Sleepmate Technologies Receives Accreditation as A-STEP Provider

Sleepmate Technologies recently received accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) as a Provider of the Accredited Sleep Technologist Education Program, A-STEP.

A-STEP provides participants with standardized education and training that develops a knowledge-base about sleep medicine and the professional skills required of a sleep technologist. As a staff member at a sleep facility, a sleep technologist administers sleep tests to patients as well as therapeutic services. The sleep technologist also assists the sleep physician with patient care and education.

A-STEP is a two-step training program that includes an 80-hour educational course (STEP 1) and an 18-month on-the-job training and e-learning program (STEP 2). Sleepmate Technologies has earned a two-year accreditation as an A-STEP Provider, meaning that the education offered by Sleepmate Technologies, STEP 1 course has met the standards of accreditation designated by the AASM. The accreditation process involved a detailed evaluation of Sleepmate Technologies program, including faculty, curriculum, resources and assessment.

“The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates Sleepmate Technologies on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as an A-STEP Provider,” said Alejandro D. Chediak, MD, AASM president. “Sleepmate Technologies A-STEP is a significant resource to the local community as it ensures that those who assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sleep disorders are well-trained and that patients suffering from sleep disorders receive the highest quality of care.”

Individuals interested in receiving formalized education and training in sleep technology by enrolling as an A-STEP participant at Sleepmate Technologies can contact Sleepmate customer support at 804-378-8265.

Sleepmate also provides classroom training, developed with education partners including DeVilbiss Healthcare, for the new and experienced sleep professional. Registry Review, Scoring Workshop, CPAP Workshop, Basic and Intermediate Polysomnography, Pediatric Sleep, Webinars, and most recently, an accredited Sleep Technologist Education Program (A-STEP). Our classes offer AARC Continuing Education Credits. Visit http://www.sleepmate.com/.

Kittens Catchin’ Catnaps, Dozing Dogs and Pooped Parrots

The National Sleep Foundation Launches

“My Pet Loves Sleep Contest” and Asks Americans to Share Favorite Photographs of Sleeping Pets

Twelve Weeks of Photos Judged Online; Winning Photographs Available in Pet Winner’s Gallery for All the World to See!

What: The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) wants all-time favorite photos of your pet stealin’ 40 winks! Why: NSF wants to share photos of America’s most adorable sleeping pets with everyone who visits www.sleepfoundation.org/pets [NOTE: The site goes live July 2]

When: The contest launches on Monday, July 2 and continues until Sunday, September 30. Each week for 12 weeks, NSF Web site visitors will vote online for the cutest sleeping pet of the week. All 12 winners will be featured on NSF’s popular Web site. Where: Submit your most cherished sleeping pet photograph by visiting www.sleepfoundation.org/pets All entries received during the week (beginning each Monday and ending each Sunday for 12 consecutive weeks) will be judged by participating NSF Web site visitors.

How: Email a color digital photo with a maximum of 150 K and resolution of 72 dpi maximum by visiting www.sleepfoundation.org/pets NSF will post all photo entries received during a specific week in the Sleeping Pet Photo Gallery and encourage all NSF Web site visitors to cast their vote. The weekly “sleeping pet” winner will be determined by which photo receives the most votes during the designated seven-day period. Only one vote per NSF Web site visitor is allowed per week.

If you want your pet to win, send a My Pet Loves Sleep E-card (available at www.sleepfoundation.org/pets) and encourage your friends and family to join in the fun and vote. Once the week is over, winning photographs will be housed in the Sleeping Pet Winner’s Gallery. Visit www.sleepfoundation.org/pets for additional details. Contact: Lisa Tumminello; National Sleep Foundation; ltumminello@sleepfoundation.org; 202-347-3471, x211

I think it's great to see something on the lighter side regarding sleep from NSF. Now, not that I am playing favorites or anything, but this is the sleeping pet picture that should win! My dearest Princess Peanut Fi`do. What do you think? Isn't she the best sleeper?

