COLUMBIA, SC -- AUG 21, 2000 -- SleepMed announces the formation of its new Medical Advisory Panel, comprised of distinguished leaders in the field of sleep medicine and chaired by Dr. Richard K. Bogan of Columbia, SC. Joining Dr. Bogan are Dr. Philip M. Becker of Dallas, TX, Dr. June M. Fry of Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Dennis L. Hill of Salisbury, NC, and Dr. Kingman P. Strohl of Cleveland, OH. Bogan explained, "The Panel's mission is to share its vast knowledge and experience by advising SleepMed's senior management team on the science, systems and solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.
Richard K. Bogan, MD, FCCP, Chairman and Chief Medical Officer of SleepMed, is also one of its founders. Bogan is board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care and internal medical. With 25 years of experience in the sleep medicine field, he has built the largest sleep company in the nation and has a recognized reputation for high quality patient care in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. In an effort to improve patient access, he formed Sleep Disorder Centers of America in 1994. He also helped numerous board certified pulmonologists and neurologists establish sleep disorder laboratories in local community hospitals and provided them with training, peer review and support. This turnkey concept was very successful and the company grew to 30 locations in five years.
In December 1999, Sleep Disorder Centers of America and DigiTrace Care Services, Inc. merged to form SleepMed. DigiTrace, founded in 1991, established the nation's leading ambulatory EEG monitoring service. In 1995 its proprietary technology was extended to perform sleep studies in patients' homes and the company also established new sleep labs in partnership with hospitals, physicians and on a standalone basis. Today, SleepMed has over 60 locations in nineteen states and performs an estimated 20,000 sleep studies and 17,000 days of EEG testing each year.
Bogan received his Medical Degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and completed his Residency at the Alabama Hospital and Clinics in Birmingham, and received his Fellowship at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He has served as the medical director for several hospital departments and serves on various business, community and civic boards. As a founding member of the National Sleep Foundation's Pickwick Society, he has dedicated the majority of his medical career to creating standards of excellence in sleep disease management. In addition to operating a Columbia-based four-bed accredited sleep center that serves as their flagship operation and training site, he has been involved in numerous clinical trials.
Philip M. Becker, MD is the president and founding partner of Sleep Medicine Associates of Texas, P.A., located in Dallas. Since 1987, Becker has served as Medical Director for the Sleep Medicine Institute at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and is the Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Receiving his Medical Degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and completing his residency at St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee, WI and in Psychiatry at University Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN, Becker is board certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine.
With over 20 years of experience in sleep disorders, Becker serves as the Treasurer for the American Board of Sleep Medicine, is on the Medical Advisory Board of the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, and is the former chair of the Health Policy Committee for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
June M. Fry, MD, PhD received her Doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and her Medical Degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She completed neurology training at the Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, and a clinical elective in sleep disorders at the Sleep/Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center, New York.
Fry came to the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1981 to start the Sleep Disorders Center which was accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (formerly ASDA) in 1984. With an emphasis on patient care, education and research, the Philadelphia-based Center is distinguished as one of the largest and most outstanding full service sleep disorder centers in the country. Board certified in sleep medicine and neurology, Fry is the Medical Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine in Philadelphia and is recognized for her work in the areas of narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome, as well as sleep disorders in general.
In addition to her professional qualifications, and numerous research publications, Fry is an active member of professional societies. In 1990, Fry was appointed to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research and worked with the other commissioners to prepare a national plan for Congress. From 1993 to 1997 she was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and served as the President in 1995-96.
Dennis L. Hill, MD attended medical school at the University of Southern California and completed his Residency training in neurology at USC/Los Angeles County Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Board certified in sleep medicine, psychiatry and neurology, he has served as a site visitor for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for over 10 years. He chaired the Southeastern Section for the Accreditation Committee for several years and will be completing a three-year term as National Chair of the Accreditation Committee this month.
Hill is the medical director for an accredited, four-bed, free-standing sleep center in Salisbury, NC. In addition, he is the Medical Director of the Stroke Unit at Rowan Regional Medical Center where he is involved in acute stroke management and clinical research. A Rotarian, Hill is active in community affairs, serving on several local boards, including the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society, Historic Salisbury Foundation and Rowan County United Way. He will chair the Rowan County United Way Fund Drive in 2001.
Kingman P. Strohl, MD is the Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Sleep Disorders Research at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed his Medical Degree at Northwestern University Medical School and his Residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. As a Research Fellow in Medicine in the Respiratory Division at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School, he began his work in the field of sleep apnea research. As a result of this research, Strohl was the lead author of a paper entitled, "Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Family Members", published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1978. It is among more than 128 research papers he has published.
In addition to serving as the Medical Director for a four-bed SleepMed laboratory in Parma and a two-bed sleep laboratory at Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, he has a limited practice at University Hospitals of Cleveland and runs the Case Western Research University ‘s Center for Sleep Disorders Research. The Center receives a training grant in sleep medicine, neurobiology and epidemiology, and is charged with promoting activities that stimulate collaborative research and education. The center also participates in international efforts to involve primary care physicians in the recognition and clinical management of sleep apnea. However, the majority of Strohl's time is dedicated to basic and applied research in sleep apnea and respiratory control, and his research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health for the last 16 years.
