Hoag Sleep Health Program

Overview

Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute’s Sleep Health Program was among the first centers in Orange County dedicated to studying and treating patients with sleep disorders and has now been serving the community for over the past 20 years.

The Judy & Richard Voltmer Sleep Center at Hoag Health Center Newport Beach has expanded to meet the growing needs of sleep disorders patients throughout the community with Hoag Sleep Center at Hoag Health Center Irvine opening in April 2017. With four private bedrooms to conduct sleep studies, each room is designed to feel like a high-quality hotel. The latest diagnostic equipment from CareFusion meets and exceeds the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines. Sleep patterns can be evaluated throughout the night or day at both sleep centers. Our physicians are sleep medicine specialists that can diagnose and treat various sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder/Restless legs syndrome, and REM sleep behavior disorder. The program also offers a highly effective outpatient behavioral treatment course for insomnia.

Program achievements include accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Team

Hoag Sleep Health Program is led by our Program Director Jose Puangco, M.D. (neurologist), and was joined by Ahmed El-Bershawi, M.D. (pulmonary medicine), in 2017. The program has four additional board-certified sleep physicians giving patients a choice in sleep specialists with varying backgrounds, including critical care, pulmonary, and neurology specialists. Our team of physicians is supported by highly skilled polysomnography technologists.

Adult Sleep Studies

Hoag Sleep Health Program saw 3,110 new patients in consultation, which was a 10% increase from the previous year, and 2,757 returning patients. The clinics performed 730 diagnostic polysomnography studies (PSG), 314 split night PSG studies, 168 PSG studies with a full night dedicated PAP titration (CPAP, BPAP, ASV), 4 PSG studies classified as other (including Oral Appliance Therapy or Inspire Therapy titrations), 17 Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT) and Maintenance Wakefulness Tests (MWT) and 994 home sleep studies, which is a 20% increase from the previous year for all types of sleep testing.

Adult Sleep Studies

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, it is estimated that nearly 30 million adults in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea, which is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of complete or partial upper airway obstruction occurring during sleep. One treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which uses mild levels of air pressure, provided through a mask, to keep the throat open while you sleep.

Along with traditional methods of treating obstructive sleep apnea, the program has adopted new treatment methods. For the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the sleep health program is working in collaboration with local dentists to provide Oral Appliance Therapy. Additionally, Dr. Puangco continues to be the only provider of the Inspire Medical Device in Orange County, giving patients a surgical option for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Total Number of Patients Diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Inspire

Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag is the first in Orange County to offer a new, cutting-edge treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation therapy is the first implantable device for treating OSA. This innovative therapy represents a significant advance in sleep apnea treatment and is life-changing for some of our patients who are unable to use CPAP. Hoag Sleep Health Program initiated Inspire implantation with 4 patients treated in late 2018.

More than 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Depending on the degree of severity, OSA can be a potentially life-threatening condition. Research shows that a person with poorly managed sleep apnea is at increased risk for heart attack, stroke, weight gain, high blood pressure and heart failure. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for sleep apnea; however studies show that roughly half of all patients that start CPAP eventually become non-compliant. A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that hospital readmission rates, for all causes including cardiovascular and pulmonary, in patients with OSA were more than double for those who did not adhere to their CPAP therapy.

Support & Education

As accredited centers through the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Hoag Sleep Health Program offers additional support to our patients. Hoag Sleep Health Program offers patients 1:1 education with one of our experienced technologists. These visits are offered to answer questions and assist patients who do not necessarily require a physician visit. Our technologists saw 889 patients last year to provide the following services: Mask fittings, education, trouble shooting equipment issues, and education. This ensures that our patients feel comfortable using their PAP equipment and remain compliant in doing so.

Quality Assurance

The standards for accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine mandate a rigorous scoring quality assurance program comparing the scoring of registered polysomnographic technologists with a gold standard of board certified sleep physicians with an inter-scorer reliability greater than 85%.

To learn more, visit the Sleep Health Program section or call 949-764-8070.