Be well...Sleep well (and VOTE FOR PEANUT :-)

Theresa

Historic Portsmouth, NH host to the 5th Annual NEPS Conference August 23 & 24

If you need a summer, family getaway that includes sleep education that earns you continuing education credits, the New England Polysomnographic Society (NEPS) may have your tonic… And, a trip to New England is never complete without stopping in the historic coastal city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Registration is now open for the NEPS 5th Annual Meeting, August 23-24, 2007, at the Frank Jones Center, 400 US Highway 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, NH, 03801. The conference brochure is posted on the society’s web site and lists lecture information. For additional information, e-mail NEPS President Bethany Munn at info@nepolysomnographic.org.

Here are some links to area attractions:
New Hampshire Seacoast Beaches & Parks
Sleep Tech Leisure Guide
Lake Winnipesaukee & Lake Sunapee (There are 273 lakes and ponds in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire—great fishing too!)
History buffs

Pictured above, John Paul Jones, foreground, oversees preparations for the launch of his vessel CSS Ranger in 1777. In the background is Colonial Portsmouth. The painting is by world famous maritime artist John Stobart. http://www.portsmouthchamber.org/historyintro.cfm

Hope to see you there!

Be well...Sleep well,

Theresa

Online Sleep Videos and Health Fair

1. Sleep Diagnosis & Therapy Features Online Videos

Kudos to the online site of Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy for producing video interviews with leading sleep specialists and making them available to viewers. I contacted Alan Hickey, publisher, to ask him about the venture. “The videos are the beginning of an ongoing project for us.” He added that the editorial board for Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy, the online format, wants to provide online visitors with clinical and scientific sleep information and updates with more viewer appeal in order to meet the needs of those looking for news and advances in sleep medicine. The journal is the publishing company’s flagship offering, and the online presence as an augmentation to its hardcopy journal. The site also offers a blog and industry buyer’s guide which serves as a directory of sleep equipment manufacturers and distributors.

I am personally thrilled to see innovative formats such as this appearing on our radar screens because we, as sleep professionals, appear to be joining the ranks of other fields in that we like choices on the formats in which our news is delivered to us. Some of us like print publications. Some of us prefer online editions. Many of us consume both!
The first two videos produced by Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy include interviews with Prof. Peretz Lavie and Marc Pritzker, MD, FACC. Lavie is a world-renowned authority on the psychophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders. He is leader of the Technion Sleep Laboratory, chairperson of the Behavioral Biology Department in the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, and is the incumbent of the Andre Ballard Chair in Biological Psychiatry. Pritzker is a cardiologist at Minneapolis Cardiology Associates, Minneapolis Heart Institute in Minneapolis, MN. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases with clinical interests in complex heart disease, heart failure, wounds, and pulmonary artery hypertension.
2. First Online Health Fair Includes NSF

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) was chosen by Revolution Health to be part of an online “health fair.” The founder of Revolution Health is Steve Case, best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online (AOL). RevolutionHealth.com, a free online health and medical web site that combines expert content and online tools with the power of social networking, today announced its first online health fair to be held on June 18-30, 2007. Revolution Health is partnering with ten national nonprofit organizations including Autism Speaks, the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, and the Society for Women's Health Research, among others.
Revolution Health will make a donation to each of the participating nonprofit groups, based on the number of visitors to that group's 'booth.' The maximum donation that Revolution Health will make to the participating groups is $100,000, with a maximum donation of $10,000 per organization.
Increasing public awareness of the importance of sleep, increasing public recognition of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders, launching promising new investigators into careers in sleep research and advocating for sleep-friendly policies in the public and private sectors are central to the mission of NSF. The foundation relies on grants, sponsorships, memberships and other contributions to help provide comprehensive education and awareness programs.

Case reached his highest profile when he played an instrumental role in AOL's merger with Time Warner in 2000. Case resigned from the Time-Warner board of directors in October 2005, to spend more time working on Revolution LLC, a holding company he founded in April 2005.

Be well. Sleep well,

Theresa

AAST Annual Meeting Events at SLEEP 2007

The American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) held several events at its annual meeting Tuesday during the SLEEP 2007 conference in Minneapolis. In the top photo is William Dement, MD, Ph.D. pleased the crowd again this year as he entertained attendees at the Blues Night sponsored by Pro-Tech and MVAP. In the second photo, a group of technologists that have been participants of binarysleep.com for years, but have never met in person had the opportunity to meet at the Blues Night. In the third photo, Mary Kay Hobby, CRT, RPSGT, a recent Let's Talk Sleep podcast guest, received the AAST 2007 Sharon Keenan Service Award sponsored by Sleepmate, Inc. Sharon Baker-Holdsworth, Sleepmate Marketing Manager presented Hobby with her award. And last, Brendan Duffy, RPSGT, was the recipient of the Allen DeVilbiss, MD Literary Award. I had the honor of presenting Duffy with his award for an article published in A2Zzz Magazine that dealt with technologist issues related to dealing with difficult patients.

