Sending surgeons, anesthetists and speech therapists from Canada, the USA, UK or Europe to treat patients in resource constrained contexts has never been a part of TF’s approach to cleft care. Current global travel restrictions therefore do not stop families from accessing timely treatment for their child’s cleft.
TF continues to promote virtual learning through the Circle of Cleft Professionals, which has recently grown to 365+ members hailing from 58 countries. Just last month the TF team took on our most ambitious online challenge to date: designing an interactive virtual conference for cleft professionals about delivering safe and effective cleft care during the pandemic.
We’re delighted to report that the Solutions for Comprehensive Cleft Care: Responding to COVID virtual conference was a success! Over 140 participants actively engaged in a conference experience that according to many survey respondents “made it feel like an in-person event”! 95% found the experience helpful and a similar number can’t wait for our next conference.