Person Type: Director

Jill West began her career in sleep medicine in 2010 as a night tech. In 2014, in addition to running and scoring studies, she partnered with her medical director to establish a startup Durable Medical Equipment (DME) company. Five years later, Jill applied her insights on compliance and efficacy as a Program Manager for Philips Respironics. She is currently employed by Cadwell as a Sleep Clinical Educator.

Jill serves on the BRPT’s Advanced Titration Committee and is in her second term with the Exam Development Committee. She has also contributed to the AAST’s Continuing Education Program. She has a heart for service and volunteers her time and resources towards animal welfare outreaches. Jill also obtained certification as a Professional Ski Instructors of America to better serve participants in her local adaptive ski programs.

After graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Notre Dame College, Kayla began her career in the field of sleep medicine in 2016. As an RPSGT, she gained comprehensive expertise in the field, including the areas of scheduling, insurance, and quality assurance. Kayla is currently the Director of the Home Sleep Apnea Testing Department at MedBridge Healthcare. Throughout her time at MedBridge, Kayla rapidly advanced through her prior roles of Sleep Technologist, Area Clinical Manager, and most recently Regional Manager. In 2024, she earned her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Healthcare Leadership from Anderson University. Throughout her time in the field, Kayla has made valuable contributions as the former Program Director and Adjunct Instructor for the Polysomnography A-STEP Program at Greenville Technical College.

Brittany Schaefer, RPSGT, is a third-generation technologist dedicated to upholding the RPSGT credential as the gold standard in Polysomnographic Technology. Since 2008, she has worked nationwide as a traveling RPSGT, gaining broad experience in both in-patient and out-patient sleep care through roles in IDTFs and major healthcare systems. She holds the BRPT’s Pediatric Sleep Certificate and, as a mother, brings a special focus to pediatric patient care. Brittany serves on the BRPT’s Professional Review and Application Review Committees. Passionate about advancing sleep science, she explores innovative technologies and engages in novel research. Outside of doing the work she loves, Brittany enjoys boating, the beach, and gardening.

Qiyang began his career as a sleep technologist at Vitup International Hospital and currently serves as Head of Operations at HuiCi Healthcare Group, a leading network of sleep clinics in China with over 50 beds across seven sites. He is the co-founder of New England Sleep Academy LLC, where he launched the first STAR program in China to address the region’s critical shortage of trained sleep technologists. As Associate Director of the Sleep Committee under the Chinese Non-Governmental Medical Institutions Association, Qiyang and his team have provided clinical and operational guidance to sleep technologists across a network of more than 15,000 member hospitals.

Dr. Hope is a board-certified sleep medicine physician who serves as medical director of the East Alabama Sleep Health Center and is an associate professor at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Auburn campus. He is active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and currently serves as the chair of the Sleep Technologist and Respiratory Therapist Education Committee and is a Gold Standard Panelist for the Adult Inter-scorer Reliability Program. He previously chaired the Sleep Technologist Shortage Presidential Committee. His career in sleep medicine started as a sleep technologist, earning his RPSGT credential in 2003.

Courtney Hinrichs has more than seventeen years of experience in sleep medicine as a clinician, educator, and program leader. She began her career as a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist and has worked across adult, pediatric, and neonatal populations in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. In her current role, Courtney remains actively engaged in clinical practice while leading a comprehensive sleep disorders program at UCI Health in Irvine, California. Her work includes patient education, mentoring and training technologists, supporting home sleep testing programs, optimizing PAP therapy, and collaborating closely with physicians, nurses, and advanced practice providers. She believes effective leadership in sleep medicine must be grounded in subject matter expertise and sustained connection to patients and frontline teams.

Throughout her career, Courtney has focused on expanding access to sleep services and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, including prior efforts to increase sleep study access in NICU and EMU settings through education and partnership. She has served the BRPT on the Exam Development Committee, Advanced Titration Taskforce, and Exam Support Committee. As a member of the Board of Directors, Courtney is committed to advancing credentialing excellence, supporting workforce development, and promoting the continued growth of the profession. Outside of the clinical world, she enjoys traveling, exploring new places, live music and concerts, hiking, sailing, and spending time with family.

Eduardo Hernández graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care from the Universidad Metropolitana of Puerto Rico. Bilingual in English and Spanish and multi-credentialed as a CCSH and as an RPSGT, he currently serves on the Board of the Florida Association of Sleep Technologists. In addition, Eduardo is an active member of the BRPT Examination Development Committee (EDC), has participated in a BRPT Standard Setting as a Subject Matter Expert and has spoken at numerous sleep conferences.

Previously Eduardo worked at various adult and pediatric hospital-based sleep centers in Puerto Rico and Orlando, FL; and is currently working at ZOLL Itamar Medical as a clinical sales specialist.

Originally from New Jersey, Christopher has lived in Texas for more than a decade. He is an attorney in private practice and opened his own firm in 2017.  Christopher specializes in family law, estate planning, probate and guardianships. In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Collin College Polysomnographic Technology program. In his spare time he enjoys watching and playing sports including golf.

Kenan Hoelke has been involved in polysomnography since 2002. During this time, he has worked in three countries across two continents. Kenan began his career at a small independent sleep laboratory in Ottawa, Canada. He then transferred to a provincially run hospital-based sleep laboratory in Barrie, Canada. Afterwards, he relocated to Michigan, continuing to work for a hospital-based sleep laboratory. He then took a position in Iceland and become part of Reykjavik University’s Sleep Revolution research project. Following this, he returned to the United States and rejoined the institution in Michigan that he had previously left.

Kenan holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada. He has been an integral part of the BRPT’s Exam Development Committee for a number of years.