Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville recently received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

“The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates Centra Southside Community Hospital on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as a sleep disorders center,” said Dr. Sam Fleishman, AASM president. “Centra Southside Community Hospital is a significant resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders.”

To receive accreditation for a five-year period, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM. These standards address core areas such as personnel, facility and equipment, policies and procedures, data acquisition, patient care, and quality assurance. Additionally, the sleep center's goals must be clearly stated and include plans for positively affecting the quality of medical care in the community it serves.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine accredited a sleep disorders center for the first time in 1977. Today there are more than 2,500 AASM-accredited sleep centers across the country.

Centra Southside Community Hospital is directed by Kwabena Donkor, D.ABSM, FCCP, MD, and is located at 800 Oak Street.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is a professional medical society for clinicians, researchers, and other health care providers in the field of sleep medicine. As the national accrediting body for sleep disorders centers, the AASM is dedicated to setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research.