Three Leading Sleep Solution Providers Choose Watermark Medical's Web-Enabled Home Sleep Testing Solutions

BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Watermark Medical, Inc., a privately-held, medical products and services company servicing the sleep-disordered breathing market, has expanded the market reach of its Web-enabled in-home sleep apnea testing device through strategic alliances with three leading sleep solution providers in the U.S. and Canada. The new partners are SleepQuest, a national provider of comprehensive sleep apnea services; Sleep Optima, which provides sleep apnea services through a growing network of dentists; and The Snore Shop, which offers sleep apnea services. Based on Watermark Medical's expertise and credibility in the in-home testing market, these companies chose to use the Watermark ARES™ in three distinct types of practice settings, demonstrating the versatility of the Watermark device.

Watermark ARES™ (Apnea Risk Evaluation System) is the first FDA-cleared, CMS approved, in-home, wire-free, ambulatory sleep test device that provides physicians with a highly accurate, lower-cost tool to diagnose patients who may be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The ARES™ integrates physiological data acquired in-home with clinical history and anthropomorphic data to determine the presence and severity of OSA.  

"Through these partnerships, Watermark is making Web-enabled in-home testing and diagnosis even more accessible to the millions of Americans suffering from sleep apnea," said Charlie Alvarez, co-founder and president of Watermark Medical. "The ARES device saves patients significant time and money, but can also save lives. Accurate and timely diagnosis of sleep apnea is critical because sleep apnea is linked to chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension."  

"As the premier national provider of comprehensive sleep apnea services, we are always on the lookout for testing devices that will improve the diagnostic and treatment process," says SleepQuest President and CEO Robert Koenigsberg. "We evaluated the Watermark ARES device and thought it was very good, but, more importantly, our patients like it because it allows them to test for sleep apnea in the comfort of their own homes -- saving time and money."  

"The fact that the ARES is a Level 2 device, offering a higher number of diagnostic channels than most other home-testing devices, is extremely important to some of the healthcare providers in our national network," Koenigsberg adds. "As primary care physicians work to treat the whole patient, the ARES plays a critical role. Accurately diagnosing sleep apnea can help identify many underlying health issues -- it's the first step towards complete health and wellness."  

Sleep Optima is a two-year-old, Ohio-based company that assists dental practices with the implementation of Sleep Dentistry into their practices. "We looked at all the products on the market and chose the Watermark device because it is the easiest and most accurate in-home test for patients to self-administer," said Rob Winnings, CEO of Sleep Optima. "Watermark has done a superior job in designing the back-end of their business regarding the collection and dissemination of information to our network. Their web-enabled system speeds the diagnostic process, which allows the patient to focus on treatment, which can ultimately be life-saving."

The Snore Shop is a five-year-old company that conducts nearly 200 sleep tests a month in its two locations throughout Nova Scotia. The company switched to the Watermark ARES after running into problems with two previous in-home test devices. "The waiting list for hospital sleep labs in our region is almost three years, which can be detrimental to patients who have severe sleep apnea," said The Snore Shop General Manager Treena Hanschke. "We switched to the ARES after experiencing problems with two other home-testing devices, including issues such as durability. We've been using the ARES for six months and have been extremely pleased with the results. We are not only able to treat people a whole lot faster, but by diagnosing sleep apnea accurately in a patient's home, we are taking the burden off of the larger community by decreasing the waiting list for hospital sleep lab tests, making room for those patients who really need it."

About Watermark Medical, Inc.

Watermark Medical, Inc., (WM) is a privately held medical products company servicing the sleep-disordered breathing market.  Its co-founders/investors are serial entrepreneurs with extensive experience building successful business models and sales and distribution channels for medical services.  Watermark Medical has quickly become a leader in this market, demonstrated by the equity investment from its largest shareholder, CA Technologies. Watermark Medical's product, the Watermark ARES, is currently distributed through PSS Medical, McKesson Corporation and Henry Schein. The company is headquartered in Boca Raton, FL.  For more information, visit www.watermarkmedical.com.

About SleepQuest

SleepQuest, Inc. is a national provider of comprehensive Sleep Apnea services, with Board Certified sleep medicine physicians reviewing diagnosis, therapy and ongoing clinical support. Through MySleepQuest.com, the company permits consumers and existing patients across the country to benefit from SleepQuest's experience in providing customized care. SleepQuest has delivered successful outcomes to thousands of patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Accredited by the Joint Commission, their comprehensive and clinically-validated "Continuum of Care" approach includes screening, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing patient management to achieve high compliance rates and successful medical and quality-of-life outcomes. For additional information, visit SleepQuest at http://www.SleepQuest.com.

About Sleep Optima

Sleep Optima is building a network of dentists across the United States that provide alternative diagnostic processes and therapies for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and severe snoring.  Sleep Optima assists dental practices with the initial implementation of Sleep Dentistry into their practices. They provide education and training, diagnostic home sleep testing, medical insurance billing services and new patient marketing through its website, MySleepTest.com. Sleep Optima has its own network of Board Certified Sleep Specialist's that work in conjunction with their dental clients to provide patients with a variety of options for the treatment of OSA.

About The Snore Shop

The Snore Shop operates clinics in Nova Scotia that diagnose and treat patients with sleeping disorders, particularly those with sleep disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea. The five-year-old company is owned by practicing otolaryngologists with an interest in sleep disordered breathing as it pertains to upper airway mechanics. For more information, visit http://www.thesnoreshop.ca.

SOURCE Watermark Medical, Inc.