As my term as AASM president comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on all that we have accomplished together this year. Across clinical care, education, advocacy, and innovation, your engagement and dedication have helped move our field forward in meaningful ways.
Together, we advanced important initiatives to support both our members and the patients we serve. We submitted a proposal to modernize the home sleep apnea test code set, helping ensure that reimbursement more accurately reflects today’s diagnostic technologies. We launched a focused effort on women’s sleep health, convening a summit to better understand gaps in care and identify priorities that will guide future research, education, and advocacy.
As treatment options continue to evolve, we also expanded our work in obesity management, developing practical guidance for clinicians following the approval of new therapies. At the same time, we continued to look beyond the apnea-hypopnea index, advancing a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach to diagnosing and managing obstructive sleep apnea.
Our commitment to evidence-based care remained strong, with the publication of new clinical practice guidelines addressing central sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing in hospitalized adults, and combination therapy for chronic insomnia. We also marked an exciting new chapter for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine through a publishing partnership that positions it for continued growth and impact.
Advocacy efforts elevated the importance of sleep health at the national level, as we engaged with policymakers, payers, and partner organizations on issues such as research funding, telehealth, reimbursement, and prior authorization. Meanwhile, new resources like PLATO, a patient-reported outcome tool for sleep apnea, and enhancements to AASM Link are helping bring practical, accessible resources directly into your daily practice. We also launched the Full PSG Autoscoring Certification Program, establishing a formal process to evaluate automated scoring systems as these technologies continue to evolve.
It has also been inspiring to see the continued growth of our field, reflected in a record number of physicians matching into sleep medicine fellowship programs this year. This momentum speaks to the strength of our specialty and the importance of supporting the next generation of sleep medicine clinicians.
None of this work happens without you — our members — whose ideas, expertise, and commitment shape everything we do. I am deeply grateful for your contributions, as well as for the dedication of our volunteers, committees, and staff who bring these initiatives to life. For the second consecutive year, we achieved 100% placement of members who volunteered to serve, reflecting strong and sustained engagement across the AASM.
While we can be proud of this progress, there is still important work ahead. I look forward to continuing these conversations with you in person. Please join me at the AASM annual membership meeting at SLEEP 2026 on Monday, June 15, at 10:30 a.m., where we will discuss these initiatives and the future of our field together.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve and for all that you do to advance sleep medicine.
With warm regards,
Anita
Anita V. Shelgikar, MD, MHPE
President
