Three New Members Join the Board; Daniel Mobley Receives ‘Shining Star’ Award

McLean, Virginia – December 20, 2010 – The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) elected Cindy Altman, RPSGT, R. EEG/EP T. to the post of President-Elect. Altman has been a member of the BRPT Board of Directors for one year serving as the Chair of the Website Development Committee.

Said BRPT President Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T., “I’m delighted to see Cindy take on the role of President-Elect. Her deep experience in the field has been a tremendous asset to the Board. Cindy’s contributions have been extensive, ranging from her leadership as Chair of the Website Development Committee to her work in the exam development process.”

Altman, who is the Technical Director for the Creighton University Sleep Disorders Center in Omaha, Nebraska said, “I’m excited to serve my profession and fellow Directors in a leadership role and I’m committed to preserving the reputation and value of the RPSGT and CPSGT credentials. And, I look forward to incorporating new technologies and practices into the development, administration, and delivery of the BRPT exams.”

The following new members join the Board:

• Theresa Krupski, RPSGT, RRT; Lead Technologist at the National Jewish Health Sleep Center in Denver, CO
• Daniel Goya-Lane, RPSGT; President of Arkona Diagnostic Services in Long Beach, CA
• Michael Goldman, B.A., M.S., J.D.; A.W.A.K.E. Northeast Regional Director for the American Sleep Apnea Association in Washington, DC and Director of ASAA’s New York City A.W.A.K.E. group (public member)

Added East, “With the addition of Theresa, Daniel and Michael – all of whom will complement and strengthen our Board – we’re poised for a productive and terrific 2011.”

Current Board member Daniel Mobley, RPSGT, received the BRPT President’s Shining Star Award in November for his dedication and outstanding service to the organization. Added East, “It’s an honor to recognize Dan with the Shining Star Award. His efforts in support of the exam development process and his active participation on the recertification task force were enormous.”

The change in Board leadership will take effect in January 2011, but an official installation will take place at a BRPT Board meeting in McLean, VA on March 19, 2011.

BRPT Board member Mike Brennen, RPSGT, Southeast Idaho Sleep Disorders Center at the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho will continue to serve as Treasurer and Susan Hanson, B.A., RPSGT, CRT, The Sleep Clinic at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, IA will continue to serve as Secretary. Other continuing Board members of the BRPT include: Donna Arand, PhD, Sleep Disorders Center at Kettering Hospital, Dayton, OH; Charles Atwood, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; Roger Godbout, RPSGT, PhD, Université ode Montreal, Sleep Laboratory and Clinic Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montréal (Québec); Daniel Mobley, RPSGT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA; and Eddie Perez, RPSGT, OmniTrials/Sleep Disorders Center of Southwest Florida in Naples, FL.

The BRPT Board of Directors is comprised of 12 volunteer members, all of whom serve four-year terms. Of the 12 members, 11 are credentialed by either the BRPT or the American Board of Sleep Medicine. In addition, the Board appoints at least one public member.

The BRPT develops and administers credentialing exams for polysomnographic technologists and technicians. The RPSGT is respected worldwide as the leading credential for polysomnographic technologists with more than 16,000 RPSGTs credentialed worldwide.

Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the BRPT is an independent, non-profit certification board that cultivates the highest professional and ethical standards for polysomnographic technologists and technicians. In addition to administering the RPSGT and CPSGT exams in the United States and internationally, the BRPT also maintains the RPSGT registry and CPSGT roster. For more information, please visit brpt.taupecatstudios.dev.

Cindra L. Altman, RPSGT, R. EEG/EP T.

Current Board member and now President-Elect
Cindy Altman is the Technical Director at Creighton University Sleep Disorders Center in Omaha, NE. She has more than 30 years experience in neurodiagnostic and sleep technology, and throughout her career has held both clinical and administrative positions at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, NE. Altman has served on the boards of the American Society of Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists (ASET), the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET), and the Joint Review Committee for Education in Electroneurodiagnostic Technology (JRC-END).

