Roberta analyses sleep as a brain function, as opposed to a breathing function. That’s because she used to be an RPSGT, a Polysomnographer. That is, she used to watch people’s brain function during sleep! Now a Sleep Clinician at Snore MD in Ladner, we asked her “Why the switch to sleep therapy?”
How did you come to hear about Snore MD?
I used to work at a different sleep company, which was more of a medical office with a clinical setting, and we definitely noticed their presence in the market. Snore MD provides excellent accessibility to their services for their patients. When you look at how Snore MD is operating in comparison to other sleep clinics, they definitely have a unique style to them which many patients prefer. So it was hard not to know who Snore MD was.
How is it that Snore MD sleep clinic is set apart from its’ competitors?
Our bright street-side signage definitely grabs peoples attention at first. But then once they get into the clinic, they are invited to look at the sleep therapy equipment. It’s something that you don’t usually see in a sleep clinic. I compare it to an Apple store; we want you to come in, touch the sleep equipment and ask questions. It’s a change from a closed off “Oh, you want that? Let me go to the back and find something for you” set-up. Instead, its a “Hey, look at what we have, how can we assist you?” open atmosphere.
What are the first comments patients walk into your store with?
For us, in Ladner, it seems to be location! Sleep apnea is an industry that has not been serviced in this community. Patients love that they are able to walk into our clinic and have a conversation about their sleep, they’ve never had that before.
What are some of the main concerns or reasons for visiting you?
A lot of our patients are already on equipment, but their providers are so far away. Patients don’t want to travel, they don’t want to do the tunnel or go on the highway. We do have some patients coming in saying, “What is this all about?”, but I find the majority of our clientele are patients already on CPAP therapy looking for a service closer to home.
And, who is it that walks into your clinic?
We see a lot of retired people, which is the majority of the population here.
What do you love about working with your patients at Snore MD?
I The big difference I find at Snore MD is that I am able to treat my patients so much quicker. Working at other companies, I would spend time chasing paperwork or appointments. There’s a lot less of that here. When a patient walks in, I’m able to help that person immediately. It really does take out a lot of the challenges that I have as a therapist and gives me more time to provide my patients with the care they require.
What do you love about working with your What do you think your patients get most out of your service?
I
The number one issue I see in a lot of my patients is that they don’t understand their CPAP equipment, or how important it is to clean and maintain it. We’ll ask, “How long have you had that mask?” and the most common response is, “Oh, it’s like six years old.”Well, that would be why you’re not getting the best sleep you can right now!
After struggling and not knowing why, a simple step can improve their sleep therapy. So when we help with a new mask fitting or update CPAP machine settings for them, the improvements are amazing—the equipment feels brand new to them again.
I’m big on education, so to me, it’s really important that the patient understands that they need to be involved in the therapy process, in using their equipment and attending regular appointments either over the phone or in person—our education and follow-ups are so important!
Your daytime is affected by your sleep! Visit any Snore MD sleep apnea clinic to learn how your day-to-day life can be improved with better sleep.
