USleep America Greater Community Project

Our mission is to be educators, advisors, and advocates for the promotion, preservation, and protection of sleep.  We aim to fulfill our mission by encouraging the creation and maintenance of a USIeep global network that carries out the organization's mission.

• USleep America, a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status, was established in the fall of 2022 to promote freedom of protected sleep as a human right.  

• Our values are  integrity, honesty, compassion, and creativity. 

• Our goals are to engage all levels of society in a systematic promotion of sleep as a human right for all, help educate, advise, and advocate for the effective use of advanced information technology that serves humanity and helps improve all aspects of protected sleep, and promote the life-balance formula: 8x3=24 (8 hours of sleep + 8 hours of work + 8 hours of rest=24). 

• Our objectives are to educate the general public and medical communities at local, regional, national, and international levels; advocate for all aspects of protected sleep by working with entities and organizations that share our mission and vision; and advise the general public on key sleep issues. 

 Dr. Oleg Y. Chernyshev, MD, PhD, FAASM, FAHA, is Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at LSU HSC at Shreveport, LA., currently directing both Sleep Medicine and Vascular Neurology Programs. He is working with his Colleagues on multiple projects aimed to advance the Sleep Medicine Field in Clinical, Administrative, Educational, and Research settings.  His special interest is in development of MOBILE SLEEP MEDICINE Field, ("IP Sleep Medicine" or Acute Inpatient Sleep Medicine Field), which covers Management of Sleep Disorders in patients with High Cardio-Cerebro-Vascular Risks (CCV) in ALL Levels of Medical Care including hospitalized patients with A-fib, refractory HTN, CHF, acute stroke, acute coronary syndrome, obesity hypoventilation from hospital to home.  The Mobile Sleep Medicine model was presented during the 2021 AASM Sleep Disruptors competition and won the People’s Choice Award. Information can be found at the following links:

• https://d11tooehygcg9z.cloudfront.net/My.AASM/AgentsOfChange/587417.pdf
  
• https://aasm.org/winners-of-inaugural-change-agents-competition-propose-new-approaches-for- sleep-apnea-care
  
• https://aasm.org/change-agents-submission-results/ 

David E McCarty MD, FAASM

Patient-Centered Sleep Medicine Specialist, Speaker, Author, Cartoonist, Podcast Host, Award-Winning Educator

Dr. Dave McCarty is a board-certified specialist in Sleep Medicine and a pioneer in the practice of patient-centered care for those who suffer from sleep disorders. An award-winning educator, he is passionate about empowering individuals with knowledge that restores  confidence and personal agency, as each patient navigates the landscape of disease and wellness, within an increasingly fragmented healthcare system.  He is the co-creator of Empowered Sleep Apnea, an innovative cross-platform educational project combining storytelling, cartooning, scientific rigor, and quite a bit of fun, all in the name of helping individuals (and providers) navigate the fascinating but complex disorder known as “Sleep Apnea.” In 2023, the project comprises a website,  a book (Empowered Sleep Apnea: A Handbook for Patients and the People Who Care About Them, co-authored with Ellen Stothard, PhD), a blog (Dave’s Notes) and a podcast (Empowered Sleep Apnea: THE PODCAST). Dr. McCarty’s professional CV can be viewed here. 

Professor J. Steve Alexander, PhD 

Dr. J. Steven Alexander is a professor in the department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Neurology, and Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport.  He is currently the director of sleep research in the department of Neurology and accomplishes research related to obstructive sleep apnea and stroke, severity. Dr. Alexander  works on Alzheimer's disease multiple sclerosis and stroke mechanisms and is a supporter of lifelong Wellness initiatives at LSU health. 

