Author: Michael Kelley

The National Transportation Safety Board has said the agency is “disappointed” with the he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Federal Railroad Administration decision to withdraw the proposed rule which they published in March of 2016. The rule was in relation to screening commercial truck drivers and train engineers for sleep apnea. The Agencies received more than 700 comments from individuals, medical professionals, labor groups, and transportation industry stakeholders. The Agencies also received comments from the National Transportation Safety Board and three members of Congress, the Honorable Anna Eshoo, the Honorable Sam Farr, and the Honorable Michael M. Honda. Sleep apnea is a common disorder that can cause daytime drowsiness, impaired decision making and reaction times and an altered mood, which all can have negative effects on transportation employees during the time they are operating vehicles. According to the Associated Press, “The agencies argue that it should be up to railroads and trucking companies to decide whether to test employees. One railroad that does test, Metro-North in the New York City suburbs, found that 11.6 percent of its engineers have sleep apnea.”  There are low cost tests to screen for sleep apnea and effective treatment options that reduce the risk of railway and highway accidents. Evidence suggests that improved rules and regulations would make for safer roads.   Source: federalregister.gov

Redirect Health makes healthcare a smart advantage for businesses, allowing them to easily and affordably recruit and retain employees in a way their competitors cannot. They believe America is driven forward by small businesses – the people who work for them, and the families who rely on them to be successful. Today, the healthcare experience isn’t always that great. In fact, it can be downright daunting and overwhelming to navigate. Getting the care they need when they want it is getting more and more difficult. The mission of Redirect Health is to help employers create healthcare plans that are affordable, comply with Obamacare and take great care of their people. The American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) CEO, David Gergen, said Redirect Health saved his business thousands of dollars. With over 80 employees at Gergen’s Sleep Appliance Lab and Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab, his health care costs were reduced by over half of what they were prior. In turn, he spread the news and many dentists are now turning to Redirect Health for their healthcare solutions. To learn more about Redirect Health, visit RedirectHealth.com

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office has released a summary of its findings into the death of “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher. The actress and writer died in December at the age of 60. Her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, died one day later. In a news release, the coroner listed the results of a body examination performed three days after Fisher’s death. The agency said Fisher’s manner of death is undetermined. Medical examiners concluded that “sleep apnea and other undetermined factors” contributed to her death.   Read the full article here.   Source: cnn.com

Dr. Kent Smith DDS, President of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA), works at promoting the dental sleep industry by providing dentists with his knowledge of treating patients who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea through use of oral appliance therapy. His mission to build and support a community of dentists dedicated to enhancing the lives of others is what has been the driving force behind his biggest annual event, known as “The Roundtable”, which has been running seven years strong. The Roundtable provides a rare opportunity to learn from the best in both formal lectures and informal conversations. The weekend event has seen over 2,000 dentists learn how to successfully add sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment to their practices using hands on programs. Although 2017’s meeting took place exactly one month after the ASBA’s Sleep and Wellness Conference, dentists who attended both the ASBA annual meeting and Dr. Smith’s Roundtable said they were “glad they went to both meetings” due to the different value each held. The ASBA showcases a very nuts and bolts practice management style program. It’s topics range from Medical Billing “Explained” for Dentists,  Working with Physicians, Proving Compliance in customer oral devices, getting credentials, building your dream team in dental sleep medicine, what % should sleep be in your practice to how do we grow our individual practices as well as our industry over the next 5-10 years! To register for the next ASBA study club, click here Find out more about the ASBA Sleep and Wellness Conference 2018 by calling 602-478-9713 or emailing david@myasba.com. Find out more about The Roundtable by visiting 21stcenturydental.com David Gergen CEO | ASBA

