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Joanne Getsy

Joanne Getsy, MD

Professor Emerita


Specialties: Pulmonary Medicine

Education

  • MD - Tufts University School of Medicine
  • BS - Tufts University

Awards & Honors

  • Governor's Community Service Award (2000)

Memberships / Professional Affiliations

  • Pennsylvania Medical Society
  • American College of Chest Physicians, which awarded her its Governor's Service Award
  • Fellow of the the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
  • Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine

Joanne Getsy, MD, served as medical director of Drexel Sleep Medicine and chief of the Section of Sleep Medicine until 2017. She was also medical director of the Neurodiagnostics Sleep Disorders Center at Hahnemann University Hospital. Dr. Getsy is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases and sleep medicine. She is now retired from clinical practice.

While in practice, Dr. Getsy was recognized as one of the top physicians in the field of sleep medicine in the Philadelphia area and is sought out by patients from all across the United States for her expertise. She saw patients with a host of sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, insomnia and restless legs syndrome, as well as patients with pulmonary diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.

She has appeared on local and national television, including NBC and ABC affiliates in Philadelphia, The Nightly News, 20/20 and the Today Show and has been quoted in many newspapers and magazines across the country.

Podcast

  • Sleep Disorders and Insight on How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
    Listen
    (September 4, 2007)

Clinical Services

Insomnia, Obstructive sleep apnea, Sleep disorders, Sleep studies, Sleep apnea and heart disease, Sleep apnea in women, Sleep medicine consultations, Insomnia - cognitive-behavioral therapy

Internships

  • Internal Medicine - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1983)

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1984-1986)

Fellowships

  • Pulmonary/Critical Care/Sleep Medicine - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1986-1989)

Joanne Getsy, MD, is professor emerita of medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. She previously served as the program director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship, training doctors in the field of sleep disorders. Dr. Getsy has been awarded the prestigious Governors' Community Service Award from the American College of Chest Physicians for her project providing CPAP machines to the underprivileged.

Research Interests

Sleep apnea and heart disease, CPAP machine use

Research

Dr. Getsy's research focuses on the association between sleep apnea and heart disease. She has also conducted research on patients' use of their CPAP machines. Dr. Getsy has new studies starting frequently.

Dr. Getsy has authored numerous articles on sleep disorders and continues to pursue research in the association between sleep apnea and lung diseases. Her recent publications on the association between asthma and obstructive sleep apnea were widely-regarded in the medical community.

In the Media

Publications

“Comparison of the Residual Apnea Hypopnea Indices of the Polysomnography at the Selected Titration Pressure and Follow up Visit Positive Airway Pressure Device Data: A Real World Study”
Agrawal R, Wang JA, Ko AG, Getsy JE
Oral presentation by Ritwick Agrawal at the Sleep meeting in Minneapolis, and he won a Young Investigator award for it. Publication pending.

"Clinical Usefulness of the Flow-Volume Loop Curve in Predicting the Mallampati Score in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea"
Ladi L, Sherman M, Kaushal M, Getsy J
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 187; A3763, 2013

"Sleep-Disordered Breathing with Buprenorphine-Naloxone Use: A Case Report"
Ladi L, Wang J, Getsy J
Chest 138:700A; doi:10.1378

“Satisfaction With a Durable Medical Equipment Company Is Not Associated With Adherence to Positive Airway Pressure Therapy, But Race and Gender Might Be”
Hamilton T, Ladi L, Sherman M, Getsy J
Poster Presentation at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Meeting, SLEEP 2012, Boston, Massachusetts, June 2012

"Obstructive sleep apnea and asthma: what are the links?"
Alkhalil M, Schulman E, Getsy J
J Clin Sleep Med; 5:71-78, 2009

Abstract: "CPAP does not result in an improvement in functional bowel disorders in OSA patients"
Mikulski W, Kaufer S, Getsy J, Ahmad A, et al
Gastroenterol; 136(5):M1235, 2009