News Release

UPMC NORTHWEST SLEEP CENTER EARNS ACCREDITATION

Jan. 4, 2005 — UPMC Northwest’s Sleep Center has earned accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

The Sleep Center’s state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment capabilities, exceptionally well-credentialed staff, and team approach to care make it one of the premier facilities of its kind in western Pennsylvania, and its first accreditation “affirms UPMC Northwest as a center of excellence in sleep medicine,” says Sleep Center medical director Teresa Bisnett, MD.

“The AASM congratulates The Sleep Center at UPMC Northwest on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as a sleep disorder center,” says AASM president Michael J. Sateia, MD. “The center is a significant resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality of care for patients suffering from sleep disorders.”

The Sleep Center is one of only a few sleep medicine facilities in western Pennsylvania to achieve AASM accreditation. The five-year accreditation extends until late 2009.

“We’re very honored to achieve accreditation, but this isn’t the end of what we want to accomplish,” Dr. Bisnett says. “We’re always seeking to take our capabilities to the next level and to enhance care for patients with sleep problems.
Treating these disorders and helping patients get a good night’s sleep can make a tremendous difference for them, and that’s what we’re about.”

What distinguishes the Sleep Center from other sleep medicine programs in the region? Leading edge capabilities like the Respiratrace System, which measures respiratory effort during sleep, according to Routine Diagnostic Center manager Chuck Kimball. Respiratrace – used in sleep research centers worldwide – provides information that is needed to accurately diagnose a sleep disorder.

Another distinguishing quality is The Sleep Center’s well-credentialed patient care team. Among the six team members are two board certified specialists in sleep medicine (Dr. Bisnett and Dixie Harris, MD) and two registered polysomnographers (Jan McFarland and Barb White) who assist in evaluating patients with sleep disorders.

Teaming up against sleep problems also differentiates The Sleep Center. A multi-specialty team with representatives from several branches of medicine – including neurology, ENT (ear, nose, and throat), psychiatry, cardiology, and dentistry – helps diagnose and treat sleep disorders.

To achieve accreditation, The Sleep Center had to meet or exceed the AASM’s quality standards in every aspect of its operations including facilities, equipment, staff qualifications, management, testing procedures, staff and community education, patient contacts, goals, and quality assurance.

The four-bed Sleep Center is in the West Unit at UPMC Northwest’s Franklin campus. Since opening in 1999, the center has provided care for more than 1,800 patients, and there continues to be significant demand for its services, Kimball says.

Persons who experience frequent sleeplessness or poor quality sleep may benefit from a sleep evaluation, according to Dr. Bisnett, who encourages sleep-deprived individuals to “talk with your doctor and find out whether an evaluation would be helpful.”

Here are some keys to getting a good night’s sleep

Here’s some advice from Dr. Bisnett to help you get a good night’s rest:

• Keep a regular bedtime and wake-up time every day.
• Avoid naps except for 10 to 15 minutes at midday.
• Get regular cardiovascular exercise, preferably several hours before bedtime.
• Take a hot bath for 30 minutes within two hours of going to bed; a hot drink also might help you relax.
• Don’t smoke after 7 pm, or better still, quit smoking.
• Limit your intake of caffeine and alcoholic beverages.

“There’s much more you can do, but these are some of the basics,” the doctor says.