St. Vincent's Manhattan Opens New Sleep Center
04/21/2006
Media Contact: Maura Duffy, (212) 604-2675
New York, NY, January 10, 2006 - St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan announced the opening of its Sleep Disorders Center (SDC) for the diagnosis and treatment of people suffering with sleep disorders. The SDC at St. Vincent's was developed in partnership with Sleep Services of America, a leading sleep diagnostic provider in the United States.
'Sometimes, a sleepless night is more than a nuisance - it can be a threat to one's overall health,' said Len Walsh, Executive Director of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan. 'Many times, sleep disorders go undiagnosed, resulting in lost productivity, depression and other health effects. The SDC offers proven diagnostic methods and comprehensive treatment for these conditions. New Yorkers who suffer from sleep disorders can truly now rest easy.'
An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, a serious breathing disorder that causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, resulting in lower blood oxygen levels. After a few seconds, the brain sends signals to the lungs to breathe - a breath that often wakes the individual. This sequence may repeat itself throughout the night, preventing a deep, sound sleep cycle.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, depression, irritability and falling asleep at work or school. Overweight and obese individuals are more prone to sleep apnea, which can also lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. If left untreated, patients are three times more likely to have automobile accidents. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 80% of the population has an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
People who believe that they have a sleeping disorder need to be referred to the SDC by their physician. Patients are then scheduled for an overnight stay in a comfortable, modern room with amenities. A technician monitors heart rhythm, brainwaves and airflow. A full report, with physician interpretation, is then sent to the referring physician or the patient's primary care physician within 48 to 72 hours.
If the patient is diagnosed with a sleep disorder, he or she then returns to the hospital for a second exam for a titration study to help determine the type of treatment needed. (The most common treatment is called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, which prevents the airway from collapsing during sleep and cutting off breathing.)
The Sleep Disorder Center at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan is open to residents in the New York City metropolitan area (including Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and upstate New York), with a doctor's referral. SDC staff handles all paperwork for patients before testing, including pre-certification with most medical insurance carriers. For more information about the Sleep Disorder Center, individuals may call (800) 540-4485.
About SVCMC
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers is one of the New York metropolitan area's most comprehensive health care systems, serving nearly 600,000 people annually. SVCMC was established in 2000 as a result of the merger of Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens, Saint Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York and Sisters of Charity Healthcare in Staten Island. Sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York, SVCMC serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City.
The system includes six hospitals: Mary Immaculate Hospital, Queens; St. John's Queens Hospital; St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan; St. Vincent's Hospital Staten Island; Bayley Seton Hospital, Staten Island; and St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester. Resources include over 2,500 physicians, four skilled nursing facilities, a system-wide home care service, a hospice and over 60 ambulatory care sites which provide a broad array of medical, psychiatric and substance abuse services.
In 2004, SVCMC recorded over 92,000 inpatient discharges, more than 1,100,000 outpatient visits, and 640,000 home care visits. Its emergency rooms, which include three Level 1 trauma centers, received 255,000 visits in that same year, while SVCMC is the largest private provider of EMS services in the New York City Fire Department's 911 service. In 2003, St. Vincent's Midtown (formerly St. Clare's Hospital) became affiliated with the healthcare system.
