USF Sleep Medicine is dedicated to excellence in patient care, education and research. We provide sleep services in many specialty formats to include pulmonary medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, neurology, psychology, psychiatry, dentistry ear, nose and throat surgery (otolaryngology) and bariatric surgery, to just name a few. Our Sleep Center began small with the establishment of a one bed sleep lab at Tampa General Hospital in an old bronchoscopy suite by Dr. Keith Chandler in the 1990s. In addition, a one bed sleep lab was established in a basement room of the James A. Haley VA Hospital by Dr. John Sharp. The clinics expanded to 7 different sites today, with an active pediatric program established by pediatric neurologist and sleep specialist, Dr. Sagarika Nallu. Facilities have grown to a 6-bed lab at Tampa General Hospital and a 4 bed facility at the VA Hospital. As portable monitoring for sleep has been added, we now perform over 2,000 combined studies per year. Technology with telemedicine has advanced, so has Sleep Telemedicine, with national recognition to Dr. Daniel Schwartz and our program at the VA Sleep Center.

Education has always been a priority at USF Sleep, as we have been training sleep technologists for over 30 years. In addition, a training program for physicians in the new subspecialty of Sleep Medicine was established at USF/Tampa General Hospital by Dr. Mac Anderson and Mr. Robby Beauchamp in 2009. We also train medical students, residents, fellows in multiple medical specialties and support USF School of Nursing sleep research and postgraduate Ph.D. programs.

Under the “Our Research” tab, one can see the results of multiple research efforts by USF Sleep Medicine providers. Dr. Risa Richardson, from the VA and USF, has become the USF Director of Sleep Research with her innovative teams targeting the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders following traumatic brain injury. Dr. Tapan Padhya, of the USF Sleep Apnea and Snoring Center, established hypoglossal nerve stimulation as a treatment available for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. He is continually developing new techniques to improve sleep and breathing. Drs. Karel Calero and Zachary Stachura assist with these evaluations as well as the new phrenic nerve stimulator to treat central sleep apnea.

We continue to grow in each area every year. Please come join us, in this new and fascinating field of Sleep Medicine.