New Sleep Medicine Space at Children’s National Features Greater Flexibility and Technology
May 31, 2013
Washington, DC— Today, Children’s National Medical Center opened a new space for the Division of Sleep Medicine that features new rooms, equipment, technology, and clinical capabilities. Previously the clinic and sleep lab spaces were located in two different areas of the Sheikh Zayed Campus, the new Sleep Medicine space will now serve a dual purpose as being a clinic space during the day with exam rooms that can then turn into the sleep lab at night.
“Having one area where the entire Sleep Medicine team provides not only a better environment for patients, families and staff but, more importantly, allows for improved clinical coordination and care,” said Judith A. Owens, MD, MPH, Director of Sleep Medicine. “Our new state-of-the art equipment will allow us to make diagnoses faster and more accurate.”
Children’s National provides the only dedicated pediatric sleep program in the Washington, DC, area and is one of only a few pediatric hospitals in the world to have four American Board of Sleep Medicine-certified sleep specialists. The multidisciplinary team helps patients with all varieties of sleep problems, including insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, behavioral problems related to sleep disruption, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Left untreated, children with sleeping disorders may have related health problems as adults. The team works closely with colleagues throughout the organization to evaluate and treat sleep disorders affecting infants, children, and adolescents.
“This is a dramatic step forward in improving the care of children with sleep disorders,” said Gerard Martin, MD, Senior Vice President of the Center for Heart, Lung and Kidney Disease. “Specifically, this facility provides the best equipment available anywhere and opens a new era of innovation for Sleep Medicine at Children’s National.”
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Contact: Emily Hartman or Paula Darte, 202-476-4500
About Children's National Health System
Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is one of the nation’s Top 5 pediatric hospitals and, for a second straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded pediatric institution in the nation. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.
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