Mankato Clinic to Open Regional Center for Sleep Medicine
Mankato – On July 16 the Mankato Clinic will open a new, state-of-the-art center for sleep medicine at 120 Augusta Court ( Trail Creek Center), and is naming it after one of its most beloved physicians, Dr. J. Scott Sanders.
A dedication to Dr. Sanders is scheduled at the new sleep center at Noon on Tuesday, July 17 – which is also Dr. Sanders’ birthday. Public is invited for tours at an open house that same day from 1-6 p.m
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Sanders, a pulmonologist and critical care specialist, died in May of 2006 following a courageous battle with cancer. He practiced medicine at the Mankato Clinic from 1979-2005 and also served as medical director in the Respiratory Care Department and sleep lab at Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“Dr. Sanders was distinctly known by his patients and colleagues as one of the most skilled, thoughtful, caring, humble and respected physicians of his time. His passion for helping others is being both remembered and relived through the J. Scott Sanders Center for Sleep Medicine,” says Mankato Clinic Chief Operating Officer, Bryan Nermoe.
Nermoe says the Mankato Clinic wanted to find a way to continue Dr. Sanders’ legacy of compassionate, skilled and unforgettable care. “His expertise in sleep medicine is extended in this state-of-the-art, regional sleep lab, providing Greater Mankato patients with access to the sophisticated diagnostic and treatment options they need to feel good every day,” says Nermoe.
According to Mankato Clinic neurologist Dr. Lisa Davidson, who is also the only board-certified sleep specialist in the region, the facility will offer patients the most accurate and thorough diagnosis in sleep medicine that today’s advanced technology allows.
At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. These disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving and social activities. There are more than 70 sleep disorders, most of which can be managed effectively once they are correctly diagnosed.
The J. Scott Sanders Center for Sleep Medicine offers a tranquil and comfortable environment for sleep studies, also called polysomnograms, which is a test that records a patient’s physical state during various stages of sleep and wakefulness. “Sleep studies provide data that is essential in evaluating a spectrum of sleep disorders, such as sleep-disordered breathing (also known as obstructed sleep apnea), REM behavior disorder, periodic limb movements of sleep and narcolepsy,” says Dr. Davidson.
A patient’s brain waves, muscle movements, rapid eye movement (REM), air intake, and limb movement are all recorded throughout the night in a sleep study.
The sleep lab uses several devices to record this activity during sleep, including an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain waves and an electroculogram (EOG)
to measure eye and chin movement, both to monitor the different stages of sleep; an electrocardiogram (EKG) to measure heart rate and rhythm; chest bands to measure breathing movements; and additional monitors to sense oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood as well as monitors to record leg movement. None of the devices are painful and most patients are able to sleep undisturbed while being monitored.
In conjunction with the Sleep Center dedication ceremony, the Mankato Clinic Foundation is announcing a new scholarship program for Greater Mankato high school seniors through the J. Scott Sanders, M.D. Memorial Scholarship. Scholarship recipients will emulate Dr. Sanders’ unforgettable and well-rounded character, his kindness and his passion for helping others. The scholarship is being supported through the Mankato Clinic Foundation as part of its desire to have his legacy remembered.
The Mankato Clinic Foundation’s goal is to raise a $50,000 endowment to ensure a $2,000 scholarship can be awarded annually in Dr. Sanders’ name for generations to come. Students who apply for the scholarship will take time to reflect on their character and the significant impact it can have on others, their accomplishments and their future.
The Mankato Clinic Foundation, a non-profit organization, is funded by the Mankato Clinic physicians and staff, fundraising events and gifts from businesses, organizations and community members who care about wellness. Donations can be mailed to: J. Scott Sanders, M.D. Memorial Scholarship, c/o Mankato Clinic Foundation, 1230 East Main Street, Mankato, MN 56001.
120 Augusta Court ( Trail Creek Center)
