Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 07:15 PM

Marshall Sleep Disorders Center Achieves Five Year Accreditation Status

Marshall Sleep Disorders Center met all requirements and has renewed its accreditation with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) was established in 1975, and is the only professional society dedicated exclusively to sleep medicine. Marshall Sleep Disorders Center is one of 11,000 AASM accredited sleep centers in the United States. Every five years, Marshall Sleep Disorders Center reapplies for accreditation, and AASM releases a host of guidelines the sleep center and its employees must follow to achieve the accreditation.

“It’s very extensive,” Amy Sampson, RPSGT, CCSH, Director at Marshall Sleep Disorders Center said. “It takes months to get everything in place because things in the sleep world are always changing.”

Along with the paperwork and continuing education requirements, AASM sends someone with their quality assurance team to make site visits to ensure proper facility conditions.

Once achieved, the accreditation is creditable for five years. Major changes, such as alteration in leadership or a location change could retrigger a revisit.

“Having an accredited sleep center in our area is so important,” Sampson said. “Our patients receive the best quality care and having it right here in our area is vital.”

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health, but the CDC says about 35% of adults fail to meet that goal.

“Sleep is just as important to a person’s health as diet and exercise,” Sampson said.

According to Sampson, there are 84 known sleep disorders, with sleep apnea being the most common. AASM reported over 30 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea. Samson said continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP is the most common therapy to treat sleep apnea, but Marshall Sleep Disorders Center began offering a new device to a few of their apnea patients in February 2020.

Inspire Therapy, an implantable oral device, positions the patient’s tongue forward, which helps open up the airways during sleep. Currently, Marshall Sleep Disorders Center has implanted 65 devices in patients deemed to have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.

“Not everyone qualifies for it,” Sampson said. “There are limitations with the device… It’s definitely a process, but we have seen this device become very successful.”

Sampson hopes everyone begins to examine their own sleep patterns and to always remember quality sleep outweighs the quantity of hours.

“Improving the quality of sleep helps everything in your body,” she said. “You will notice a difference.”