Thought Leaders Articles
Updates from the AASM president and other leaders in the organization
Last month I wrote about Don, a sleep apnea patient whose experience emphasized the need to improve care coordination and patient access to knowledgeable sleep experts. Today I share with you the story of another patient who opened my eyes to a potential gap in care that can be rectified by simply asking the right questions.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler describes how the AASM and sleep specialists can increase joy in sleep medicine by working together to improve systems of care, increasing the quality of patient care, and continuing to nurture the field of sleep medicine.
At the July meeting of the Board of Directors, we reviewed participant and faculty feedback from the AASM’s sixth Young Investigator Research Forum, which was chaired by Sanjay Patel, MD, and held this past April in Bethesda, Maryland. I am pleased to report that the forum was a resounding success.
An excerpt from AASM President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler’s address to the membership at the AASM General Membership Meeting on Monday, June 2, at SLEEP 2014 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
The AASM’s Seniors Sleep Campaign took a major step forward this week when a sleep apnea screening bill was introduced May 21 in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, R–Texas, who is a physician and co-chair of the Congressional Health Caucus. Now we need AASM members to help move the bipartisan legislation forward by signing the Seniors Sleep Pledge.
As you finalize your plans to attend SLEEP 2014, we encourage you to register for the Pizza with a Purpose Welcome Reception, which will include special recognition of Dr. Thomas Roth for his many contributions to the development of the AASM, SRS and APSS.
Just two weeks remain for you to take advantage of advanced registration discounts for SLEEP 2014, the 28th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS). I encourage you to meet me in Minneapolis for the premier event in the sleep field, which will keep you on the cutting edge of the clinical practice of sleep medicine.
With less than one week remaining in the 2014 AASM Leadership Election cycle, I encourage you to participate in this vital process by casting your vote today.
As a physician scientist, I recognize that sleep science is foundational to the AASM mission of improving sleep health and promoting high quality patient centered care. I believe that the clinical practice of sleep medicine always will be guided by scientific discovery.
Your support helps the AASM continue the important initiatives that will make a lasting impact on the field of sleep medicine. Currently the AASM is finalizing The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition; developing quality measures for several of the most common sleep disorders; advocating for a Stark Law exception for sleep specialists; partnering with the CDC and Sleep Research Society to promote healthy sleep; and much more.