The Apnea Patient's News, Education & Awareness Network

Dave Hargett's Sleep Activist Activities

This page last updated on 05/27/06

Dave Hargett is a sleep apnea patient (RDI of 82), who was diagnosed in September 1994. He has been on CPAP for more than 5 years. His own experience and the amazing lack of awareness of sleep disorders has turned Dave into a "sleep activist", someone dedicated to increasing awareness of sleep and sleep disorders in the general public, in the workplace, and in the medical profession.

Organizations

Chairman and Founder of A.P.N.E.A. NET, the Apnea Patient's News, Education & Awareness Network. This non-profit organization was formed in March, 1997 to support a WEB site on sleep apnea from a patient's viewpoint. The web site is available for viewing at www.apneanet.org.
President, A.W.A.K.E. Elk Grove Village. A.W.A.K.E. (Awake, Well, And Keeping Energetic) is a health awareness and support group for Sleep Apnea patients and family members. The Elk Grove group meets at the Elk Grove Village Library and is one of over 200 groups in the US.
Newsletter/Mailings Editor, A.W.A.K.E. Elk Grove Village. The monthly mailing list is about 200, with approximately 50 people receiving email and others postal mail.
Unofficial Chicago Area Coordinator for A.W.A.K.E. Stays in regular contact with the director of the American Sleep Apnea Association and the director of the A.W.A.K.E. Network and the coordinators of various A.W.A.K.E. groups in Illinois..
Illinois Director (Patients) WakeUp America. WakeUp America is a non profit organization aimed at increasing awareness of sleep disorders .(WakeUp America is no longer active an organization)
Vice-President and Chief Content Officer of Talk About Sleep, Inc. (July 1, 2000 -- August 29, 2001)
Member, Board of Directors, American Sleep Apnea Association, 2002-2004.
Chair, Nominating Committee, American Sleep Apnea Association, 2002-2003
Coordinator and Founder of Naperville A.W.A.K.E., in conjunction with Edward Hospital and the Edward Sleep Center in Naperville, IL beginning in August 2003 and meeting monthly.

Public Speaker:

