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Committee hears testimony to restore $2.9 million for UNLV craniofacial clinic serving children with cleft lip and palate
Summary
Sen. Rochelle Wynne presented SB 280 to reestablish Nevada's accredited craniofacial team at UNLV with a $2.9 million appropriation; clinicians and many parents testified about long waits, out‑of‑state care and the clinical and financial burden on families.
Senator Rochelle Wynne (Senate District 3) opened the hearing on Senate Bill 280, saying the NEIS craniofacial team was the state’s sole provider of multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial services until it closed in 2020 following defunding during the COVID‑19 period. Wynne said the appropriation in the bill would reestablish an accredited team under the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA) standards.
Doctor Jesse Faulk, a board‑certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Las Vegas, told the committee SB 280 “provides 2,900,000.0 to reestablish a dedicated cleft craniofacial medical team at UNLV School Dental Medicine in partnership with UNLV School of Medicine and Rosemond University.” Faulk said a centralized clinic consolidates surgery, orthodontics, speech therapy and other specialty care and shortens families’ travel and navigation burdens.
UNLV Dean James Ma explained incidence and care needs: “The incidence of cleft palate is 1 in 500 live births. With 40,000 live births in Nevada every year, approximately 57 children are born with cleft lip or palate,” he said, adding lifetime care costs “over a hundred thousand dollars” and “typically 4 to 6 surgeries.” Ma told the committee UNLV already has federal grant funding and clinic space to house the team.
Parent and community testimony was strong and detailed. Multiple parents recounted long waits for specialty appointments, frequent travel across the valley, and expedited care only when individual clinicians intervened. One parent said coordinated, early intervention produced markedly better outcomes and that children faced waiting lists of “sometimes upwards of 3 to 5 years” when care was organized out‑of‑state.
Supporters at the table included UNLV representatives, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and community clinicians who described the program as a “team‑based interdisciplinary approach” that reduces burdens on families and improves outcomes. There was no recorded opposition. The committee closed the hearing without taking a final vote.
Ending: SB 280 seeks a $2.9 million one‑time appropriation to reestablish a multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial clinic in Nevada; sponsor and clinicians argued earlier, coordinated care shortens waiting times, reduces out‑of‑state referrals and improves lifelong outcomes for children.
