Featured Speakers

Agenda

Introduction	9:45 AM
Strengthening Your Sleep Center Workforce	11:45 AM
Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM

Christopher R. Hope, MD, MHA, FAASM, is board-certified in sleep medicine and psychiatry, and serves as the medical director of the East Alabama Health Sleep Health Center in Opelika, Alabama, and is associate professor at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn Campus. He has particular interest in quality improvement methods in sleep medicine, issues in sleep center management, and workforce development of the sleep team. He currently serves as chair of the AASM sleep technologist and respiratory therapist education committee, and is course director of the AASM A-STEP CCSH course, as well as a gold-standard panelist for the AASM’s adult Inter-scorer reliability program. His healthcare career began as a sleep technologist and earned his RPSGT credential in 2003.

Agenda

Introduction	9:45 AM
Building Your Sleep Medicine Practice for Success	10:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM

Sarah Patel, MD, is the founder and medical director of Sonoran Sleep Center in Glendale, AZ, established in 2020. She specializes in treating complex sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy, with a focus on optimizing CPAP therapy. Dr. Patel is the Practice Management Co-Chair and serves on the AASM Coding Committee. She formerly chaired the Early Career Physician’s Assembly and currently serves as Early Career Director for the Arizona Medical Association, where she advocates for early career physicians in policy and professional development.

Agenda

Redesigning Your Practice to Save Time and Reduce Administrative Burden	10:45 AM

Jill Jin is a general internist and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a Senior Physician Advisor for Professional Satisfaction & Practice Sustainability at the American Medical Association, and an associate editor for JAMA. Since 2016, Dr Jin has worked with the AMA in combating physician burnout by changing organizational culture and redesigning practice workflows for both patient care and EHR work. She has worked directly with organizations from all over the country on these initiatives, and has been central in developing the comprehensive collection of AMA STEPS Forward™ resources on combating physician burnout.

Agenda

Understanding the New Service-Based Accreditation Model	12:30 PM
Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM

Ray Anthonijsz is the Director of Accreditation at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, where he has served for nine years.

Agenda

Meeting the Moment: Integrating Behavioral Sleep Medicine with Sleep Centers	2:00 PM
Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM

Dr. Richard (Rick) Blackburn is a licensed psychologist in MN and WI and has been exclusively practicing Behavioral Sleep Medicine since 2011. He currently serves as the director of behavioral sleep medicine at Nystrom & Associates and is one of fifteen fellows of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine for outstanding contributions to the field. He holds diplomate status through the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine and was certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the former American Board of Sleep Medicine. He is active in training new clinicians and has a strong interest in integrating sleep therapy in multiple settings such as primary care, behavioral health, and sleep centers. He remains active in efforts to advance the field and is entering his third term on the board of directors for the Society of Behavioral Sleep medicine.

Agenda

Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM
Optimizing Your Home Sleep Apnea Test Program	4:00 PM

Sarah is an RPSGT Sleep professional with over 15 years’ experience working within the Sleep Medicine space. She is the Director of Operations for Sleep and Durable Medical Equipment at Northwestern Medicine. She holds an MBA degree in Business Administration. Sarah is an active volunteer with the AAST and currently serves on the AAST Board of Directors. She is a board liaison for the Education committee. Sarah is also a committee volunteer for Youth Leadership Greater Mchenry County Healthcare Chapter.

Agenda

Panel Discussion: Dawn or Dusk – The Dualities of Practice Management Challenges	2:45 PM
Maximizing Reimbursement in Sleep Medicine	4:45 PM

Dr. De Bruin is a Professor of Neurology and Executive Vice Chair at Washington University in St. Louis. She practices adult sleep medicine, addressing the range of sleep disorders and interpreting sleep studies. Dr. De Bruin served for five years as a member and Vice Chair of the Coding and Compliance Committee for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and she currently serves on the Coding and Payment Committee for the American Academy of Neurology.

Agenda

Developing a Successful Durable Medical Equipment Program	45-Minutes

Brandon Butters MBA, BSRT, RRT, RPSGT holds a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care from the University of Arkansas for Medical Science and an MBA from the University of Iowa. Brandon has spent the last 6 years in the DME industry as one of the Directors of Branch Operations for NuCara Home Medical. Prior to NuCara, he spent 17 years in sleep diagnostics with various sleep labs. Brandon currently serves on two Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services (MAMES) committees; as chair of the Legislative Committee and member of the Regulatory Committee. Additionally, he is a Board Member and the Immediate Past President of the Iowa Sleep Society. Brandon has served on the AAST Education Product Committee.

Agenda

Inter-Scorer Reliability: A Vital Sign for the Modern Sleep Center (On-Demand)	45-Minutes

Matthew Anastasi, RPSGT, FAAST, is Sleep Team Resources Manager at the AASM which includes roles as staff liaison for the AI in Sleep Medicine Committee, product owner for the Autoscoring Certification Program, and project manager for the Sleep ISR inter-scorer reliability program. He began his Sleep career as a registered research technologist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Chronobiology and Sleep Institute. Later, he served as a clinical manager at medical-school wide hospitals including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Throughout his career, Matt’s goal is to help transform healthcare delivery and its knowledge underpinnings, and is currently focused on providing clinical management support, workforce development, and guidance on Artificial Intelligence to AASM members.

Agenda

Tips for a Successful Accreditation Site Visit (On-Demand)	45-Minutes

Dr. Michael Neeb is a Clinical Psychologist with specialization in sleep medicine for the past 40 years. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Dr. Neeb served as Regional Director of Sleep Services for Mercy Health in Toledo, OH, Co-Director of the Children’s Sleep Program at Mercy Children’s Hospital, and Founder and Faculty of the Mercy College Sleep Technology Program. He is also a Certified ACRP Principal Investigator for sleep-related clinical trials.

Dr. Neeb graduated from the University of Delaware, with an internship in Behavioral Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He currently serves as an AASM Site Visitor, having completed over 250 visits in the past 3 years.

Agenda

Becoming an Intro to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Accredited Course Provider (On-Demand)	45-Minutes

Toni Mangiarulo serves as the Customer Service Manager for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In her role, Toni provides comprehensive account management and support for both Sleep ISR and the AASM Sleep Team Education Programs (ASTEP). She also oversees and guides AASM-accredited sleep facilities through the accreditation process to become Intro to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Accredited Course Providers, ensuring that educational standards are met for training new Sleep Technologists. With 11 years of experience at AASM, Toni’s expertise in customer service and program management ensures the seamless operation of both Sleep ISR and ASTEP, contributing to the development of the next generation of sleep technologists.

Agenda

Advancing the Sleep Technologist Workforce Through Education: Training, Credentialing, and Beyond (On-Demand)	45-Minutes

Amber Allen has been in the sleep medicine field since 2008 and is currently the Program Director of the CAAHEP-accredited Polysomnographic Technology Program at Collin College in McKinney, TX. Before this, she worked as an RPSGT for the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. Amber is currently the President of the BRPT and serves on the Sleep Technologist and Respiratory Therapist Education Committee for the AASM. She has spoken at numerous international, national, and state sleep medicine conferences. Amber graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Communication and Business Communication at 19 and, in 2021, graduated Summa Cum Laude with an AAS in Cybersecurity. She is currently pursuing an MBA.

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Featured Speakers