The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners has named Denise Scruggs, director of the Beard Center on Aging, as a Distinguished Educator of the Year for 2017. The recognition honors her professional training activities for dementia and health education efforts in Virginia and around the nation. In addition to organizing the annual Conference on Aging at the University of Lynchburg, Scruggs speaks in forums throughout the country and has worked with the Post-Acute Care Certified Staff Educator program offered by the National Council of Post-Acute Care Practitioners.
Scruggs is one of the only educators honored by the NCCDP, which received hundreds of nomination letters this year. The NCCDP honors educators for their achievements and dedicated work in helping caretakers meet the needs of patients. This Educator of the Year award and the Distinguished Educator of the Year designations recognize trainers whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet the challenging standards of facilitating quality dementia education.
