Tucson, AZ: Good Doctors and DMEs for Apnea?

[17WRX]

Hello. I did a sleep study recently and was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The doctor told me I had a 30 AHI and O2 down to 70% at times. I've known I've had it for years but just didn't want to deal with it. But I'm tired of dealing with all of the adverse effects from it. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about it for the past few weeks now. I go in for my titration study at Oro Valley hospital on Orange Grove later this coming week. They have been difficult to deal with thus far. They don't return calls or answer the phone. It took days of calling just to get someone on the phone to make an appointment and they still have not sent any of the info they said they would in the call so they do not inspire confidence. I found my sleep doctor through coworkers and they seem ok but from what I gather they tend to prescribe brick cpaps and I want an apap that will give me lots of data because I want to play an active role in my care. 

So I was wondering if any of you who live in Tucson have a wonderful sleep medicine Doctor, or have a bad one? I'd love to hear any Tucson locals experience with it all. I'm originally from southern California so my knowledge of who to go to here is limited. Also any recommendations, or warnings about local DMEs I should go to or avoid is very welcome. Unfortunately my insurance, BCBS FEP, apparently doesn't let me buy from any online retailers or out of network providers so I'm stuck with the local DMEs in Tucson or worst case I could drive to Chandler or nearby there if someone is outstanding. Thanks for any info you can provide. Here is a list of the local DME that are in my network in Tucson according to my provider. 

Act Now DME LLC
7620 N Hartman Ln
Ste 122
Tucson, AZ 85743

Banner Home Care HME
Tucson
575 E River Rd
Ste 104
Tucson, AZ 85704

Rotech
2551 N Dragoon St
Ste 131
Tucson, AZ 85745

Preferred Homecare
2155 N Forbes Blvd
Ste 107
Tucson, AZ 85745

Sleep Testing and
Respiratory Services
3400 E Speedway Blvd
Ste 104
Tucson, AZ 85716
Phone: (520) 918-1316


Sleep Testing and
Respiratory Services
Additional Locations
1951 N Wilmot Rd, Ste 1 Ste 4
Tucson, AZ 85712

Pongratz Orthotics and
Prosthetics Inc
4520 E Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85712

Numotion
4500 E Speedway Blvd
Ste 99
Tucson, AZ 85712

Sleepmed Therapies Inc
1661 N Swan Rd
Ste 136
Tucson, AZ 85712

Apria Healthcare LLC
4202 S Santa Rita Ave
Tucson, AZ 85714

[Homerec130]

For DMEs I would definitely keep away from the last one on the list. We both use Pacific Pulmonary as our DME (don't know what heir new name is). I gave been with them for 7 years and been quite happy with them.

I do not know what part of town you are on, but for Drs I use Dr Dean at Tucson ENT.  (LaCanada and Orange Grove). My wive just switched to Dr Ockay (NW Hospital La Cholla complex). Dr Ockay did a fellowship ay Mayo Clinic in Sleep Medicine and is certificated in the field. My wife switch from Dr Shani (Swan Camp Lowell) as she felt she was getting nowhere in the two years she was a patient and never could talk to anyone. Always got a voice mail. Even our respiratory therapist couldn't talk to them.

[Sleepster]

I don't know how hard it would be for you to change your sleep study appointment, but consider doing that because the sleep lab that was chosen for you seems pretty lame.

The most important advice I have for you is to not trust the DME. Often the employees are misinformed and just repeat whatever their boss tells them to say. Do not accept delivery of your machine unless you are convinced it's not a brick. No matter what the DME tells you.

[17WRX]

I'm going to Dr Shani now and I know about the lack of communication. But at least somebody there will eventually call me back with a day or two. The sleep lab I'm doing my titration study takes about a week to return a call. They are incredibly bad. I'm going to call the hospital administrators office Monday and start posting on their facebook and twitter to try to get the admins to pressure them into calling my back. Its really that bad with them. But it takes forever to get any appointment for anything sleep related here so I'm going to try to stick with them, if possible, just so I can get the Doctor to give me the prescription for an apap. After that point I'll hopefully be able to take care of myself with help from the various apnea boards. Thank you for the info about Dr Okcay. How hard was it to get an appointment with her? Does it take months?

[17WRX]

I don't know how hard it would be for you to change your sleep study appointment, but consider doing that because the sleep lab that was chosen for you seems pretty lame.

The most important advice I have for you is to not trust the DME. Often the employees are misinformed and just repeat whatever their boss tells them to say. Do not accept delivery of your machine unless you are convinced it's not a brick. No matter what the DME tells you.

If I get a machine like a ResMed AirSense 10 autoset, will it always be data capable? Or do they turn off the data capability on machines that normally have it? Do I need to plug it in and turn it on in the DME store and look through the clinical menu to really know? How do I really know?

[OpalRose]

Yes, the AutoSet is data capable and they can’t turn that off.  They can set it up in Cpap mode, but that’s meaningless, as you can change that yourself once home and using it.

The best thing to do is ask your doctor to be clear on the perscription. It should state RedMed AirSense 10 AutoSet. Take no substitutions.

Be aware that recent machines have been sold without an SD card.  You may have to ask for one.

Definitely plug it in while at the store and find the machine/blower hours (not user hours), and be sure it’s 0.  If there’s a couple hundred or more hours on it, then you would know they are giving you a used machine. Don’t accept it. You have a right to a new machine as you will be using it 5+ years.

You can order a Clinicians manual for the machine you ultimately get at the link at top of page.

[17WRX]

Yes, the AutoSet is data capable and they can’t turn that off.  They can set it up in Cpap mode, but that’s meaningless, as you can change that yourself once home and using it.

The best thing to do is ask your doctor to be clear on the perscription.  It should state RedMed AirSense 10 AutoSet.  Take no substitutions.

Be aware that recent machines have been sold without an SD card.  You may have to ask for one.

Definitely plug it in while at the store and find the machine/blower hours (not user hours), and be sure it’s 0.  If there’s a couple hundred or more hours on it, then you would know they are giving you a used machine.  Don’t accept it.  You have a right to a new machine as you will be using it 5+ years.

You can order a Clinicians manual for the machine you ultimately get at the link at top of page.



Are they being sold with the slot for an SD card, or its just missing an SD card but has the slot to insert one?

[Gideon]

The slot is in the machine, It usually is in a documentation package, not in the machine, but if it is not there ask for it anyway, and do check the machine for run hours, while may users do get zero hour machine sometimes they have thousands of hours on them, by their (intentional) mistake.

[OpalRose]

All machines have a slot, it’s just that we’ve noticed a trend for ResMed to not include a card.
The DME may tell you that you don’t need it, but you will need one if you want to see your data. Ask if your machine has a card, if not, ask for one or buy one yourself.