JAMESTOWN – WCA Hospital officials are pleased to announce that the WCA Hospital Sleep Center has been awarded a five-year term of reaccreditation in Sleep Medicine as the result of a recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

The WCA Hospital Sleep Center is the only sleep center to be designated an accredited sleep center in Jamestown, New York. To receive accreditation, WCA met or exceeded all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine officials congratulated the WCA Hospital Sleep Center on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as a sleep disorders center stating that the Center is a significant resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine currently accredits nearly 12,000 sleep medicine centers and laboratories across the country and is the national accrediting body for sleep disorders and labs, dedicated to setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research.

“Our sleep center program is a very valuable resource in our community,” said Betsy T. Wright, FACHE, WCA Hospital president/ CEO. “Accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine inspires a high level of confidence for our patients, referring physicians and managed care organizations and assures patients that only the highest level of quality of care is being provided at WCA.”

To receive a five-year accreditation, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM. The accreditation process involves detailed inspection of a center’s facility and staff, including an evaluation of testing procedures, patient contact, and physician training. Additionally, the facility’s goals must be clearly stated and include plans for positively affecting the quality of medical care in the community it serves.

“Our accreditation represents the pinnacle of quality and the tremendous effort on the part of the staff that made this major accomplishment possible,” said Frank Arnal, MD, FCCP, board certified in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, medical director of the WCA Hospital Sleep Center. “We are extremely proud of this achievement.”

Rockland Milne, FACHE RRT, RPSGT, director of WCA Hospital Sleep Center, credits the dedicated and caring staff with the program’s ability to rank among the elite providers nationally.

“We just keep getting better,” Rockland said. “Since opening our doors in 2004, we have really grown in our capacity to serve our patients. We have expanded our Sleep Center three times over the last ten years which has increased our size from two-beds to our current eight-bed capacity. Our gold standard accreditation is the national benchmark that reflects our commitment to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality of care and proficiency in testing procedures and policies, patient safety, follow-up evaluation, and physician and staff expertise. This is truly an honor we can all be very proud of.”

The Association of Sleep Disorders Centers, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is the only professional society that is dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine. As the leading voice in the field of sleep medicine, the AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in health care, education and research.

The WCA Hospital Sleep Center, located on the third floor of WCA Hospital on Foote Avenue, Jamestown, serves patients 5 and older and treats sleep disorders including insomnia, disruptive snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and movement disorders in sleep. Referring physicians receive detailed reports and follow-up treatment. The staff at the WCA Hospital Center includes a board certified physician in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine; a clinical professional team of registered polysomnography technologists and respiratory therapists; and support team who specialized in sleep disorders.

To schedule a sleep study at the WCA Sleep Center, call 664-8430. To learn more about the WCA Hospital Sleep Center, visit wcahospital.org/sleepcenter.php.

About AASM

Headquartered in Darien, IL, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is the only professional society dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine. As the leading voice in the sleep field, the AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in health care, education and research. Established in 1975 as the Association of Sleep Disorders Centers, the AASM has a combined membership of nearly 12,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals.

From insomnia to sleep apnea, the AASM considers sleep disorders an illness that has reached epidemic proportions. Board-certified sleep medicine physicians in an AASM-accredited sleep center provide effective treatment. AASM encourages patients to talk to their doctors about sleep problems or visit www.sleepeducation.com for a searchable directory of sleep centers.