GAYLORD — With an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans suffering from sleep disorders, Northern Michigan Regional Hospital has met the challenge by expanding its Sleep Center to include a new Gaylord location and by increasing support for existing sleep program services in Newberry.
The Sleep Center in Gaylord opened Monday at 930 N. Center Street, across from the Otsego County Fairgrounds. Both certified sleep physicians, Dwayne Griffin, D.O., of Petoskey’s Sleep Center, and David Walker, D.O., a Traverse City sleep specialist, will see patients at the new clinic.
Bill Sides, supervisor of the Petoskey and Gaylord centers, says all patients suffering from sleep disorders, including children 3 years of age or older, can be diagnosed and treated at the new Gaylord four-bed facility. Unlike other sleep centers, the full spectrum of sleep disorders, including, but not limited to, sleep apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome are all treatable at The Sleep Center.
“A lot of sleep problems are easily treated,” says Sides, “and sometimes all it takes is an evaluation and a night in the sleep lab to be on the way to a good night’s sleep.”
The Gaylord facility will also house a specialists’ clinic, which will allow Petoskey physicians to meet more conveniently with Gaylord-area patients. Specialists from the Center for Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Sleep Diagnostics of Northern Michigan, Michigan Heart & Vascular Services, Great Lakes Digestive Health, Petoskey Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists and Koskus Audiology will all maintain offices in the building.  
An open house will be 3–7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Door prizes and food will accompany the ribbon cutting at the new center. For more information, call (866) 775-3372.
In addition to the new Gaylord clinic, Northern Michigan Regional Hospital is increasing its management and support services of the existing sleep program offered at Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry. Dr. Jeffrey Washington, Northern Michigan Regional Hospital pulmonary and sleep specialist, has been regularly seeing patients in the Upper Peninsula community, and the hospital will increase resources to help the program grow.