Four will graduate Saturday as certified sleep therapists

The university is responding to the high demand for sleep therapists.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University will graduate its first four polysomnography students Saturday.
It's a six-syllable word that refers to the study of sleep disorders.
"There is a huge demand for sleep therapists right now," said Lou Harris, professor of health professions at YSU and head of the respiratory care program. "Most sleep labs are booked months in advance."
The university's respiratory care program has taken advantage of the trend and last fall began offering a new certificate program in polysomnography. The first four graduates will receive their certificates during commencement Saturday.
"This opportunity was just too good for us to pass up," Harris said. "It is a wonderful thing for the students and everyone involved. Not only is the career in high demand, but it is a good moneymaker, too. Many sleep labs pay $300 for one sleep study."
Harris said the polysomnography program, which is approved by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, was first brought to his attention by Janet Boehm, YSU professor of health professions and former president of the American Association for Respiratory Care.
"We read about it online and got literature from the national organization," he said. "We found out YSU was eligible, and it went from there."
Requirements
Students must complete eight credit hours of coursework and 200 clinical hours over two semesters. The clinical work has been done at St. Joseph Health Center, St. Elizabeth Health Center, Forum Health and Salem Medical Center.
The certificate qualifies students to conduct polysomnographs, or sleep disorder tests, to diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person stops breathing during the night. AARC estimates that as many as 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea.
The first graduates of the program are: Marilyn Walton of Niles, who works as clinical liaison for the Pediatric Adolescent Asthma Center at Forum Health Northside Medical Center; Lisa Goterba of Hubbard, a respiratory therapy student at YSU who works at Jameson Hospital in New Castle; Jennifer Steinbach of Warren, a respiratory therapy student at YSU who works at St. Elizabeth Health Center; and Sarah Hutchison of Perrysville, Ohio, a respiratory therapy student at YSU who works at Rainbow Babies & amp; Children's Hospital in Cleveland.
Commencement is at 10 a.m. in Beeghly Center.