"The Great American Sleepwalk", a rally on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC May 1996 aimed at increasing awareness of sleep disorders among the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Dave was invited to speak by the American Sleep Apnea Association and represented all sleep apnea patients in the country as a speaker. Dave helped name the event, and participated in planning the rally.
Moderator & Speaker, National A.W.A.K.E. Coordinators Meeting, Washington DC., June 1996
A.W.A.K.E. groups in Rockford, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Aurora and Chicago at various dates
St. Mary's Medical Center, Evansville, IN November 1996 - A.W.A.K.E. group
Lions Club, Villa Park, IL August 1996
St. Louis A.W.A.K.E. 4th Anniversary Meeting, April 16, 1997
Illinois State Association of Medical Technologists Continuing Education Meeting, April 25,1997
Hinsdale Hospital A.W.A.K.E. Public Information Seminar, Hinsdale IL May 20, 1997
Moderator, National A.W.A.K.E. Coordinators Meeting, APSS, San Francisco, CA June 14, 1997
Talk on Medic Alert system, Aurora Ostomy Support Group, Aurora, IL July 8, 1997
Fountaindale Public Library, Bolingbrook, IL September 28, 1997
Sterling, IL A.W.A.K.E. Meeting, October 30, 1997
Co-Moderator, The Role of A.W.A.K.E., APSS, New Orleans, LA, June 20 and June 21, 1998
Woodstock, IL A.W.A.K.E. Meeting, October 13, 1998
Hinsdale, IL A.W.A.K.E. Meeting, March 23, 1999 on National Sleep Apnea Awareness Day
Elmhurst, IL A.W.A.K.E. Meeting, April 21, 1999
Co-Moderator, The Role of A.W.A.K.E., APSS, Orlando, FL, June 22, 1999
Presenter at the 1999 APT meeting, Orlando FL, on June 23, 1999. Participant in a session on "How to Create Public Awareness of Sleep Disorders".
Elk Grove Village A.W.A.K.E. Meeting July 22, 1999.
Friendship United Methodist Church, Bolingbrook, IL Adult Forum, October 17, 1999 "Snoring and Sleep Apnea"
Fountaindale Public Library, Bolingbrook, IL February 17, 2000 "Snoring and Sleep Apnea"
Aurora Golden K Kiwanis Club, Aurora, IL February 24, 2000 "Sleep Apnea"
Fibromyalgia Support Group, Bolingbrook, IL March 14, 2000
Co-Moderator, The Role of A.W.A.K.E., APSS, Las Vegas, NV June 19, 2000
Naperville Evening Kiwanis Club, Naperville, IL August 21, 2000 "Sleep Apnea"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Elmhurst, IL November 15, 2000 "Recent News About Sleep Apnea"
Bolingbrook Rotary Club, Bolingbrook, IL January 16, 2001 "Sleep Apnea"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Peru, IL April 17, 2001 "Apnea - A Patient's Perspective"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Elk Grove Village, IL April 27, 2001 "Drowsy Driving"
Co-Moderator, The Role of A.W.A.K.E., APSS, Chicago, IL June 7, 2001
Mt. Prospect Kiwanis Club, Mt. Prospect, IL January 14, 2002 "Sleep Apnea"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Arlington Heights, IL February 13, 2002 "The A.W.A.K.E. Network" as part of an initial meeting of a new A.W.A.K.E. group.
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Orland Park, IL March 14, 2002 "What Is A.W.A.K.E.?"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Peru, IL June 25, 2002 "The Basics of Sleep Apnea"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Rockford, IL September 12, 2002 "From Patient to Activist"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Chicago, IL January 15, 2003 "The A.W.A.K.E. Network" as part of an initial meeting of a new A.W.A.K.E. group
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Libertyville, IL February 4, 2003 "From Patient to Activist"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Joliet, IL April 22, 2003 "The Role of A.W.A.K.E."
Lutheran Home, Arlington Heights, IL August 22, 2003 "What is Sleep Apnea?"
Lions Club, Des Plaines, IL November 6, 2003 "What is Sleep Apnea?"
Rotary Club, Glen Ellyn, IL November 13, 2003 "What is Sleep Apnea?"
A.W.A.K.E. support group, Naperville, IL November 17, 2003 "CPAP Basics"

Future Public Speaking Events

RLS Support Group, Dixon-Sterling, IL 10/2/2004 "Sleep Apnea"

Media Activities

Featured in article in Chicago Tribune about sleep support groups, May 1996
"Lifestyles with Pat Cheffer" - 20 minute segment on Continental Cablevision's live local talk show June 1996
Radio Interview - WJCH, Joliet, IL. This 25 minute interview was broadcast in September 1996; repeated in January 1997
Radio Interview on AWARE Talk Radio segment on Sleep Disorders broadcast on 20 stations in 13 cities week of April 3, 1999
Active participant in on-line sleep forums on America On Line.
Occasional participant in the internet newsgroup alt.support.sleep-disorder
Article about Great American Sleepwalk published on Web at http://newtechpub.com/phantom (The Phantom Sleep site)
Article about anesthesiology and sleep apnea patients published on Web at http://newtechpub.com/phantom (The Phantom Sleep site)
Article about Dave Hargett's activities published at http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~dement (The Sleep Well)
Elk Grove Village A.W.A.K.E. Group featured in the Chicago suburban Daily Herald, May 6, 1999
Interview published in HomeCare magazine, February 2000, "Rapping about CPAPs", as part of a feature on "How Do Your Customers See You?". HomeCare is a trade journal devoted to the Home Health Care Industry.
Radio Interview -- WSPL, Streator, IL The 30-minute live interview (by phone) was aired on June 20th, 2002 at 10:30 a.m.
Radio Interview -- Participated with Dr. David Rapoport in a nationwide live interview on Sirius Satellite Radio, December 3, 2002
Naperville Sun article about the startup of the new Naperville A.W.A.K.E. meeting, based partially on an interview with Dave Hargett in August, 2003
Guest Editorial about the American Sleep Apnea Association published in August 2003 issue of Sleep Review magazine: http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/articles.ASP?ArticleId=S0307D02