Dr. Yousaf A. Khan is a graduate of the Aga Khan University- Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. He is currently a Sleep Medicine fellow at Baylor Scott and White in Houston. He graduated from LSU Family Medicine program in 2023 and served as the Chief Resident of Administration 2022-2023. Dr. Khan has a very diverse experience and brings innovative ideas with solutions on the table. He has worked in different areas of research, healthcare, advocacy, and retail pharmaceutical in various parts of the US. He has also served as a Resident delegate for AAFP national conference in 2021 and has established relationships with lawmakers to advocate for public health, Chapter delegate for LAFP in 2021-2023 and Resident alternate member to LAFP Congress of Delegates 2022. He has also been awarded scholarships such as Family Medicine Leads Scholarship, OMS FD Mistry Scholarship and AFMRD Family Medicine Advocacy Summit Scholarship. He currently serves on the AASM Advocacy committee. He aims to bring positive change to our health care system, make an impact locally and nationally. He believes physicians are the backbone of our healthcare system and this special group of individuals also needs to be heard. Dr. Khan is energetic, open to new ideas, believes in teamwork, helping the community and problem solving. Dr. Khan loves to do powerlifting, strength training and hiking as his sporting hobbies. He likes to travel with his wife and hopes to continue to travel in the future. He is very excited to serve as an Advocate for Sleep Medicine and to fight for everyone's right to "sleep". 

 Dr. Sameh Markous is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Board certified in Child Neurology, Sleep & Epilepsy Medicine . He is an active advocate , author & researcher. He is very passionate about executive and philanthropic work. He has performed national and international presentations and he is also a cognoscente medical expert consultant. His scholarly works include Institutional Review Board (IRB) Research; Peer Reviewed Publications in top tier medical journals; Quality Peer Reviewer for prestigious medical journals and multiple professional societies affiliations in the areas of Neurology, Sleep & Epilepsy Medicine. He serves as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Political Action Committee (PAC) Northeastern Region (US States) Ambassador & Vice Chair PAC Committee Advisory Panel & attended multiple AASM Sleep on the Hill annual nationwide advocacy meetings with the AASM Advocacy Committee on legislative issues related to Sleep Medicine  & serve on the AASM Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Awareness Provider Education Work Group & also on the AASM Mentor Program as a mentor.  He is also a member of the Child Neurology Society (CNS)  Legislative Affairs Committee and the American Academy of Neurology  (AAN)  Division Chief Subcommittee member. He also participates regularly in  the AAN nationwide advocacy leadership work including being selected multiple times to represent Pennsylvania (PA)  state in the  annual Neurology on the Hill meeting on legislative issues related to neurology and he served as the PA State Captain in 2021 and also for the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum where he served as an Advocate in 2017 & as an Advisor in 2021 . My background incorporates treble leadership administrative experience in Child Neurology , Sleep and & Epilepsy Medicine. He is enthusiastic about opportunities and challenges that significantly impact the medical field while passionately building long-lasting peer and patient relationships.   

Ms. Viki Duncan serves as Community Relations Director for USleepAmerica.  Understanding her calling, she embraced a 25-year career as a public  school teacher. At least 10 of those years she taught students with learning disabilities. She received Teacher of the Year honors from her  campus peers on three occasions: as special education, general education,       and English as a second language teacher of the year. Ms. Duncan  held a volunteer position as lay chaplain at the Houston Methodist  Hospital from 2018 until the Covid outbreak in 2019. After retiring from       a career of teaching in 2018, she dedicated Wednesday mornings to bible       study with local teens at their middle school campus. (Mark 10:43-44)       "...whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefess, shall be servant of all."  God blessed  her marriage with a loving son, a doting daughter-in-law and two adorable  grandchildren. She spends much of her time focused on community outreach endeavors serving a  diverse group of people in the Fifth Ward area of Houston Texas: serving through outdoor ministry to at risk and underserved citizens.  Pastor Viki Duncan considers it a great privilege to serve others as an associate pastor of the Latter Day Deliverance Revival Church in Houston, Texas.   She was taught that building relationships is the foundation for success: first with God and second with others. 

Dr. Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, Ph.D., serves as the Executive Director for USleepAmerica.   She is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in the field of history from a Texas institution (Rice University).  She serves as a tenured full professor of history at Texas Southern University, where her publications, courses, and community projects focus on  American history, the history of religion,  intellectual history, and topics in the African Diaspora.