PACIFIC SLEEP PROGRAM - Key Persons
Azita Fakher, NP earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master's in nursing from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Oregon. She is Board Certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and a member of American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
She has been practicing Sleep Medicine for over 17 years, including practice at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Sleep Medicine Department. She has experience in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia and parasomnias. She strongly believes in the importance of sleep in all aspects of our health.
Azita lives in the Portland Metro area with her family and enjoys exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Portland Staff Member
- Certified Medical Assistant
Job Titles:
- Portland Staff Member
- Billing & Credentialing Manager
Job Titles:
- Founder and Physician Emeritus
Dr. Gerald B. Rich founded Pacific Sleep Program, the region's first sleep disorders program, in 1981. Over the thirty-five years he has been in practice in the Pacific Northwest he has contributed greatly to the field of Sleep Medicine. In May of 2015 Dr. Rich decided that it was time for him to retire from his medical practice. His ingenuity and dedication continue to live on in the practice he first founded.
Dr. Jennifer Kim is Board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine. She is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She is a medical staff member of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center as well as Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
She earned her Bachelors of Science from Cornell University and her Doctor of Medicine from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Temple University and completed her fellowship in Sleep Medicine at Temple University and St. Christopher's Children's Hospital .
Dr. Kim's interest in sleep medicine began with her first patient, herself. She developed insomnia during college which worsened during medical school. After residency, she started practicing general internal medicine in an underserved community. Her interest in sleep soon led her back to complete a sleep medicine fellowship. She has been practicing sleep medicine in Oregon since 2009. During her sleep medicine fellowship, she started seeing pediatric patients and saw the importance of addressing sleep issues earlier in life.
Dr. Kim has earned the Portland Top Doctor award for several years including 2024.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children and husband, reading Jane Austen and playing tennis.
Job Titles:
- Portland Staff Member
- Receptionist
Mariah Franclemont, PA-C earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Clarkson University. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. After graduation, Mariah worked in family practice for 3 years and further pursued her interest in respiratory medicine by also working in pulmonology for 2 years working with patients with emphysema, restrictive lung disease and other respiratory issues. She moved to Oregon in 2017 and has been working in sleep medicine at Pacific Sleep Program for 4 years. Her experience in both family and pulmonary medicine only reinforced her belief that good sleep is the foundation of good health and led her to explore a career in sleep medicine upon moving to the West Coast.
In her free time, Mariah enjoys learning new pieces on the violin and piano as well as finding new favorite books at her local library.
Meritt Peterson is a Physician Assistant who obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from University of San Francisco, and later graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. She finds Sleep Medicine to be complex and an impactful field of medicine, and enjoys working with patients of all ages to help attain their sleep goals.
Originally from Seattle, Meritt enjoys living and working in the Portland area. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her family and friends, trying new restaurants, crafting and working on projects around her home.
Job Titles:
- Portland Staff Member
- Operational Manager & Certified Medical Assistant
Dr. Radhika Breaden is Board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine. She is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She is a medical staff member of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center as well as Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
She attended college at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she graduated with both Departmental and College Honors in Molecular, Developmental and Cellular Biology. Subsequently, she obtained her medical degree at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and obtained a Masters of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, the site of one of the first sleep disorders clinic in the country. During her training in Internal Medicine at Stanford, she studied sleep disorders in patients at the Palo Alto VA and Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Dr. Breaden's interest in Sleep Medicine grew during the several years in which she practiced Internal Medicine. She found that many of the chronic conditions she treated on a daily basis including hypertension, headaches, and fibromyalgia could be traced, in part, to poor sleep quality. In 2007 she began practicing Sleep Medicine full-time and has found the global improvements that people describe in their quality of life and health in regards to improved sleep to be remarkable and rewarding.
Dr. Breaden has earned the Portland Top Doctor award for several years in a row, including 2023 and 2024.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter exploring the Pacific Northwest activities on the Coast. She loves reading, swimming, berry picking and going to local farmers' markets. She is also an avid children's literature collector and collects classic children's literature, such as Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace.
Job Titles:
- Portland Staff Member
- New Patient Coordinator