The Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders

Without a doubt, the most difficult medical front office staff I have ever dealt with. Exceptionally long lead times for appointments, in the 5 to 12 month timeframe. Almost impossible to get them on the phone, and even then the wait time is likely to be in the 10 to 20 minutes.
Patient care does not seem to be a top priority for this practice. It is very focused on what’s convenient for the staff, and enforcing all its policies and procedures, and if patient care happens, that seems to be an unintended side effect, but certainly not the goal, at least not for the majority of the patients — maybe some special patients get treated better, but that certainly was not my experience. It feels like you are being moved down an assembly line, with no input into the process.
I was referred to this practice by my neurologist, who wrote a referral for a sleep study. The process from my first call to this practice to treatment of my moderate to severe sleep apnea took about a year, given the lead time for appointments. The first two annual checkups went off without a problem. Before the annual checkup the third year, I knew that the CPAP therapy was not as effective as it had been, However, two days before the appointment I’d waited eight months for, the practice called to cancel the appointment because the PA I was scheduled to see was «on vacation in Florida». (Apparently, patients must plan months in advance, but the staff can change schedules at will.) When I pointed out that my therapy was not working well for me, I was scheduled for a session with one of the technicians to ensure my equipment was functioning properly (it was). I was also told that they would reschedule the appointment, and that they would put me on the «cancellation list». When I didn’t hear from them, I called and rescheduled my appointment — for eight months in the future. Shortly before that appointment, I received a curt letter, informing me that the practice had lost the PA I was scheduled to see, my appointment was cancelled, they were very busy, and if I needed medical care, I should consult my physician. (Recap, at this point it’s been three years since they’ve seen me, they’ve cancelled my appointments, and I have an identified problem with my therapy.) So I call, and insist on an appointment. Another six month wait. The appointment is for January 27, 2016, which happens to be the Wednesday after the huge snowstorm. I normally allow an hour to get there, given the road conditions, I allowed two hours. Traffic was horrible, about an hour before the appointment, I was concerned that I might be late, so I called the practice, I spent over 20 minutes on hold, When I finally got through to the office, i was given a lecture on practice’s rules, which only allow a 20 minute grace period for late arrival, I was also asked to call back when I was closer. The fifth time I called back (four went unanswered), I was told that the PA i was scheduled to see had daïs that since the next patient was scheduled to arrive in 10 minutes (note, that patient had not arrived, and apparently was not going to have any of the traffic problems everyone else was having) I would have to reschedule. When I pointed out that they had cancelled my two prior appointments, that I had spent two and half hours in traffic to get to this one, and that I had kept them advised of my attempts to get to the appointment, I was reminded of their policies.
I can only conclude that my health is a low priority for this practice, and will find another provider.

I honestly don’t think I have ever had a better experience with a doctor. I was diagnosed with mild apnea and went in to see Dr. Emsellem. She spent all the time in the world with me, asking me questions in the kindest way. I felt very comfortable. Also, before the appointment I was given a video to watch about apnea. This made me feel very well-​informed about my diagnosis and gave me a great starting off place to enter the meeting. She answered all of my questions without making me feel rushed, and was a very good teacher when it came to explaining the more technical questions I had. And incredibly… she takes insurance!!! If you’re having trouble sleeping, are snoring or can’t sleep, I couldn’t recommend her more!

