St. Luke's Hospital-Miners Campus in Coaldale announced this week that the hospital's sleep lab center has earned reaccreditation for a five-year period.

St. Luke's Hospital remains the only accredited sleep lab in the coal region, according to hospital officials.This is important, they said, because sleep issues can be a major problem."Conditions like insomnia and apnea affect 70 million Americans," said Dr. Suneel Valla at the center during a news conference and tour."It impacts their quality of life and there can be an association with chronic diseases."Science and medicine continue to make strides in the area of sleep disorders and accreditation is a reflection of the establishment of standards and consistency, said Valla."You should get the diagnosis right the first time and it should be reproducable," he explained.The Coaldale facility has a sleep lab with two beds on-site and is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, a commitment reflected at other St Luke's Health Network facilities, as well, said Valla. For instance, St. Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem, has 10 beds on-site.The reaccreditation is a reflection of the hospital's commitment and advances in the field, including compliance to standards and ultimately, outcomes aimed toward risk reduction and improved quality of life.St. Luke's reaccreditation was issued from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and will continue through 2020.