This issue of Montage features articles focused on strategies to improve patient access to care in the field of sleep medicine. Millions of people in the U.S. have a sleep disorder, so developing new ways to reach untreated patients is of vital importance.
From embedding a sleep center within a cancer center to improving access to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, AASM members are taking the initiative to expand the boundaries of the sleep field. Members are also volunteering their time to travel to conventions, festivals, and forums to speak with the public about healthy sleep awareness.
We thank our members for promoting high quality, patient-centered care in and out of their place of work, and we hope the stories within this issue will inspire you to find creative ways to expand patient access to your expertise.
The Montage Team
Celebrating 30 years of membership!
Adam Moscovitch MD, FAASM
Donald G Dimcheff MD, FAASM
Frisca L Yan-Go MD, FAASM
Louis S Libby MD, FAASM
Meeta Goswami PhD
Susan Redline MD
Congratulations to our new AASM Fellows!
Sean Hesselbacher MD, FAASM
Featured Fellow
What inspired you to apply to be an AASM Fellow?
Most of my professional career to this point has been dedicated to sleep medicine, from serving as the medical director of an AASM-accredited sleep center to becoming the primary sleep provider at the Hampton VA Medical Center. In recent years, I have gotten more involved in sleep medicine education at Eastern Virginia Medical School; additionally, I have worked to become active in state and national sleep societies, including the Virginia Academy of Sleep Medicine and the AASM. Achieving the status of AASM Fellow is not only an honor, but also exemplifies my commitment to sleep medicine. I hope the FAASM designation will help me to open more doors into making future contributions to the sleep medicine community.
What is the most important takeaway from your published article on “Sleep habits of elementary and middle school children?”
This project arose from the local It’s Your Life Foundation in Corpus Christi, TX, where several of my co-authors are involved. The foundation develops educational programs for children in the community; one of the focus areas being healthy sleep habits for teens. Part of the process of developing an educational program was to assess the current state of sleep habits in teens and children by having them complete a survey. When we compared responses from elementary and middle school children, we found that both groups had significant sleep difficulties, though not necessarily the same types of problems: middle school students appeared more likely to adhere to traditional measures of sleep hygiene, such as consistent bedtime and location. However, the middle school students reported more disobedient behaviors, like fighting with their parents over going to bed. So, while the overarching goal of this project is to educate teenagers about healthy sleep habits, it is apparent from these answers that interventions targeted to a younger age would also be useful.
Sean Hesselbacher MD, FAASM
This content was published in the Summer 2018 issue of Montage, the official membership publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). To read more content from this issue, click the button below!