Let’s just cover the highlights:
1. I waited 3 months for an appointment to see Dr. Emsellem, and what the other reviewers say is true: once you see her, you will never see her again. Then you will be shuffled off to a Physician’s Assistant unless something goes very wrong. We’ll come back to that.
2. I had been trying to treat my chronic insomnia holistically for more than a decade, because drugs and I don’t seem to get on very well. After seeing Dr. Emsellem and her Physician’s Assistant, Sandy, I agreed to try a prescription. I was told that there were very few side effects. We’ll come back to that as well.
Please keep in mind that after waiting who knows how long to meet with Dr. Emsellem you will be shuffled off to a Physician’s Assistant. I have nothing against PA’s; I have everything against incompetence and covering your a**.
3. After a month of taking the prescribed medication, I began to have side effects. Bad ones. I tried to ignore them. That’s on me. However, when I finally contacted the office to say, this isn’t working, nobody called me back. In fact, since their preferred means of contact is email you will have to game their phone system to speak to a person and not have to leave a message.
4. I emailed them repeatedly. I left messages repeatedly. When I finally spoke to someone at the front desk three days after my first email message, I was told Sandy would get back to me and that they were really short staffed. We’ll come back to that too. I told the front desk that I had repeatedly tried to email and speak to Sandy, without any response, and I needed to talk to someone now or I was emailing Dr. Emsellem. That seemed to be the key phrase.
5. When I finally spoke to Sandy the next day she didn’t seem to care about my side effects. Her concerns were me not emailing Dr. Emsellem, and getting me off one prescription and on to another, even though I asked repeatedly if I should wait until the side effects went away. No, I was told, they would go away or I should see my Primary Physician. And so the buck passing had begun.
6. As you can probably guess, the side effects did not go away. In fact they got worse on the new medication.
7. When I called the office to talk to someone about this, I spoke to the Prescription Manager and was basically told, oh, that’s too bad. Yeah, you shouldn’t take this anymore. Your side effects are strange and you are a problem. You should see your doctor.
Silly me, I thought I was under the care of a Physician’s Assistant *and* a Doctor.
8. Because of this I wrote an email to Dr. Emsellem. A very long email, 4 pages in fact, detailing every interaction I had had with her staff, every date, every name, every «pass the buck» reply I had been given. I wanted to be treated as a patient, not as a problem. It’s a lot to ask for these days apparently.
And this is when things got amazing.
Dr. Emsellem called me back the day after I sent her this email and her reply was to the effect of, clearly your side effects are a problem with your body not the medication. The medication is never wrong. You need to see your Primary Care Physician. And a Rheumatologist. And a Psychiatrist. And then once you do that *maybe* we’ll see you again. Maybe. But clearly you’re difficult and I want nothing to do with it. Also, we’re short staffed, so there.
As you can imagine I was gobsmacked. Lazy doctors are everywhere. So are rude ones. And incompetent ones. I’ve never come across one office that made so many errors and then decided to blame the patient.
Obviously I am no longer under their care, but that is the sort of treatment you can expect from this practice. Also, if they treat their staff the way they treat their patients is it really any surprise they’re short staffed all the time as well?

Was referred here by my doctor for a sleep study while I was on break. Filled out all the required paperwork online. Received a voicemail from Monique stating that I needed to… fill out the paperwork online and I’d receive a call in a week to a week and a half with an appointment. I called back and informed the person calling that I had already filled out the paperwork. She, NotMonique, said she found it must have been overlooked (by Monique) and someone would call me in a week and a half to schedule an appointment. That was 3 weeks ago.

I have lifelong chronic insomnia. I saw their practitioners twice or 3 times – Dr. Ruddy once and Ms. Zabbara 1 – 2 times – and they did listen and validate my complaints about insomnia. The one good thing about this place is that at least they recognize insomnia as a primary ailment and don’t dismiss it or try to get you to take antidepressants, like most allopathic doctors. But they did not give me much insight into my condition or discuss the mechanisms of insomnia or why I am not sleeping. Is it due to a wacky hormonal system? An old head injury? Am I getting too much exercise? They don’t venture any thoughts or analysis. What they do is prescribe drugs.
A year or so after my last visit with Zabarra, I emailed to see if I could get an appointment with Emsellem, thinking she might have a deeper understanding. Never got a response. I’m seeking out an herbal practitioner as mainstream medicine – even a so-​called «sleep center” – seems to have no clue about insomnia.

I moved to Florida several years ago. Dr. Emsellem gave me a few names of other doctors she felt could handle my medical issues.
I just want to tell patients that have Dr. Emsellem how lucky they are to have a wonderful caring doctor. In addition, if you need a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders Dr. Emsellem and her staff is the place you want to be.
It has been seven years and I have not found a doctor that has helped me the way she did. The other doctors just want to change my medicine around and try to make my sleep better. I don’t know why they want to change something that already works.
My husband wants me to make an appointment and just fly in to see her. I am beginning to think he is right. That is why I am writing this review. You don’t know what a great doctor you have until you have to find another one.