Honors

Named 1997 A.W.A.K.E. Coordinator of the Year by the American Sleep Apnea Association. This award was presented at the June 14, 1997 A.W.A.K.E. Coordinators meeting

Additional Activities

Operates a voicemail number for information about sleep apnea and A.W.A.K.E. activities in Chicago. The number is 847-622-3687.
Operated a "sleep disorders" booth at the National Employee Health and Fitness Day health fair at Sears corporate headquarters in Hoffman Estates, IL May 1996, and May 1997
Has written and mailed several informational letters about sleep apnea and sleep disorders to the Illinois Congressional Delegation (22 Representatives and 2 Senators) both as an individual and as group signature efforts.
Donated copies of "Phantom of the Night", "Snoring and Sleep Apnea", and "Narcolepsy" to libraries in Bolingbrook, IL; Romeoville, IL; and Tupelo, MS.
Assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association in manning it's booth at the 1997 APSS meeting in San Francisco, CA.
Served as a patient-level Peer Reviewer of a study about Sleep Apnea, done for the Federal Government's Agency for Health Care Policy & Research, Spring 1998.
Operated a "sleep disorders" booth at the Lewis University Health Fair, Romeoville, IL on April 15, 1998
Attended his third consecutive annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in New Orleans, LA in June of 1998 where he assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association to promote the A.W.A.K.E. Network of health awareness groups at two meetings in New Orleans and attended several presentations during the meeting.
Attended "Sleep Medicine 98" Symposium, Columbus, OH, October 2, 1998
Planned and operated a "sleep information" booth at Sears, Roebuck and Co. corporate headquarters on March 29, 1999, to mark National Sleep Apnea Awareness Day and National Sleep Awareness Week.
Operated a "Sleep and Sleep Disorders" booth at the Lewis University Health Fair, Romeoville, IL on April 14, 1999
Attended his fourth consecutive annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Orlando, Florida in June of 1999, where he assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association to promote the A.W.A.K.E. Network of health awareness groups and attended several educational presentations during the meeting..
Attended CHEST 99, the 1999 annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, Chicago, IL Oct 31-Nov 3, 1999. Volunteered time manning the information booth of the American Sleep Apnea Association. Attended various sleep medicine presentations.
Attended his fifth consecutive annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Las Vegas, Nevada in June of 2000, where he assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association to promote the A.W.A.K.E. Network of health awareness groups and attended several educational presentations during the meeting.
Attended Sleep Seminar October 19, 2000, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL
Operated a "Sleep and Sleep Disorders" booth at the Lewis University Health Fair, Romeoville, IL on April 11, 2001
Attended the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois in June of 2001
Attended his sixth consecutive annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Chicago, Illinois in June of 2001, where he assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association to promote the A.W.A.K.E. Network of health awareness groups and attended several educational presentations during the meeting.
Operated a "Sleep and Sleep Disorders" booth at the Lewis University Health Fair, Romeoville, IL on April 17, 2002
Planned and operated a booth for the American Sleep Apnea Association at the NBC 5 Health and Fitness Expo at Navy Pier, Chicago, IL January 25-26, 2003.
American Sleep Apnea Association booth at the American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine annual meeting in San Diego, California April 2-5, 2003
Operated a "Sleep and Sleep Disorders" booth at the Lewis University Health Fair, Romeoville, IL on April 14, 2003
Attended the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Chicago, IL in June of 2003 where he assisted the American Sleep Apnea Association to promote the A.W.A.K.E. Network of health awareness groups and attended several educational presentations during the meeting.

A.P.N.E.A. NET is dedicated to providing News and Education to Sleep Apnea Patients and their family members,
and to increasing Public Awareness of Sleep Apnea through Patient Activism. See our Disclaimer for additional information.

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