Roslinde Collins-Gibbard, MD, Copley Hospital’s Sleep Medicine Specialist
Do you struggle to get a good night’s sleep? Do you find yourself irritable and always tired? If you answered yes, you may want to discuss the topic with your doctor. Every year, millions of Americans complain about not getting enough sleep. Over time, lack of sleep can cause fatigue, irritability, depression, lack of concentration, memory issues, and affect your work productivity. Left untreated, some sleep disorders may increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.
Earlier this month, Copley Hospital re-opened its sleep disorders clinic. “We are happy to have worked out a contract with Roslinde Collins-Gibbard, MD to bring this important service back to our community,” states Copley’s Chief Operating Officer Vera Jones. Copley’s Sleep Clinic is conveniently located on the main floor and uses state of the art digital monitoring equipment to obtain the highest quality data in an effort to evaluate your sleep disorder.
Roslinde Collins-Gibbard, MD will serve as Copley’s Sleep Medicine Specialist, and Mandy Poginy, NP will serve as clinical provider. Dr. Collins will read and interpret the data, and will make treatment recommendations. Mandy, who will be on-site, will meet with patients, assess his or her condition, and determine if an overnight sleep study is necessary. A sleep study is not always necessary: for some, the care plan can be managed through behavioral therapy, changes in daily habits or work schedules, medications, or with equipment such as a nasal mask to relieve snoring and support airway obstruction.
Dr. Collins received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts and completed her internship and residency at Boston University Hospital, Boston City Hospital, and Boston Veterans Administration Hospital. She received her Master of Business Administration from Isenberg School of Management in Amherst, Massachusetts in 2018. She is board-certified through the American Board of Sleep Medicine, a certification she has held since 2003. Dr. Collins has been part of the Dartmouth Hitchcock team since 2016, and prior to that served as Medical Director for Sleep Disorders at Rutland Regional Hospital. “Many people, who are affected by sleep disorders, do not recognize the symptoms, and fewer realize that once detected, most sleep disorders can be corrected. That’s where we can help with returning a patient to a more productive lifestyle through diagnosis and treatment management,” states Dr. Collins.
Mandy received both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Masters of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. She currently serves as Family Nurse Practitioner at Northern Counties Health Care in Island Pond. Prior work experience includes North Country Hospital, Northern Vermont Center’s for Sleep Disorders. She brings years of experience in assessing and treating patients with sleep disorders, including obstructive and central sleep apneas, narcolepsy, insomnia, shiftwork disorders, and other sleep disturbances.
The first step is to talk with your doctor about your concerns, as a referral is required.
If you require an overnight study, one of Copley Hospital’s trained Respiratory Therapists will conduct the study. A sleep study monitors sleep stages, patterns, heart activity, blood oxygen levels, and body movements. The data will then be sent to Dr. Collins, who will interpret it and make recommendations. The patient will have a follow-up appointment with Mandy, who will go over the results and recommendations.
For more information on sleep disorders, visit copleyvt.org or call 802-888-8388.