Be well-Sleep well,
Theresa

Scenes from SLEEP 2007 in Minneapolis

SLEEP 2007 Secrets of Sleep Research Dinner

The Secrets of Sleep Research Dinner was held last night in Minneapolis kicking off today's opening of the SLEEP 2007 Annual Meeting sponsored by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The annual meeting runs through Thursday. Today's official opening begins less than 15 minutes from now with the plenary session featuring k eynote speaker Mark Mahowald, MD. In the first photo of the dinner last night, pictured left to right are Claude Albertario, RPSGT, Mineola, NY, Debbie Carr, RPSGT and Brendan Duffy, RPSGT, both of Port Jefferson, NY, and Karen Allen, RPSGT, of Billings, Montana. In the second photo, Meir Kryger, MD, left, converses with Leon Rosenthal, MD.

HBO Features Drs. Dement, Rosekind, Simon, Speilman, Kayumov in Documentary “Wide Awake”

You won’t want to miss several Sleep Community luminaries in Wide Awake: Portrait Of An Artist As Insomniac, an HBO Documentary that premieres Wednesday, May 23 at 8pm Eastern Time, with a special "Insomniac Premiere" on Tuesday, May 22 at 1:30am. Eastern Time.

Wide Awake is a brutally honest self-portrait of a sleep-deprived and sleep-obsessed night-owl filmmaker, Alan Berliner's personal tour through a lifelong obsession with insomnia. In the spirit of his acclaimed personal documentary films, Berliner once again uses his own life as a laboratory, this time to illuminate how a restless mind that won't shut down at night leaves him feeling "jet lagged in my own time zone."

Among the experts who share their knowledge in Wide Awake are: William C. Dement, MD, PhD, Director, Sleep Disorder Clinic and Research Center at Stanford University; Leonid Kayumov, PhD, Director, Sleep Neuropsychiatry Institute at the University of Toronto; Mark Rosekind, PhD, President & Chief Scientist, Alertness Solutions; Richard D. Simon Jr., MD, Medical Director, Kathryn Severyns Dement Sleep Disorders Center; and Art Spielman, PhD, Associate Director, Center for Sleep Medicine, Weill Medical College at NY Presbyterian Hospital- Cornell University.

A brilliantly edited blend of the hilarious and deeply personal, Wide Awake weaves hundreds of archival film clips, consultations with sleep specialists, an overnight stay at a sleep lab, conversations with family members, home movies, dream visualizations, and behind the scenes footage of the film being made. Torn between the creative passion he derives from the night, and the emotional tugs of love and family life, only the birth of his first child can get Berliner to “consider joining the day shift.”

Wide Awake received its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and its international premiere at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. Berliner's previous films include The Sweetest Sound (2001), Nobody's Business (1996), Intimate Stranger (1991) and The Family Album (1986). You can own the film for $24.98 by visiting the HBO Store. A preview of the 90-minute film Wide Awake may be viewed at the Edinburgh International Film Festival site.

Be well, Sleep well,
Theresa

Dr. Mark Rosekind: New Podcast Available

· New Podcast with former NASA Scientist Dr. Mark Rosekind

· 'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons

· Veteran sleep tech in the news ‘restoring sweet dreams’

· SESW Conference in Virginia Beach this week

· ASAA NewZzzz
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New Podcast with Dr. Mark Rosekind

Dr. Mark Rosekind discusses sleep tech fatigue and alertness issues, and his very interesting career as a former NASA sleep specialist. To listen to past guests on the podcasts, go to the archive section of Let's Talk Sleep by Sleepmate Radio.

