Sleep HealthCenters enters agreement with U.S. HealthWorks to provide sleep medicine services

Dec 2 2010

Sleep HealthCenters has entered into an agreement with U.S. HealthWorks to provide sleep medicine services as part of their occupational medicine programs.

Sleep HealthCenters will support U.S. HealthWorks by providing professional sleep apnea education, screening, diagnosis and treatment support.

"With 159 locations throughout the U.S. and growing, U.S. HealthWorks is concerned with protecting the safety and health of today's workers, and the financial health of our clients," said Joe Mallas, executive vice president of operations for U.S. HealthWorks. "We look forward to working with Sleep HealthCenters to offer a sleep program to our employer clients as well as the 10,000 employees we see every day."

Each year, more and more companies are looking to occupational medicine to help maintain the health and safety of their employees. Sleep is one component that can affect an employee's performance in a myriad of ways.

"Healthy sleep is vital to employee wellness and safety," says Lawrence Epstein, chief medical officer of Sleep HealthCenters, based in Brighton, Massachusetts. "When an employee is not getting the proper amount of sleep, his health may be affected to the point where he is more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, work-related accidents and car crashes."

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has publicly announced a focus on fatigue in commercial drivers, specifically addressing the potential impact of sleep apnea. Regulations surrounding these issues are possible.

"Sleep HealthCenters' proactive sleep program screens, diagnoses and treats employees for sleep disorders," states Paul S. Valentine, president and chief executive officer of Sleep HealthCenters. "We are able to provide national geographic coverage by working with a network of affiliated accredited sleep centers, currently numbering over 200. Our PAPCenter compliance system provides tracking and support customized to the individual, while also offering the ability to measure results confidentially for groups and subgroups."