Thought I had sleep apnea but I wanted an actual diagnosis. Got a reference from my ENT to go here.
Got the diagnosis I figured after a sleep study. Communication was good, got to see all my data and understand EXACTLY what was going on.
2 minor complaints: 1 must be crazy busy because the time between appointments and follow ups was super long.
2 got brought in for a CPAP fitting, was there for 7.5 minutes, charged a $ 40 co pay. Could we have taken that time before the 2^nd sleep study instead? Not sure but was kind of a bummer.
Otherwise the staff were good, the doctor very good at explaining everything, all good in my book.

This place is managed like a successful business, rather than a caring sleep treatment center. During the sleep study, there was a lot of foot traffic and muffled conversation in the hall outside my sleeping room; the noise, more than the panoply of sensors affixed to my person, made the sleep study arduous and uncomfortable. I remember thinking: For a sleep treatment center, this place is pretty noisy. I had a terrible night’s sleep, as you might guess.
I think Dr. Ensellem is a good doctor — competent, experienced. But, you get to see her only one time. After that, you get to see her assistants. The physician’s assistants are great, in fact. Very helpful and skilled. But there is no way to see Dr. Ensellem again. You get one audience with her, and then, no more. You are relegated to her assistants. It’s probably a great business model for Dr. Ensellem and we cannot blame her for setting up this system. It’s an efficient moneymaking enterprise, is my guess. Making money is American and patriotic. I will assume the best — if there were an urgent matter that required Dr. Ensellem’s intervention, I would guess that she would consent to see you again.
Physician assistant Sandy has been empathic. She listens to me describe my sleep problems and has efficiently ascertained that I have been using my sleep breathing gadget correctly. I respect and like Sandy and am grateful for her time.
Two of the three front desk staff are, perhaps, not happy with their jobs. There is one person at the front desk who is smiling and kind and helpful — she has been great. There are two others there who seem like they would rather be somewhere else — which is OK, you know? Many folks would rather be somewhere else. They seem sluggish and resentful, but, in a way, that’s America: sluggish and resentful. I accept it.
N.B. For the record, I would never say: «Meh. I’ve experienced better.» about anything. I wish I could disengage Unilocal’s commentary from my reviews. Unilocal should let me allow readers to trust me, instead of inserting officious extra commentary. And, I have not experienced better or worse than this sleep center, since this is the only sleep center I have ever visited.
I hope these comments are constructive. It’s probably a lot of stressful work to own and operate a sleep center. I bet you would lose a lot of sleep over it.

I think it’s a safe bet that this practice played a major role in losing two previous jobs. Despite a lot of experience, Dr. E seemingly didn’t take antidepressants into account when diagnosing me with «Idiopathic hypersomnia with narcoleptic features,» which is NOT an actual diagnosis, and therefore refused to prescribe the gold standard medication for narcolepsy. I asked her and her employees over several months why they wouldn’t prescribe this, and all I was ever told was that «we’re worried insurance won’t pay for it.» I even asked repeatedly if there was another reason why they wouldn’t prescribe it– because as a medical professional, I could understand that– but they never gave me one. They also never attempted to SEE if insurance would pay for it. Meanwhile, my sleep deprivation increased and my temper became shorter and shorter on stimulants. I eventually made enough big mistakes that I was «let go» from one job and stressed enough that I screwed up another one before probation was over. Long story short: after being told that her practice didn’t send in paperwork needed for the second job until the deadline had passed– causing me to start two weeks later than planned– I gave up on this practice. The next two «sleep doctors» I saw? Neither had any problem saying I had narcolepsy, and they both prescribed this medication. And the kicker? My old insurance and my new insurance have never had any problems paying for this medication.

