AAST’s membership is uniquely made up of professionals in a variety of roles across the sleep-care profession. AAST recently spoke with AAST member Anthony Dollinger, RST, RPSGT, CCSH, about his start in the sleep field, where he sees the future of the sleep field going and more.
What led you to enter the field of sleep?
I originally trained as a neurodiagnostics technologist back in 1976. I then cross trained in the early ‘80s in sleep as it was an emerging field in medicine. My initial motivation was the health care system I worked with had interest in developing a sleep disorders program.
Think back on when you first entered the profession — what advice would you give yourself now?
I initially worked with neurologists for the first few years. After that, I did work for the Department of Defense at Walter Reed with pulmonary sleep physicians. In hindsight, it may have been beneficial to me if I had obtained experience from both specialties sooner.
Tell me about your involvement in AAST. What made you want to join the organization and how long have you been a member?
I believe in belonging to the appropriate professional organizations, whether it be the AAST, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) or ASET – The Neurodiagnostic Society. This helps keep technologists up to date on information and supports our chosen field of work.
What is one AAST resource that has made you more successful in your career that others should know about?
I really like the continuing education aspect, especially Journal Club and Case of the Month.
What do you enjoy most about the work you are currently doing?
At this point in my career, I enjoy interacting with physicians on the clinical level and providing direct patient support. I also spend a good amount of time helping with staff education. In fact, I created and taught the first college level course in Maryland on sleep technology.
What makes you hopeful or excited about the future of the profession?
I am a huge believer in the evolution of sleep medicine. I think successful programs need to look at having much more than "obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) factories." Proper utilization of home sleep apnea tests (HSATs) as screeners and not simply a replacement for labs, Certification in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) technologists becoming much more widely used for patient support and education, and increasing awareness of issues like fatigue risk management are all examples.
What would be your advice to young professionals interested in pursuing a career in the sleep field?
I would absolutely recommend that new technologists get plenty of "front line experience." In my region, I often see that technologists want to get onto days as soon as possible and miss developing a really good understanding of all of the fundamentals. I am also a big believer that the CCSH should become a larger part of what new professionals strive for and use in their career.