Apr 14, 2017 3 min read

CANONSBURG – It’s much easier to get a good night’s sleep these days at Canonsburg Hospital – at least in the Pulmonary Clinic and Sleep Lab.

The hospital recently unveiled its renovated pulmonary/sleep wing, where it has doubled its previous capacity and added new beds, rooms and computer and sleep testing equipment.

“The patient experience is very important,” Dr. Euhan John Lee, associate medial director of Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Sleep Medicine, said during a tour of the clinic and lab. “If you can’t sleep in the lab, you’re not going to get an accurate test. We really have to make it comfortable.”

The sleeping rooms actually resemble cozy hotel rooms. They are decorated in soothing tones of muted green and blue, paintings hang on the walls, and the bedding consists of plush comforters and pillows. There also is a recliner in the room for patients’ parents or caregivers who plan to spend the night.

Previously, Lee said, the sleep lab looked like a hospital room, and it was small and cramped.

“With a sleep study, conditions are very important,” Lee said. “If you can’t sleep, it can exacerbate the problem.”

In addition, the sleep lab has been moved from the second floor to the first floor, and it has a dedicated entrance to promote a more relaxing atmosphere for patients.

Many sleep disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated because people often fail to get the proper treatment that could impact their quality of life. The renovations, under Lee’s guidance, are designed to help change that.

The control room, where patients are monitored, contains the latest diagnostic equipment, which helps determine the best – and most accurate – treatment options. Plus, full-service testing is now available, which, Lee said, appeals to local patients affiliated with the Allegheny Health Network since they no longer have to travel to West Penn or Jefferson hospitals to obtain treatment.

“Basically, everything can be done here,” Lee said. “Patients really like that it can be done here.”

Lee said the sleep lab is open almost every night, with patients prepped from 8 to 9 p.m., lights out at 10 and wake-up between 5 and 6 a.m. the next day.

The pulmonary clinic is combined with the sleep lab because, Lee pointed out, there is an overlap, especially for adults, between sleep disorders and pulmonary issues. A lack of sleep could aggravate some conditions, such as COPD and asthma.

In addition to breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy and insomnia also can be treated at the Pulmonary Clinic and Sleep Lab.