Mark Stoiber and Ron Baake are the co-founders of the Sleep Wellness Institute, a West Allis organization that has grown to become Wisconsin’s largest independent sleep disorders laboratory.
Since 2000, the Sleep Wellness Institute has helped more than 10,000 people achieve better health through better sleep.
The company’s latest service offering is the SleepStrip, a sleep apnea screening tool developed for use in the home. Costing $25, the product allows people who suspect that they may have sleep apnea, a potentially lethal disorder, to achieve a preliminary diagnosis.
“It’s a easy way to screen themselves for indication of the disease, and it’s the first step for people who may be reluctant to undergo full testing initially,” said Stoiber, who is president of the organization.
Stoiber and Baake initially worked together doing testing in individual patients’ homes, but opened the Sleep Wellness Institute in response to Medicare’s decision several years ago to cover only polysomnograms (sleep studies) performed in a sleep laboratory under the guidance of physicians. Stoiber, a registered polysomnograph technologist, and Baake, a certified respiratory therapist, originally started the clinic in Milwaukee but quickly outgrew that facility and moved to West Allis.
The annual double-digit increases in the number of patients treated led them to their West Allis center, as well. The expansion is underway, featuring additional sleep study rooms and technical facilities.
The Sleep Wellness Institute also worked with Sara White, widow of former football star Reggie White, to co-found the nonprofit Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation.
Taking a strong national stance, the partners have brought research capabilities to the Institute, which is now conducting the first definitive study of the link between early detection and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and reduced health care costs for employers, according to the Institute’s Steve Gardner, who nominated the business for the IQ award.
Address: 2356 S. 102nd St., West Allis
Web Site: www.sleepwell.org
Industry: Health care
Innovations: Launched a study of the link between early detection and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and reduced health care costs for employers. The company also co-founded the nonprofit Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation, and the company now carries the SleepStrip, a sleep apnea screening tool developed for use in the home.
