McLean, VA – May 3, 2010 – The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) has announced the launch of the Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program, named in honor of an early and highly regarded leader in the field of sleep technology, will award a $2,500 tuition grant each year to a promising student of polysomnography.
Said BRPT President Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T., “The Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Program is a fitting tribute to an outstanding leader in our field. Andrea Patterson’s commitment to professionalism in sleep technology helped shape the field as we know it today. This scholarship is intended to nurture a new generation of leaders in sleep technology, committed to quality patient care, professional growth and leadership.”
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.
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. The scholarship application, a full description of eligibility requirements and other program details are available at www.brpt.org. Applications must be completed and returned to the BRPT no later than Friday, October 1. The Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Committee, chaired by past BRPT president Bonnie Robertson, CRT, RPSGT, will select the scholarship recipient. The first winner will be announced the week of January 10, 2011.
Notes East, “The Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Program was developed under the guidance of Bonnie Robertson as a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend and colleague. At the same time, it represents BRPT’s commitment to the continued development of our field as a strong and respected allied health discipline. We’re enormously proud to see the Scholarship Program become a reality.”
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.