The AASM Foundation is excited to announce that Community Health Initiative for Patient-Centered Apnea Protocols (CHI-PAP) is the recipient of the 2026 Sleep Champion Award. CHI-PAP was selected due to its dedication to promoting community-based sleep health advocacy and increasing access to sleep health services and education for populations that have been traditionally excluded.
In partnership with CommunityHealth Chicago, the largest volunteer-run free clinic in the United States, CHI-PAP launched in 2021 and offers evaluation, treatment, and long-term follow up for sleep-related health issues to low-resource patients in the Chicago metropolitan area. Over three years, CHI-PAP has provided 134 patients with sleep-related services across 356 appointments, including 116 home sleep apnea tests and has helped 63 patients start on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. Through community donations and utilizing local institutions for equipment and supplies, CHI-PAP has built a sustainable model of care, reinforcing the program’s longevity.
CHI-PAP was nominated by Dr. Justin Fiala, who highlighted its “combination of free, comprehensive care for sleep-related disorders, focus on underserved patients, innovative use of donated resources, multilingual education outreach, and sustainable community-clinic partnership make it an exemplar of how sleep medicine can be delivered in a socially responsible, high-impact manner.”
The Sleep Champion Award is the AASM Foundation’s only merit-based award. Nominations are reviewed by volunteers, and the recipient is selected by our Board of Directors Executive Committee.