Michael Goldman, B.A., M.S., J.D.

New Board member – public member
Diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 2007, Michael Goldman’s sleep apnea is successfully treated with CPAP therapy. Goldman is currently the A.W.A.K.E. Northeast Regional Director for the American Sleep Apnea Association in Washington, DC, and Director of the ASAA’s New York City A.W.A.K.E. group. He is passionate about the sleep field and committed to helping others navigate the road to diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. He is the founder of www.SleepGuide.com a social networking site for sleep apnea patients. With a Master’s Degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York, Goldman was a reporter for The New York Times from 1998-2000. He is also a business lawyer who holds a J.D. from Columbia University’s School of Law.

Daniel Goya-Lane, RPSGT

New Board member
Daniel Goya-Lane is currently the president of Arkona Diagnostic Services in Long Beach, CA. He has been in the sleep technology field for over six years and became registered in 2006. Prior to opening Arkona Diagnostic Services in 2008, Goya-Lane was the Clinical Manager for LA Sleep Med Center, LLC in Carson, CA. He is currently developing the National Sleep Disorders Center in Bakersfield, CA and will serve as their consultant and clinical director. He has clinical experience in all aspects of polysomnography from performing diagnostic and therapeutic therapies to working alongside physicians to diagnose patients, to training and managing sleep technicians. In addition, Goya-Lane is working closely with state regulatory bodies to identify and determine sleep deprivation, sleep fragmentation, daytime performance, and quality of life conditions as they correlate to sleep disorders and within the arena of work related injuries. Goya-Lane is an active member of the BRPT Exam Development Committee.

Theresa Krupski, B.S., RPSGT, RRT

New Board member
Theresa Krupski is the Lead Technologist at the National Jewish Health Sleep Center in Denver, CO where she has worked for five years. Before joining the National Jewish Health Sleep Center, Krupski spent more than a decade at The Children’s Hospital in Denver as a Senior Sleep Technologist and Registered Respiratory Therapist. Krupski has published works on infant and toddler polysomnography. She is a member of the AAST and has been an active member of the BRPT Scholarship, Education Development and Registry Exam Review Committees. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Cardiorespiratory Sciences from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dave Hargett, the current Public Member of the BRPT Board of Directors, passed away on Sunday, August 22 in Bolingbrook, Illinois. For a complete obituary please follow this link: Dave Hargett Obituary

Dave Hargett’s passion and commitment to the field of sleep medicine took numerous forms. He was a tireless leader in obstructive sleep apnea patient advocacy and a devoted Public Member of the BRPT Board of Directors, representing the interests of consumers and the public. His service on the BRPT Board began in January 2009.

“A dedicated patient advocate, Dave’s perspective and insights were invaluable to our work over the past two years,” said BRPT President Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T. “He represented us at a number of professional events and his strong commitment to patient advocacy and the delivery of quality patient care never wavered. Dave had a particular interest in on-going patient education and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea as a chronic illness. In addition, Dave was instrumental in the continuing review of the Board’s bylaws, policies and procedures. He also actively encouraged BRPT to begin to build a presence in the social media arena as a means of strengthening the community of BRPT credential holders. He will be greatly missed.”

Diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea in 1994, Hargett’s sleep apnea was successfully treated with CPAP therapy. He began attending a local A.W.A.K.E. group in 1995 and coordinated two sleep apnea support groups affiliated with the A.W.A.K.E. Network of the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA). In 2002, Hargett joined the Board of Directors of the ASAA and served as Chairman since 2004. Hargett helped launch www.talkaboutsleep.com and regularly spoke to community groups about sleep apnea and sleep disorders.

Hargett was also committed to his work for the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook, IL and served as an elected Trustee.

Said Ed Grandi, Executive Director, American Sleep Apnea Association, “Dave was passionate about educating the public and the medical community about sleep apnea. He thoroughly enjoyed participating in the A.W.A.K.E. Program and was pleased to serve as the BRPT’s Public Member. The sleep community has lost a great patient advocate.”