History & Legacy

Dr. H. K. Cooper with a patient

Established in 1938, the nonprofit Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic is the oldest clinic in the world devoted to the comprehensive care of children born with cleft lips and palates and other craniofacial anomalies regardless of their ability to pay. It was founded by orthodontist Dr. Herbert K. Cooper on the first floor of his home at 24 N. Lime Street. At that time, the clinic offered out-of-town cleft patients a 6-week residency program. Several cleft patients stayed in apartments, supervised by a house mother, and received speech therapy, prosthesis fabrication, and social education.

For over 80 years we have provided for the special healthcare needs of Pennsylvania’s infants and children who may be uninsured, under-insured or otherwise under-served. Today, we are the only facility in the United States to offer comprehensive cleft care outside the auspices of a major hospital system.