CARY, N.C. (August 13, 2015)—Accreditation Commission for Health Care’s Sleep Accreditation program recently received acceptance by Highmark Health, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Effective beginning August 2015, the approval by Highmark Health permits ACHC-accredited sleep providers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia to access the network.

New research published in Journal for Clinical Sleep Medicine offers new hope to health systems struggling to meet 30-day COPD readmissions standards.

The study from Barnes Healthcare Services determined a COPD patient management program including non-invasive ventilators and an in-home care program reduced the readmission rate by 97 percentduring the subsequent 12 months.