ways, a hidden gem. The team hopes to continue expanding services in the coming years while raising awareness among both healthcare providers and families about the resources available right here in the Interior.
For more information:Visit Interior Health’s Cleft Lip & Palate Clinic or contact Clinic Coordinator Janice Bennett at 250-469-7070 ext. 12122 or cleftlipandpalateclinic@interiorhealth.ca.
Learn more about cleft care: American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association
