Clinical Training
Our Clinical Sites
The UCLA Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program currently includes 5 clinical training sites. Together, these sites provide a rigorous, diverse, and rewarding clinical training experience for our fellows.
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (WLA-VAMC)
The WLA-VAMC is one of the largest tertiary VA sites nationwide and currently houses the largest national VA sleep program. Fellows are exposed to inpatient and outpatient adult sleep rotations encompassing all adult sleep disorders as well as a cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia program, actigraphy, an in-house durable medical equipment program and alternative therapies to positive airway pressure for the veterans including dental appliances through the VA Dental Department and hypoglossal nerve stimulator (multi-specialty). There are 5 Sleep Board certified clinicians supervising the fellows. The WLA-VAMC has an American Academy of Sleep Medicine accredited 2-bed sleep lab as well as active out-of center testing with over 1500 home sleep studies performed per year. The WLA-VAMC has multidisciplinary expertise in basic and clinical research including expertise in effects of sleep on brain plasticity and the hypothalamic control of sleep-wake states, neural mechanisms of upper airway muscles, narcolepsy and clinical research expertise in insomnia in the geriatric population and women. Both basic and clinical researchers as well as clinicians provide core curriculum lectures and mentorship in clinical or basic research. All fellows attend the Wednesday noon sleep core lecture and the afternoon sleep continuity clinic at the WLA-VAMC.
Sepulveda VA Ambulatory Care Clinic (SACC)
The SACC is a community based outpatient center within the Greater Los Angeles VA system which receives a large volume of sleep consults. The SACC houses multi-disciplinary outpatient clinics including sleep clinic as well as a sleep respiratory therapy office where therapists provide VA patients with out-of-center sleep testing and durable medical equipment and support. The SACC also has a 4-bed sleep lab. All fellows attend the Friday noon sleep core lecture and have a sleep continuity clinic at the SACC.
The UCLA Health System (Westwood) rotation at Ronald Reagan Medical Center (RRMC) provides exposure to adult and pediatric outpatient and inpatient rotations as well as diagnostic procedures and durable medical equipment in a private, tertiary care setting. At the UCLA Health System (Westwood) site, there are 5 Sleep Medicine board certified physicians who will supervise fellows and provide core lectures. Sleep clinics are staffed by both the Pulmonary and Neurology services. The institution houses an 11-bed sleep laboratory that is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and runs 7 nights a week, performing adult and pediatric polysomnograms as well as MSLTs and MWT’s. Durable medical equipment for sleep disturbances is also dispensed at this site and fellows will attend mask fittings, positive airway pressure (PAP) set up, and PAP desensitizations. The UCLA Dental School houses a Sleep Dental residency which specializes in fitting patients for sleep dental devices and fellows will closely interact with this group. The UCLA Health System also has active Head and Neck and oromaxillofacial surgical programs, which are available for consultations for surgical procedures for obstructive sleep apnea as well as a bariatric surgical program. In addition, there are sleep neuroimaging and psychoimmunology research groups who will assist in providing core lectures and research mentoring.
UCLA Health System (Santa Monica; SM-UCLA)
SM-UCLA Medical Center will provide exposure to inpatient and outpatient adult sleep rotations within a community based hospital and outpatient center. SM-UCLA receives a large volume of both inpatient and outpatient sleep consults and has sleep outpatient clinics running on a daily basis. The SM-UCLA clinicians utilize the UCLA Medical Center Sleep Laboratory in Westwood, although a full time, dedicated sleep respiratory therapist is present in the sleep clinic who provides positive airway pressure education and mask fittings to patients and manages the out-of-center sleep testing from SM-UCLA. The fellows will closely interact with the 3 Sleep Medicine specialists who are all diplomats of the American Board of Internal Medicine (subspecialty of Sleep Medicine), as well as the sleep respiratory therapist.
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (OVMC)
OVMC provides exposure to inpatient and outpatient adult and pediatric sleep rotations within a county facility. OVMC has a 2-bed sleep laboratory, active out-of-center sleep testing, and a large volume of outpatient and inpatient consultations. Fellows attend the pediatric and adult sleep clinics and the sleep laboratory. In addition, rotations at this institution enhance fellows' experiences in the diagnosis and management of women and children with sleep disorders. Fellows are supervised by 3 faculty members who are diplomats of the American Board of Internal Medicine (subspecialty Sleep Medicine). Fellows attend a weekly case conference.
Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC)
Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC Children’s) is a 334 bed free-standing children’s hospital in Orange County, California. Trainees at all levels from medical students to senior fellows have opportunities for inpatient and outpatient rotations in pediatric sleep medicine at a tertiary care children’s hospital. The CHOC Comprehensive Sleep Program includes 5 board certified sleep medicine providers in different subspecialties, Pediatric Neurology and Pediatric Pulmonology, as well as 2 board certified Child Psychologists with specialty training in sleep medicine focusing on insomnia and positive airway pressure (PAP) desensitization in the pediatric population. Trainees get first-hand experience in the evaluation and treatment in sleep disorders in patients ranging from the premature neonate to 21 years of age. Based on the high faculty to resident ratio, most encounters are done under direct supervision with individualized learning opportunities for each trainee. The sleep medicine program includes a variety of multi-disciplinary clinics such as Sleep Apnea Team Clinic, Neurology Sleep Center Clinic, Downs Syndrome Clinic, Craniofacial Clinic, Autism Sleep Clinic, and a variety of others.