JAX Chamber: Ascension St. Vincent's Hits Milestone With Inspire Sleep Apnea Treatment

Jacksonville FL

27 April, 2022

6:55 PM

Description

Press release from the JAX Chamber: April 26, 2022 Ascension St. Vincent's is currently the top Inspire implanting facility in Northeast Florida. The device works inside the body with a patient's natural breathing process to treat sleep apnea. Mild stimulation opens the airway during sleep, allowing oxygen to flow naturally. The patient uses a small handheld remote to turn Inspire on before bed and off when they wake up. "ENT physicians and pulmonologists often see patients who are unable to tolerate their CPAP machine for various reasons," said Dr. Herrero. "Inspire provides us with another option for qualifying patients. It is clinically proven to reduce sleep apnea events, has a high level of patient satisfaction and patients tend to stick with it, which can sometimes be a problem with traditional CPAP machines." Researchers have evaluated the safety and effectiveness of Inspire during a clinical trial and there have also been more than 150 peer-reviewed publications of the device. Five-year trial outcomes showed patients using Inspire experienced significant reductions in sleep apnea events and significant improvements in quality-of-life measures. "According to our data, the average patient with Inspire goes from nearly 30 apnea events per hour to six," said Dr. Hovda, who began offering Inspire to qualifying obstructive sleep apnea patients in early 2018. "We continue to see increased interest from patients and we know this relatively new option will only continue to grow as our patients continue to benefit from it." The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that about 22 million Americans live with sleep apnea. It occurs when the airway collapses during sleep and blocks oxygen from flowing to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the body up just long enough to take a breath. The cycle repeats throughout the night and causes poor, disruptive sleep. When left untreated, the consistent lack of sleep can sometimes cause other health issues like high blood pressure, depression, and heart issues. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea who would like to learn more about Inspire can call (904) 602-4380. To learn more about Ascension St. Vincent's, visit www.healthcare.ascension.org. Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast includes Ascension St. Vincent's based in Jacksonville, Florida, Ascension Sacred Heart based in Pensacola, Florida, and Ascension Providence in Mobile, Alabama. Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast operates nine hospitals and more than 200 other sites of care, employing more than 13,000 associates. Across the region, Ascension Providence, Ascension Sacred Heart and Ascension St. Vincent's have served North Florida and South Alabama communities for more than 165 years. In fiscal year 2020, Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast provided more than $237 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty. Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 143 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization. Visit www.ascension.org. Contact: Kyle Sieg [email protected] (904) 308-7992 This press release was produced by the JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author's own.