Team Building and Strategic Ecosystem Development for Effective Long-Term Cleft Palate Care: Experience from the Tawanchai Cleft Center, Thailand
Effective cleft palate management extends beyond clinical intervention—it requires a robust and evolving ecosystem that integrates team-based care, long-term strategic planning, and leadership development. At the Tawanchai Cleft Center, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, we have implemented a comprehensive care model encompassing five key domains: surgery, orthodontics, speech therapy, psychosocial support, and community-based care. This interdisciplinary model forms the backbone of an ecosystem designed to support patients across their life span.
This presentation outlines our experience in building and sustaining high-functioning multidisciplinary teams, while embedding these efforts into a broader long-term care strategy. Key challenges such as the rising complexity of care, digital transformation in health systems, and shifting demographic trends (e.g., declining birth rates and increasing demand for lifelong follow-up) are addressed.
We also highlight our framework for developing future leaders in cleft care—anchored in research and innovation, lifelong learning, ethical practice, good governance, and social responsibility. By integrating team-building, ecosystem thinking, and leadership cultivation, the Tawanchai model offers a replicable approach to cleft care that meets the demands of the present while preparing for the future.
