ASAP Forms Community Leadership Council

The Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners (ASAP) is pleased to announce the formation of its first Community Leadership Council, which will extend ASAP’s outreach into the wider sleep apnea community, empower more members of that community, and strengthen the link between sleep apnea patients and ASAP.

The Community Leadership Council’s mission is two-fold: 

• To elevate concerns, issues, and voices of people living with sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea to ASAP stakeholders to ensure patients’ needs are being addressed

• To promote patient awareness of ASAP and its goal to represent patient voices within their communities 

Members of the council are 

• David Bishop, a sleep equity advocate and the CEO and founder of the Sleep Equity Project, whose mission is to make sleep treatment accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, gender identity, or geographical location. 

• Andre Puleo, a former sleep technologist who worked as a clinician in sleep labs for more than 25 years and later became a global director for sleep diagnostics and therapy. He went on to establish his own healthcare consultancy, AP3 Consulting. 

• Bob Stanton, a sleep apnea patient, former commercial truck driver, and current member of the ASAP board. A longtime patient advocate, he has presented at many sleep medicine conferences, co-authored twice in commentary articles in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, and been active in rule-making with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration related to sleep apnea testing and treatment. Read his Apnea Story.

• Jasmine Steele, U.S. Air Force veteran, teacher, and sleep apnea patient. After learning that her sleep apnea was the root cause of her many health problems, she became determined to help others and raise awareness about the importance of treatment. Read her Apnea Story.

• Tom Wilson, founder of the Philips CPAP Recall Support Group. A former business executive, he founded the Facebook group after learning about the Philips Respironics CPAP/respiratory devices recall in 2021. Since then, he has focused on advocating for consumer rights and has engaged with both the federal government and national media to bring attention to the recall’s impact on patients.

• Nicole Sondermann, a sleep coach, provides one-on-one coaching to patients who are referred for CPAP therapy. A board member of the Florida Association of Sleep Technologists, she also has provided education and training around the topics of shiftwork, sleep, and alertness. She primarily has focused on the transportation, first-responder, medical, and corporate workplace wellness.

• Karen Eichenbaum Wolk, a sleep apnea patient, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment that likely resulted from undiagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea. 

Through the Community Leadership Council, community leaders and ASAP will exchange information, explore strategic initiatives, and share practical and educational resources related to sleep apnea with a focus on improving patients’ quality of life and care. 

Council members also will guide and inform the ASAP about key issues affecting the sleep apnea community. As part of their role as champions of patient well-being and of ASAP’s mission and vision, they also will be involved in meeting other stakeholders, such as policymakers, community members, scientists, and researchers.

Meet the Community Leadership Council members here.

About the Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners:

ASAP is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sleep apnea on behalf of the patient community to advance the lifelong well-being of sleep apnea patients.