Mount Nittany Health is pleased to announce that its Sleep Lab, located within the Sieg Neuroscience Center, was recently awarded a five-year accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). This prestigious recognition acknowledges the Sleep Lab’s commitment to excellence in patient care, and adherence to rigorous quality standards.

Accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine represents the gold standard for sleep medicine programs, signifying their dedication to providing the highest level of care to patients with sleep disorders.

“The process for accreditation is intense,” said Gregory Ruff, MD, Pulmonary Medicine, Sleep Medicine, and Critical Care, Mount Nittany Health. “The criteria is extremely strict. Many labs that apply have to revise their application several times, and they may only be approved on a provisional status. I am proud that we accomplished the approval on the first attempt.”

This impressive recognition highlights the Sleep Lab's commitment to maintaining exceptional standards in all aspects of sleep medicine, including clinical care, staffing, and testing protocols. The accreditation process evaluates the lab's compliance with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Standards for Accreditation, which cover a comprehensive range of areas such as patient safety, equipment, facilities, policies, procedures, and quality assurance.

Mount Nittany Health's Sleep Lab consistently demonstrated its dedication to patient well-being and the advancement of sleep medicine. The lab is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of experts, including board-certified sleep medicine providers, registered sleep technologists, and skilled support staff. Equipped with modern diagnostic tools and a patient-centered approach, the Sleep Lab provides personalized treatment plans for a wide range of sleep disorders.

To schedule an appointment with one of our sleep specialists, call 814.231.7277. Current Mount Nittany Health patients may also request an appointment online at MyMountNittanyHealth.com.

More than 150 golfers, volunteers, and chamber members converged at Mountain View Country Club on Friday, May 18, to support the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County's Annual Golf Outing. The event's proceeds support the Chamber's economic development initiatives. 

Firstly, the Chamber extends our gratitude to our generous sponsors. Their contributions made the day possible. A huge thanks to 19th-Hole Mixer presenting sponsor Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. and to our gold sponsors Intrada Technologies, PSECU, PennTerra Engineering, Inc., Mount Nittany Health, Northwest Bank, and Stuckey Mitsubishi Super Center for their unwavering support and commitment to our community. 

The Chamber was pleased to welcome back Silver Sponsors, Education Staffing Solutions, First National Bank, Gigi's Southern Table, Keystone Payroll, Mercato Mio Italian Market, The Meadows Psychiatric Center, Penn Highlands Healthcare, and Whiting-Turning.

Participants demonstrated their golfing prowess in a spirited scramble format, fostering friendly competition. Congratulations to the Gross and Net winners, who earned prizes and well-deserved bragging rights.

Gross Scores

• First Place: Ed Tubbs, Crystal Tubbs, Dan Baker, and Vicki Baker, sponsored by Mercato Mio Italian Market and Gigi's Southern Table
• Second Place: Tim Edmondson, John Bechtel, Dwayne Rush, and Cam Smith, sponsored by Whiting-Turner
• Third Place: Kirk Thomas, Aaron Hartsock, Bill Burmeister, and Ron Napikoski, sponsored by Geisinger Healthplex State College.

Net Scores

• First Place: Chris Wagner, Glenn Sekunda, Chris Spielvogel, and Terry Hess, sponsored by Keystone Payroll, LLC
• Second Place: Matt Heaps, Seth Napikoski, Caleb Shertzer, and Branden Bowden, sponsored by Kish Bank
• Third Place: Wayne Halstead, Brady Wadding, Jason Hickman, and Joe Myers, sponsored by Penn Highlands Healthcare. 

Longest Drive Winners

• Women - Amber Kissinger 
• Men - Cam Smith
• Senior - Dan Baker

Furthermore, congratulations to Amber Kissinger for winning the Mount Nittany Health Mega Putt.

In addition to the golf tournament, we had some exciting raffle prizes. The winners are as follows:

• Crystal Tubbs won the Pamper Me Spring Rejuvenation Package from SK Aesthetics.
• Kevin McGarry is the lucky recipient of the Sports Package.
• Michael Turlis won the Staycation Package.

Lastly, the Chamber extends our deepest appreciation to all volunteers who manned on-course contests, welcomed golfers to the event, sold raffle tickets, and even delivered lunches. The Golf Outing is only possible with our volunteers -- Thank you! 

To learn more about the Chamber, the annual golf outing or economic development, visit www.cbicc.org. 

Communication is a vital cornerstone of any business meeting. As the CEO or team manager, you have to use the best skills to keep your employees motivated towards achieving personal and professional goals. To succeed at this job, you'll have to possess the right communicating skills so that your meetings are smooth, effective, and pleasant for everyone.

Unfortunately, a considerable number of people don't know how to communicate effectively while holding meetings. Ineffective meetings can make you and your employees feel misunderstood, unacknowledged, discouraged, and frustrated. Strong communication will make you feel heard and understood, which leads to positive company culture and a successful business. Therefore, understanding how to run effective meetings is an important part of business gatherings. Continue reading as we outline some vital communication ideas to implement in your meetings.

Pay Attention to Your Body Language
When holding a meeting, communicating to your audience involves more than just the usual speech or written mode of communication. Body language also plays a significant part in the way we communicate with other people. Research shows that 55% of your communication is through body language. As a result, you need to pay close attention to your body language. Note that your audience is always keen on your body language, and they make snap judgments based on them. Therefore, before any meeting, think about how you will stand and sit. Adopt a good posture, maintain eye contact with many people in the meeting, and avoid cross body language.

Keep Unnecessary Distractions to a Minimum
Keeping distractions to a bare minimum is essential in improving the quality of your communications in meetings. Try to keep the room soundproofed or choose a location that is far away from background noise and eliminate any possible distractions such as mobile phones. In fact, one study found that up to 80% of employees know that mobile phones can be a significant distraction in meetings. However, approximately 50% of workers still use these gadgets anyway. Before starting any meeting, politely remind your audience to keep their electronic devices like laptops and phones away. This ensures that they pay attention to the messages you convey. If it's necessary to use any devices, restrict them to only those who need them.

Enhance Communication With the Best Technology
You can take advantage of technology to help you organize your thoughts and say the right things. This is primarily applicable in instances where the meeting involves participants in different locations under varying time zones. You will need a software or intelligent device that supports hybrid and remote meetings. Look for a device that provides multimedia and other visual details for clearer communication and incorporates solutions such as Zoom to communicate with remote participants more effectively.

Ask Questions to Bring Others into the Conversation
Although it might not always be possible to involve questions in a meeting, bringing your attendees into the discussion works better than listening to long speeches. However, note that some of your audience may be reluctant to volunteer or answer your questions. You can try asking intelligent questions to push them into offering specific ideas. You can ask random questions aimed at particular individuals or groups, allowing your audience to volunteer in giving answers. This keeps people engaged, and it ensures that everyone understands your message.

Conclusion
Good communication is crucial in ensuring that you have an effective meeting. By implementing the above ideas, you will have productive meetings that deliver the intended objective. The key thing is to pay attention to your body language and also bring attendees into the discussion.