Archived Podcasts Include Guests:

Mike Bederka
Kellie Scarrow
Graduating Class from somniSchool
Lena Kauffman
Ron Sherman and Sharon Kline
Terry Malloy
Dr. Michael Breus
Patrick Sorenson
Colleen Bazzani
Dave Hargett
Dr. Meir Kryger
Richard Gelula
Dr. Carlos Schenck


Dr. Mark R. Rosekind is the President and Chief Scientist of Alertness Solutions. He is internationally recognized for translating scientific knowledge on sleep, circadian factors, human fatigue, performance, and alertness into practical strategies that improve safety and productivity in our 24-hr society. For over 20 years, Dr. Rosekind’s research, publications, presentations, and practical applications have led to many significant changes in real-world settings. These accomplishments have been recognized through honors and awards that include the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, a Flight Safety Foundation Presidential Citation for “Outstanding Achievement in Safety Leadership,” and a NASA Group Achievement Award. In 1999, Dr. Rosekind was a Fellow at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the recipient of the Business Aviation Meritorious Award presented by the Flight Safety Foundation.


'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons

A news report from London says that where sleep is concerned, most British workers are losing two and a half years of sleep over the course of their career.


Veteran Sleep Tech in the News ‘Restoring Sweet Dreams’

Longtime sleep technologist Tish (Galloway) Pitcherello, RPSGT of St. Francis Medical Center Sleep Center in Trenton, New Jersey is featured in a Trenton Times article titled “Restoring sweet dreams” The article is a public-oriented feature story about sleep disorders and the services provided at St. Francis. Tish said in the article that when she deals with pediatric patients, sometimes she puts electrodes on teddy bears and dolls to help her young patients feel less anxious about the sleep study. Also included in the article is Dr. Marc M. Seelagy, board- certified sleep physician and medical director of St. Francis's program


BA flight is delayed for 13hrs so pilot can sleep

Passengers on a British Airways (BA) flight from New Delhi to London recently faced a 13-hour delay - because the pilot felt he was too sleepy after a noisy night in a New Delhi hotel.
Angry passengers were offloaded from the plane after the pilot refused to fly until he caught up with his sleep.
"The crew had not had enough rest ... the entire crew had a disturbed night," said Radhika Raikhy, spokeswoman for BA. She said the airline's safety rules do not allow its crew to operate in such conditions. advertisement
It was reported the flight and cabin crew complained of not getting enough rest because their hotel was too noisy. The flight, BA 142, finally took off 13 hours later, to the fury of passengers who were sent to city hotels to wait out the delay as the crew rested. One passenger, Sunil Thapar, said: "It was very chaotic. Due to a shortage of rooms, some people, including me, had to share rooms with strangers."


Southeast/Southwest Regional Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (SESW RAPT) 25th Annual Meeting This Week:

SESW RAPT 2007, Virginia Beach, VA, USA, May 3-7
25th Annual Meeting. Sheraton Oceanfront "Mr. Sandman Bring Me A Dream"See the 2007 Meeting page for more info.

ATS 2007, San Francisco, CA, USA, May 20-22

KSS 2007, Bowling Green, KY, USA, May 31-June 1

Movement Disorders Society 2007 Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, June 3-7

Sleep 2007 (APSS), Minneapolis, MN, USA, Jun 9-14

New England Polysomnographic Society (NEPS) 5th Annual Meeting August 23 - 24, 2007. Portsmouth, NH at the Frank Jones Center, 400 Us Highway 1 Bypass, 03801. For more information, visit the NEPS Web site or email: info@nepolysomnographic.org . An online registration will soon be available, and information posted on the Let’s Talk Sleep blog.

Current Concepts in Sleep 2007, Tampa, FL, USA, Aug. 31-Sept. 1

worldsleep07, Carins, QLD, Australia, Sept. 2-6

Montana Regional Sleep Seminar 2007 at St. Vincent Healthcare, Billings, MT, USA, Sept. 6-8 Hosted by The Sleep Center at St. Vincent Healthcare at the Mansfield Health Education Center. Also presented will be a full day Technologist Review Course. AARC CRCE and AAST CEC applications will be submitted. Registration fee ($75) includes 3 day conference, exhibits, continuing education credits, break refreshments, continental breakfasts and lunches. For more information, contact Karen Y. Allen, CRT, RPSGT at karen.allen@svh-mt.org or call toll free (866) 4 SNORES.

