Iris Sageser retires
For over 35 years, Iris Sageser has been the go-to person for families of children with craniofacial anomalies. As coordinator of the Cleft/Craniofacial Anomaly Team, one of the hospital’s oldest and most comprehensive multidisciplinary services, she has helped countless families navigate the sometimes frightening, always lengthy pathway through multiple specialty services and treatments throughout the patient’s lifetime.
The Craniofacial Team was founded in 1975; Dental Chair Bob Creedon hired Sageser as team coordinator in 1981 and served as her mentor for many years. Her education and training in dental hygiene and teaching provided the ideal background for her position, but it has been her passion for the job that has kept her in this ever-expanding role for more than three decades.
“Over the course of each child’s treatment, she really got to know the family and served as their anchor as the patient went through a series of surgical, dental and therapeutic treatments,” reflected Ann Kummer, PhD, former director of Speech Pathology and long-term team member. “She was always available to answer questions and facilitate follow-up. I really feel that the families felt connected to our team due to her close and personal interactions with them.”
It was not only families who sought Sageser’s expertise. She has often been consulted by other divisions seeking to develop effective care coordination programs. She also regularly presented workshops on team design and management at the annual American Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Anomaly Association meetings.
Looking back on her long career, Sageser is proud of how effective and collegial the team has become. “I tried to keep everybody happy,” she acknowledged. This, of course, was sometimes a challenge when egos and territories were involved. What she finds particularly gratifying are the productive long-term relationships she has developed with many families. “I still get calls from young adult former patients, asking advice about upcoming dental or surgical procedures,” she revealed. “I try to provide both practical and moral support.”
Farewell luncheons, on April 26 and May 4, were arranged to honor Sageser’s many years of dedicated service to the team. In her retirement, she plans to travel and maybe learn to play the piano again!
-- M. Elaine Billmire, MD