The CEO of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy has a clear mission: Educate and spread awareness of oral appliance therapy and sleep disorders to the public, and to the medical and dental professions. Serving as the ASBA’s CEO for the past five years, David Gergen has leveraged the power of athletic celebrity (helping hundreds of former NFL players get treated for sleep apnea) to shine a bright light on sleep disorders and grow the ASBA dental side from 0 to over 1,000 members. His enormous push in the industry and the ASBA’s massive amount of success is largely in part due to his distinguished pedigree. Gergen is no stranger to elite leadership, coming from a family lineage that has generals and officers in the U.S. military. His family ties also include his grandmother as the first female bank president in the U.S., prominent politicians who have served in presidential cabinets and Hall of Fame athletes in various sports/states. The Gergen family success doesn’t stop there, as clearly seen by his son Johnny’s Minnesota state record for the largest recorded fish ever caught in the history of the state, his daughter Lennon’s successful modeling career appearing as the Mello Yellow girl and television actress in multiple T.V commercials and his oldest son David, like his father, as a state champion in high school football. I can say with full confidence athleticism runs deep in the Gergen blood. I’ve seen David’s plaque signed by President Jimmy Carter recognizing him as a national record holder in the standing broad jump for the 11-12 year old age group in 1977, jumping 9’ 8 ¾”. That and many other state records he still holds today which have stood for over 30 years. His state championship in the 100 meter sprint is no small feat either. As a state champion football player and coach, he went on to being the only coach in Arizona state history to win a national championship, being presented with a plaque from the Arizona State Governor. Later in 2004, Gergen was presented with the Small Businessman of the Year award. Despite all of his triumphs, Gergen is still a humble person; it took me years of knowing him for him to ever mention any of this to me.   When I thought, “All of this can’t possibly be true,” I was finally able to verify all the stories I had heard after being introduced to his best friends since childhood who he met through Mensa, a special group of children who have high IQ’s- Warren and Will Faulkner. Warren added to his accomplishments telling me, “I convinced him to play with us in the Mormon church league and we took the team all the way to the national championship. David’s shot was so consistent I had to name him the invincible armada, his mere presence gave strength to the weak. David was good for 15-20 points a game and just as many rebounds. Despite being 5’7” he could dunk a basketball. Hops like that are super natural.” Another thing I wasn’t aware of, Faulkners are direct descendants of Edward Faulkner who was commissioned by Brigham Young to colonize Arizona. His loyalty to friends, family and business partners is unrivaled; David even hired Will Faulkner’s son, Skylar Faulkner, who is now his personal assistant. Skylar has said to me, “Working with David Gergen has shown me an entirely different side of success. He is a real winner, and it’s shows through everything he touches. The man has no fear whether it’s taking a business risk, a bar room brawl or defending his girl’s integrity, he’s down for the task. Gergen is the man you want on your team.” This is why when I heard about the hospital projects and the NFL player treatments, I needed to get the word out. Anyone who follows this man will win, that’s a fact. Come learn about how you can get hospitals near you referring you patients during a special dinner at the next ASBA study club with the NFL legend, Earl Campbell.   To register for the next ASBA study club, click here.  

Due to high demand, the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) has planned an additional Study Club for the summer of 2017. The ASBA Study Club is a learning experience in an elite and non-vendor atmosphere, where practitioners who have built million-dollar practices will offer their combined experience in dental sleep medicine at an up-close, hands-on learning environment. For more information call 602-478-9713 or email david@myasba.com or click here to register. The next study club in Dallas, TX on July 28–29, 2017 includes a “can’t miss” experience where attendees will be dining with  the great NFL legend Earl Campbell on the night of July 29th. The purpose of the dinner will be to go over a program that is putting ASBA dentists in working relationships with hospitals/clinics. This program is geared towards “putting patients in your chair without marketing”. What makes this deal even better? The hospital will be doing your (you the dentist) billing. Learn about all of this and more included for you by only paying the course fee of $995.00. For more information call 602-478-9713 or email david@myasba.com or click here to register. The ASBA Study Club isn’t a traditional lecture with speakers and presentations; it is a Q&A with real material, case studies and collaboration at a location where you aren’t being bombarded by salesmen. You will return home with skills and knowledge you can apply to your practice, not another piece of equipment or subscription to something you won’t be using in a month. For more information call 602-478-9713 or email david@myasba.com or click here to register.

David Gergen, CEO of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA), visited Dallas, TX on May 17, 2017 to meet with executives overseeing a hospital chain made up of 16 hospitals regarding a groundbreaking program in sleep dentistry. In addition, the meeting included NFL Hall of Fame running back and “Prince of Texas” Earl Campbell who will be involved in doing advertisements for the program. The hospitals are now going to, when medically indicated, send for oral appliance therapy (OAT) as the first line of defense in treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The program, which will be operated by Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA) and the ASBA, is going to integrate sleep dentists into hospitals. After completing his trip to Texas, David Gergen and his team were able to secure three clinics for Dr. Harry Sugg and three clinics for Dr. Rebecca Lauck. “One of the best parts of this program is the billing; the hospitals will bill insurance on behalf of the dentists to ensure higher reimbursements. This really gives our dentists time to focus on patient care,” says Gergen. Learn how you can become involved in your area by attending a 30 minute webinar presented by David Gergen. Click here to register.

The American Sleep and Breathing Academy is now offering free monthly webinars, available to members only. The webinars will be one hour every first Wednesday of the month and attendees will be awarded 1 CE. Webinar spots will be limited, allowing for attendee interaction with each other and the presenter(s). Email skylar@myasba.com for more details/registration or click the links below:   June 7: Sleep 101 Register Here July 5: Successful Methods of Screening for Sleep – Convert Your Dental Patients to Sleep Register Here August 2: Working With Your Local Physicians September 6: Billing – Learn From the Experts of Billing October 4: Choosing an Appliance – Handling Different Side Effects November 1: TMD – What You Need to Know December 6: Creating the Dream Team in Sleep