Polysomnography Student at Baptist Health Schools in Little Rock Receives $2,500
McLean, VA – February 1, 2013 – The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) today announced that Amanda Perry, of Conway, Arkansas is the winner of the third Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship. Perry is a student enrolled in the Sleep Technology program at Baptist Health Schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Reinforcing her love of education, Perry worked for 12 years as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph Catholic School, a middle school in her hometown of Conway, AR. In 2011, she began researching career choices in the medical field hoping to find a good fit. Said Amanda Perry, “The more I learned about the field of sleep technology, the more excited I got. Part of my application process for the sleep technology program at Baptist Health required an observation at the Baptist Medical Center Sleep Lab. At that moment, I knew I was squarely on the right path. I’m honored to receive a scholarship in the name of Andrea Patterson and everything she represented.”
Said BRPT President Cindy Altman, RPSGT, R. EEG T., “We are delighted to recognize such a diligent and hard working student as Amanda with this award. It’s terrific to witness her excitement and desire to reach her goal of becoming an RPSGT.”
According to BRPT President-Elect Theresa Krupski, RPSGT, RRT and 2012 Chair of the Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Committee, “Amanda took a very thoughtful approach to changing careers. She researched the field, learned more about the far-reaching impact of sleep disorders and committed herself to helping patients improve their overall health.”
Perry is expected to graduate in June of 2013 after which she plans to take the RPSGT examination. She is a member of the Sleep Professionals of Arkansas association and an active member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, serving on its community assistance program committee.
The Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Program, named in honor of an early and highly regarded leader in the field of sleep technology, awards a $2,500 tuition grant each year to a promising student of polysomnography. Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in or accepted by a CAAHEP-accredited program in PSG or a CoARC-accredited program with a PSG add-on.
About Andrea Patterson
Andrea Patterson, RPSGT, R. EEG T., managed the Hennepin County Sleep Program in Minneapolis, Minnesota for almost 30 years and was a leader in early efforts to develop a standardized competency-based test for sleep technologists. Those efforts were instrumental in the development of the RPSGT credentialing program. She published extensively in scientific journals and served on the BRPT Exam Development Committee for over 20 years, until her death in 2007.
The BRPT is an independent, non-profit certification board that cultivates the highest professional and ethical standards for polysomnographic technologists. For more information, visit www.brpt.org.