WASHINGTON — Roadside Medical Clinic Lab and Sleep Pointe LLC have teamed up to develop a national sleep lab network in the U.S. in order to address the critical issue of obstructed sleep apnea among professional truck drivers.

The joint venture is designed to bring services to the driver versus taking time off the clock routing them to other locations for treatment.

The companies believe this initiative will play a major role in reducing healthcare costs for companies and provide preventive care for thousands of professional truck drivers, says Bob Perry, president for Roadside Medical Clinic Lab and vice-chair for the American Transportation Association Wellness Council.

The initiative can provide sleep studies for the drivers today via unique partnerships with facilities adjacent to Pilot Travel Centers throughout the country. Each facility will be designed to support sleep studies using the existing exam rooms as sleep rooms after clinic hours.

According to a study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier’s Safety Administration and the American Trucking Association, nearly 1.1 million commercial truck drivers are affected by sleep apnea – defined as the struggle to breathe during sleep that can lead to many other health problems including, excessive daytime sleepiness, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and other life-threatening diseases.