The Penn State Health Facial Nerve Clinic has the skills and resources to help make the right diagnosis and provide the right plan of care, regardless of the nature of facial weakness – all the care you need, close to home.
Location
Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
200 Campus Dr
Suite 400 | Entrance 3
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: 717-531-1405
Fax: 717-531-4907
Meet the Team
-
Jessyka Lighthall, MD
Founder and Co-Director, Facial Nerve Clinic; Director, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Associate Professor, Department of Surgery; Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck SurgeryDr. Jessyka Lighthall is a fellowship-trained surgeon in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery in Portland, Oregon, and subsequently completed her fellowship training in facial plastic surgery at the University of Minnesota. She joined Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as an assistant professor of Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Lighthall specializes in treating patients with aesthetic concerns related to aging, as well as reconstruction of head and neck cancer defects, facial skin cancer defects, traumatic facial injuries and congenital deformities. She has a special interest in the treatment of patients with facial weakness and a research focus on improving outcomes and quality-of-life in this patient population. This passion led her to start the Multidisciplinary Facial Nerve Clinic.
Biography -
Cathy Henry, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryDr. Cathy Henry has a passion for caring for patients of all ages who suffer from congenital and acquired facial deformities. She is a board-certified plastic surgeon, completing her residency at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with fellowship training in craniofacial surgery through the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is an active member of the cleft lip and palate and craniofacial multidisciplinary teams and is excited to participate in the facial nerve team.
Biography -
Heather K. Schopper, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck SurgeryDr. Heather Schopper is a fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. After earning her medical degree, she completed her residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She completed an American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-accredited fellowship at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which covered a complete range of skills, from cancer reconstruction to aesthetic surgery. The program included multiple humanitarian trips to South America, where she provided care to children with cleft lip and palate.
Dr. Schopper believes facial plastic surgery provides an incredible opportunity to improve patients’ quality of life and self-esteem, whether it involves repairing a disfiguring injury or addressing concerns that cause self-consciousness. Her clinical interests include Mohs reconstruction surgery, facial reanimation, scar revision, facial trauma, nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and cosmetic ear surgery.
Biography -
Nicole Fisher, MS, CCC/SLP
Facial Rehabilitation Specialist and Speech Language PathologistNicole graduated from Bloomsburg University with a Bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology and earned her Master's degree from Emerson College in communication disorders. She started her career as an outpatient therapist treating both children and adults. Nicole has worked in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient therapy. She is currently an outpatient speech pathologist specializing in treating neurological disorders at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Nicole has various trainings including VitalStim for dysphagia and LSVT LOUD for patients with hypokinetic dysarthria. Her special areas of interest are dysphagia, facial nerve rehabilitation, aphasia and treating patients with Parkinson's Disease. Nicole earned her advanced training in facial nerve rehabilitation at the Facial Nerve Center of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School.
Biography -
Angela Lederer, LPN
Clinical Coordinator -
Erica Lenc, MS, CCC-SLP
Facial Rehabilitation Specialist and Speech Language Pathologist -
Carrie Ruggiero, MS, CCC-SLP
Facial Rehabilitation Specialist and Speech Language Pathologist -
Madeleine Schroll, OTD, OTR/L
Facial Rehabilitation Specialist and Occupational TherapistMadeleine graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. She has worked in skilled nursing and acute care. Currently, she is an occupational therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Her areas of special interest include aging-in-place initiatives, dementia care, caregiver support and facial nerve rehabilitation. She received mentorship in facial nerve rehabilitation through the Facial Nerve Clinic at Penn State Health. She continues to seek additional certifications in manual techniques to advance treatments for this patient population.
Biography