2007 BSS 19th Annual Scientific Meeting, Cambridge, UK, Sep. 23-25

XII Congreso Panamerricano de Neurologia 2007, Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic, Oct. 7-11

Narcolepsy Association UK (UKAN) 2007 Annual Conference, Altrincham, Cheshire, UK, Oct. 13

ESRS 2008, Glasgow, Scotland, Sep. 9-13


Japanese Film Festival: The Bad Sleep Well

Visit The Stanford Daily for a review by Marco Hernandez on the film featured by the Japanese Film Festival titled The Bad Sleep Well. Hernandez recommends that it is “definitely not a film that puts viewers to sleep.”

NAPS Abstract of the Week

Does sleep quality predict pain-related disability in chronic pain patients? The mediating roles of depression and pain severity.

NAUGHTON F, ASHWORTH P, SKEVINGTON SM.
Pain 2007;127(3):243-52. Department of Psychology, University of Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. fmen2@medschl.cam.ac.uk

Abstract

Disrupted sleep has long been associated with physical functioning and disability in chronic pain populations and recent research shows that patterns of sleep and rest can predict physical disability, independent of depression and pain levels in this group. However, it is unknown whether sleep quality may independently predict disability in this way. The aim of the present study was to examine the self-reported relationship between sleep and disability in 155 chronic pain patients attending a pain management service. The sample had an average age of 52.9 years and 69% were female with mean pain duration of 10.5 years. Disrupted sleep and rest patterns and poor sleep quality were positively correlated with depression and pain-related disability. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sleep quality did not predict pain-related disability when depression and pain severity were taken into consideration. Separate mediation analyses of depression and pain severity revealed that both variables were important partial mediators of the relationship between sleep quality and disability. Depression was found to be a stronger mediator than pain severity. These findings highlight the important role of sleep in chronic pain suffering. However, due to the cross sectional nature of this study, the mediation pathways proposed require testing by further research adopting a prospective design. Ideally, future research should evaluate whether targeted interventions to improve sleep can reduce pain severity, depression and ultimately, pain-related disability.


ASAA NewZzzz

The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) has had a recent flurry of activity, according to ASAA Executive Director Edward Grandi. The ASAA recently launched the Apnea Advocacy Action Program. This is a grassroots advocacy program for apnea patients and their families. Since announcing the first call to action on March 15 – securing additional funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for data collection on sleep and sleep disorders – 126 messages were sent to Congress through ASAA, and the organization has 24 subscribers who are interested in helping on the next important issue. You can access the Legislative Action Center from www.sleepapnea.org/advocacy. I would encourage you to let others in your sleep center know about this important resource.

Mr. Grandi wrote an article for the May issue of Future Healthcare , about the role of patient
education and support for improved CPAP therapy adherence in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Mr. Grandi recently met with Dr. Nancy Collop the director of Sleep Disorder Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) about ASAA developing a disease management program for sleep apnea. JHU has well established disease management program for other respiratory disorders.

Finally, the Indigent Patient Program, renamed CPAP Assistance Program (CAP) was formally to our A.W.A.K.E. coordinators announced in April. The initial response was very favorable. We are in the process of finalizing the guidelines for participation in the program. The first group of machines likely to be shipped by mid-May.

Be well, Sleep well,

Theresa

DeVilbiss Webinars This Week

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you have expressed interest in attending the DeVilbiss 2007 Sleep and Respiratory and Workshops. We are offering four live workshops this week that you are able to access from the comfort of your home or office. All you need is an Internet connection, an email address and a telephone to join these sessions. There is no fee for the Webinars.


Webinars will be offered throughout the year by DeVilbiss. You can receive up to 10 CRCEs through the AARC and up to 4 CECs through AAST. Sleep topics are eligible for both AARC and AAST credits.

PLEASE NOTE: THE TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE MOUNTAIN TIME.

Please click on each link below to register for each workshop that you are interested in attending:


Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Practical Aspects of Oxygen Conserving Devices

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/386854534 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/386854534>



Ambulatory Oxygen Via Transfilling Technology According to GOLD and LTOT

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/731612662 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/731612662>



Wednesday, April 25, 2007

How to Start an OSA Patient Education Program in Your Sleep Lab

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/219987020 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/219987020>


Tips and Techniques for Helping Patients Live with Supplemental Oxygen

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/617904237 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/617904237>



For any technical questions regarding the registration process, please contact webmaster@sunmed.com


Thank You,

The DeVilbiss Clinical Education Team