I had a bad experience with this sleep center and ultimately gave up in frustration trying to deal with their bureaucracy and unresponsiveness.
When I contacted the sleep center, I was told to fill-​out a survey online and that someone would be in touch soon. After about 10 days, I finally got a call. They asked me to come in for a sleep study.
For the sleep study, I was covered in sensors and wires. Anyone, like me, who has a hard time sleeping can’t be expected to sleep in this environment. After a restless night and sleeping about 2−½ hours, the study determined that – surprise – I don’t sleep well.
The sleep study confirmed what I could have simply told the doctor if someone had cared to have a face-​to-​face conversation with me – without going through an uncomfortable and expensive study. But this sleep center is a factory, and really not set up to have a real conversation. Every communication with the staff sounded like I was talking to a robot, as if everyone is half-​asleep insomniacs themselves. And every email communication sounded like a form letter.
After the sleep study, the plan is to follow-​up with a doctor. It took many weeks to get an appointment. I discovered Dr. Emsellum doesn’t actually meet with patients. When I was told I would meet with Dr. Kalfus instead, I called to talk to him. I wanted to know if he was the right person for what I needed. I left three messages for him at the front desk, and Dr. Kalfus never called me back. I even left an email for Dr. Emsellum, and that too went unanswered. So, I cancelled my appointment and gave up trying to deal with this dysfunctional group.
How can an organization like this function with such poor communication skills? I suggest that anyone who’s looking for a responsive human being who can spend time with you to diagnose and resolve your sleep issues, that you should look elsewhere.

I don’t really understand the negative reviews. Maybe if you’re going there for simple Obstructive Sleep Apnea and are a bit of an entitled person this practice isn’t for you, but with more complex disorders like narcolepsy, these guys are great! I’ve seen a doctor every time I’ve gone in (Dr. kalfus), so I can’t comment on the practice of using NPs for visits. Dr. Kalfus has spent over *two hours* talking with me every time I’ve come in, and even brought Helene in for a consult on my first appointment. I’ve been working with them since August to get my narcolepsy sorted, and while it can be hard to schedule appointments, they really seem to care about you and will work with you to fit you in. The sleep tests are also fine; I had both the polysomnagram and the MSLT. The techs are very nice, and I absolutely love the short male nurse who takes my vitals when I come in. He’s hilarious. Overall, I feel like they really want to unravel the puzzle of my sleep disorder, and are willing to work with me to get me to a functional place. When I called to schedule an appointment, Dr. kalfus actually got on the phone to talk with me about how I’ve been doing! It’s little things like that that make me really happy with this place.

Yes, Dr. E. is going to see you once, your first visit with the NP or PA but both (and I have seen all three in my several years being treated here) are EXCELLENT, thoughtful, very knowledgeable clinicians. Dr. E. keeps her ear to the ground on all matters and personally reviews your studies. I have never felt like I was being shuffled around or my issues weren’t being taken seriously. I was able to work very closely with both the NP and the PA Ms. Evans (an amazing provider) to get my insomnia, apnea, and rls under control. Sandy Evans will return emails the next day or sooner, even over weekends. They work with other well established providers if you have co-​occuring illnesses. They were the first doctors to get me the right diagnosis, treatment, and once under control, appropriately schedule visits so I can get some sleep and go about living my very busy life! Cannot recommend them enough!

IF you can see Dr. E, no one is more knowledgeable and accomplished.
Otherwise, you will be shuffled off to to a cadre of NPs and Technicians who will treat you like a widget going down the assembly line which is this practice.

I’m new to the world of sleep studies and this was my first ever so I have nothing else to compare it to unlike the other Unilocalers here. To be fair, everything seemed to be on the average side of the house so I decided to give them 3 stars for «Ok.»
Location
Is very convenient. There’s a parking garage too but I didn’t drive there so I can’t comment on that. It’s a short walk from the Friendship Heights metro station though so that’s definitely an option (especially if you find you’re not quite fit enough to operate a vehicle afterwards).
Insurance
I didn’t have any problems with my insurance, but it could just be my carrier. You will have to fill out forms on their website first, wait for them to call back, then complete the paperwork process by sending in your referral form and completing the questionnaire. In my case, I was told several days prior to my appointment how much my insurance covered and how much co-​insurance I would have to pay out of pocket the night of my appointment.
Sleep Center
It’s on the top of the building. A building that DOES NOT have a vending machine. One of the other patients there got attacked by the case of the muchies and was asking about vending machines and if the sleep techs themselves had snacks to share. I was waiting for him to break out into a temper tantrum on the floor, honestly. But anyway they have a small refrigerator and a microwave. If you must have a snack, bring it with you because there’s no food for you. There’s 3 showers that include clean towels and a small tv room. The rooms themselves do not have a tv but they each have a sink.
Sleep Study
I don’t care what the lab reading materials or the webmd guide says, having a sleep study is very uncomfortable. And if you have a disorder that makes it difficult for you to fall asleep in the first place you’re not going to have a comfy, dreamy evening with all those electrodes attached throughout your head, neck, chest, back, legs. You’re just not. And that gook that’s used to attach the electrodes to your body, scalp, head… for me it took forever to scrub it off after the fact so just pack your fav cleansers and clarifiers or plan to have a scrub fest when you get home. Also, try NOT to get the room by the tv room/​front desk. I could hear the lab tech giggling over the phone with her boo and one of the patients complaining about the lack of stellar programming on a friday night in my sleep study. I had to ask them to keep it down.

