UM Shore Regional Health Sleep Disorders Centers Receive Program Accreditation from American Academy of Sleep Medicine
The University of Maryland Shore Regional Sleep Disorders Centers’ team recently celebrated the reaccreditation of Sleep Disorders Centers at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, at UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester and UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown. Lyndsey Feather, Manager, Cardiopulmonary Services; Stephen Eisemann, Director, Cardiopulmonary Services; M. Walid Kamsheh, MD, Medical Director, Regional Sleep Disorders Center; Douglas Rousseau, Lead Technologist; Kimberly Breeding, Sleep Lab Administrator; Irene Hansen, Polysomnographic Technologist; and Lori Bratten, Sleep Lab Assistant.
The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health Sleep Disorders Center at UM Shore Medical Center in Easton recently received program reaccreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Both the Sleep Disorders Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester and at UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown also received program reaccreditation, in December 2020. All three programs have been reaccredited for five years.
As the national accrediting body for sleep disorders centers, the AASM is dedicated to setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research. To receive accreditation for a five-year period, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM. These standards address core areas such as personnel, facility and equipment, policies and procedures, data acquisition, patient care, and quality assurance. Additionally, the sleep center's goals must be clearly stated and include plans for positively affecting the quality of medical care in the community it serves.
UM Shore Regional Health's sleep medicine program includes two in-lab locations (one in Easton and one in Queenstown) and two home sleep testing setup centers, one in Chestertown and one in the new UM Shore Regional Health at Cambridge opening in September 2021. Serving as an important resource for patients and medical providers in the five-county region served by UM Shore Regional Health, the sleep centers provide high-quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders.
"This achievement is a testament to the dedication and patient-focused work of our entire team," said M. Walid Kamsheh, MD, Medical Director of the UM SRH Regional Sleep Disorders Center. "This is a true team effort at every level, including sleep lab office staff, technical staff, managers and the staff and providers in UM Shore Medical Group practices in Neurology and Sleep Medicine and Pulmonary Care offices. Accreditation of our Sleep Center locations lets patients know that these are state-of-the-art facilities operating in accordance with the highest standards."
In addition to Dr. Kamsheh, pulmonologist Peyman Otmishi, MD specializes in sleep disorders, including insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, sleepwalking and snoring. They are supported by other physicians and advanced practice providers in Pulmonology and Neurology and Sleep Medicine, as well as sleep center technologists and support staff.
Sleep disorders and deprivation are more than just annoying – they're known to contribute to many serious health problems, including obesity, depression, and even heart attacks and strokes. Approximately 1,500 patients receive testing and/or treatment for sleep disorders each year at UM SRH Regional Sleep Disorders Center locations in Cambridge, Chestertown, Easton and Queenstown.
To learn more, talk to your primary care physician about a referral or call UM Shore Medical Group-Neurology and Sleep Medicine at 410-770-5250, or visit www.umshoreregional.org and search for sleep.