A good night's sleep is a wonderful thing. It refreshes one's mind and body for a new day. However not everybody is able to achieve a good night's sleep. They sometimes wake up in the morning feeling more tired than they felt before going to bed. Lack of sleep can have a profound impact on one's mental and physical well-being. But there is even hope for those who struggle to get a good night's sleep.
For more than 13 years the Northern Vermont Center for Sleep Disorders, which is located on the second floor, has treated many hundreds of people with sleep problems and disorders. After months, years, or even decades of poor sleep, people can now enjoy peaceful and refreshing sleep during the night and feel rested and alert during the day. Patients come from Northern and Central Vermont and Northwestern New Hampshire to have their sleep problems and disorders diagnosed and treated at our full-service sleep center. These disorders of sleep include disruptive snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, bed-wetting, restless legs, nightmares, narcolepsy, sleepwalking, and many more. The patients' ages range from toddlers to the elderly, and every age in between.
The sleep lab recently welcomed a new member to the staff. Matt Miffitt, a nurse practitioner, joins Dr. Veronika Jedlovszky and Dr. David Alsobrook. Dr. Jedlovszky is a pulmonologist and the medical director of the nationally credited sleep lab. The doctors and other staff members are excited by Matt's arrival.
“We're really happy to have him,” Dr. Jedlovszky said. “Matt is a great addition to the sleep lab team. He is compassionate and eager to learn.”
Matt is equally pleased about his new job.
“I've always been interested in the process of sleep and dreaming,” he said. “The job is a great fit.”
A native of Mystic, Connecticut, Matt said unlike some people who know at an early age what they want to do with their lives, his journey to finding his life's calling has not been so straight-forward. Following a short stint at the University of Vermont, he moved to Boston where he worked as a waiter in upscale restaurants. In time his journey took him to San Diego, California where he continued working as a waiter.
“You can make good money if you are a good waiter,” Matt said. “But I didn't want to do that all my life. I needed to challenge myself.” However, he noted that he has tremendous respect for waiters and waitresses because he understands the demands of the job.
Before going back to college he searched his soul to figure his career path. Realizing he'd always had a love of helping he decided to pursue a degree in nursing.
At first thought few people would see the similarities between nursing and being a waiter. According to Matt, however, the two occupations share key components. Both require working with people, sometimes working under pressure, and time management.
His journey took him to San Diego City College in San Diego, California. After earning his RN degree he went on to San Diego State University, eventually earning a degree as a nurse practitioner.
He and his girlfriend, Kiki Colgan, a licensed acupuncturist, settled back in Vermont, eventually landing a job at Fletcher Allen Healthcare in Burlington. He worked in the Cardiac Critical Care Unit.
Once back on the job search he knew one thing. He wanted to stay in Vermont. Although he had job opportunities at other hospitals he was hoping to work in a small, rural hospital. “North Country is a great place to continue my career.” Matt believes that his experience in cardiology is a benefit to the sleep lab, noting that untreated sleep disorders can have a profound effect on the body, including heart and brain.
Although only at North Country and the sleep lab for a short time, Matt said he already feels like an important member of a very capable, caring team.
As a side note: One of the reasons Matt wanted to work in rural Vermont was because of the lack of traffic compared to the greater Burlington area. However, during a bike ride shortly after arriving here he was almost involved in a collision, not with a car or a truck, but a bull moose that wandered into the road.
“That monster was right in front of me,” he said. “I'd seen moose before but I'd never seen a bull moose that big.”
Welcome aboard Matt and watch out for the moose.