Ron Baake
CEO
The Sleep Wellness Institute Inc.
2356 S. 102nd St., West Allis
Industry: Sleep health services
Revenue: $6 million
Employees: 51
Ron Baake, the chief executive officer of West Allis-based The Sleep Wellness Institute Inc., and business partner Mark Stoiber, started the business in 1994 and developed it into the largest independent sleep disorder center in Wisconsin. The company now has about 50 employees and $6 million in annual revenue.
Baake also co-founded The Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation in 2005 with Sara White (Reggie White’s widow) and Stoiber, serving people with sleep disorders across the nation.
Baake took on full responsibility for The Sleep Wellness Institute when Stoiber passed away last year. Despite the Great Recession, the company has avoided layoffs under Baake’s leadership.
“You have to be smarter today than you were two or three years ago,” he said. “We are a patient care-centered company, not a money-centered company.”
Baake is quick to credit the employees for the success of his company.
“No one person can take full responsibility for the success of a company, success is in the team,” said Baake. “I would not be here today if not for the wonderful people I’ve gotten to work with.”
Last year The Sleep Wellness Institute and Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospitals and Clinics formed a joint venture. Under this new partnership, The Sleep Wellness Institute provides services for Columbia-St. Mary’s patients and operates out of the former Columbia-St. Mary’s sleep disorders laboratory in Mequon allowing Baake to see all of his original clients and provide care to new patients.
Baake saw the need for his patients to become more involved in their own treatment plans and designed the CPAP2GO store to increase patient access to high quality treatment of sleep disorders. C-PAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure- standard treatment for sleep apnea. The store allows patients to try different types of masks until they are satisfied with the product. Baake guarantees a 30-day warrantee ensuring patients receive the treatment that best meet their needs.
Last year Baake and the Institute completed a two-year clinical research study which is the first study to demonstrate health care cost savings for employers who screen and treat their employees for obstructive sleep apnea.