The equipment is ancient and insufficient. Since being bought out by big business I haven’t heard one person say it’s any good. The readings have not been sent to my doctor after an extended period of time so I cannot be treated. Of course, they will have no trouble in billing me. They also use a terrible company for their machines; one with a bad reputation. Never again.

I went here last year to have both a nighttime and daytime sleep study done. The location is really convenient, right across the street from the Friendship Heights metro stop, and right next to all of the shops and restaurants at Mazza Gallerie. The building is also very nicely kept and there is security at the front door (it is also a pain in the neck to get into the building because you will have to use the phone next to the door to call up to the suite and the receptionist has to make sure you have an appointment and then tell the guard to let you in).
The actual suite where the Sleep Center is located is not quite as fancy as the building though. I think it could have used some new carpet and a fresh coat of paint. I also think that they should have a bigger refrigerator and microwave and maybe even a kitchenette since many of the people who spend the night here, as well as the workers, bring snacks/​dinner/​breakfast/​lunch here (which they encourage you to do since it’s so expensive to eat around there).
The waiting area/​TV room/​microwave and refrigerator area is also way too small, they could use a bigger TV and more seating since, if you are getting the daytime sleep study done (which consists of five 20-​minute naps every couple of hours), you will be there ALL day, so you can at least be comfortable.
Lastly, the rooms could be a little bigger, but they are still pretty cozy. It would be nice if they had a TV in there as well (as a lot of sleep study centers do). It’s a little uncomfortable to be walking around the suite in a medical gown, you hair all over your head, and all types of wires and cords sticking out of your scalp, so your own TV would be great to have. They also make the rooms FREEZING. I know the cold air helps you sleep better but Good Lord, I had to ask for an extra blanket.
One good thing about this center is the staff. They are pretty helpful and will give you anything that you need. If you don’t feel comfortable going down to the cafeteria that they have in the building (since, as I mentioned before, you will be wearing a medical gown and will be having all types of wires and cords coming out of your head), the staff will be more than happy to take your order and they will go get your food for you. I was actually being brave down that day, so I went down to the cafeteria myself even though I was looking like the Bride of Frankenstein. Another good thing about this center is the fact that they deliver the results very quickly and will even go over them with you if you want, instead of waiting for your doctor.
I would still recommend this place to anyone, just for convenience. If you’re looking for a 5-​star sleep center, there are definitely nicer ones in this area.

The combination of loud snoring and an unhappy wife has resulted in me participating in two sleep studies at the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorder. The center has approximately ten private rooms, where advanced sleep analysis is performed.
Sleeping in an unfamiliar environment, with electrode attached to you is inherently uncomfortable — I don’t care who you are. The technicians assisting with the study, however, are very professional and made me feel like a welcomed guest, in addition to being very knowledgeable on the subject of sleep.
The facilities here are clean and I really like Dr. Emsellem, who is the lead doctor here. Being proactive and selecting the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders were two of the best health related decisions I have made recently.
Thanks guys!

I have sleep problems and as a result got referred here. I was less than enthusiastic about «sleeping» away from home on a Thursday night, knowing I had to go to work the next day. I arrived and was pleasantly surprised to find that each person has their own room, mine was bigger than my one at home. The décor is «tranquil spa» lots of sea green and blues. The staff was really nice, Sonja was my technician and she was nice, while putting on my «gear» we talked about her sister and her commute, she also explained the tests and what to expect. They do have private bathrooms with showers (like the ones at the gym with those soap and shampoo wall dispensers) and towels so there is no need to go all the way back home to get ready for work. Overall not the worst experience, I’d like to say I’d go back, but it’s not really that kind of place.