Congratulations to the following educators for this extraordinary achievement.
2017 Educator of the Year
Ivette Rivera-Ortiz CDP, CADDCT
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Ivette Rivera-Ortiz (center) received the award from NCCDP’s CEO, Sandra Stimson (left) and COO, Lynn Biot Gordon (right)
Congratulations to the NCCDP’s 2017 Educator of the Year: Ivette Rivera-Ortiz CDP, CADDCT!
The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) would like to thank everyone for the many nominations we received for our Educator of the Year Award. Established in 2003, the NCCDP’s Educator of the Year Awards Program honors Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainers (CADDCTs) for their achievements and hard work. The program was created to recognize individuals whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet the challenges associated with providing up-to-date and comprehensive dementia education. The nominees are all health care professionals who work in: nursing homes, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, retirement communities, hospice agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric facilities, adult day care facilities/programs, government agencies, home care agencies, health care associations, and learning institutions.
The NCCDP’s Educator of the Year Award is recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious awards in the field of dementia education. The winner of this award has the proven ability to exceed the state and federal regulations regarding dementia education. The educator is an inspirational individual who engages students, and instills in them a passion for their continued growth in the field of patient care.
After much deliberation, we are happy to announce that Ivette Rivera-Ortiz, RN, CDP, CADDCT, is the NCCDP’s 2017 Educator of the Year!
Rivera-Ortiz has 30 years' experience as a registered nurse in the field of rehabilitation. She worked as a quality monitor for the state of Texas for the past 13 years. She is currently the Dietitian and Pharmacist Program Manager for the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Rivera-Ortiz is specifically knowledgeable about the neurological changes in the brain that affect the cognitive functions of Alzheimer’s sufferers. She teaches her students how to recognize changes in their patients' behavior due to these cognitive issues. And, most importantly, she teaches them how to care for these patients in the most professional and empathetic manner possible. Rivera-Ortiz conducts her seminars in English and Spanish, and her instruction is highly sought in the Spanish communities of southern Texas. We would like to congratulate her initiative to educate staff as to how to reduce the use of antipsychotic medication in nursing homes. Ivette Rivera-Ortiz is an innovative educator who well deserves this prestigious honor!
The NCCDP would also like to congratulate the following CADDCTs for earning our Distinguished Educator of the Year Awards:
Maria Wellisch, RN, LNFA, CDP, CADDCT, Vice President of Corporate Training, Morningside Ministries, TX
Elizabeth McManamy, Rph, CDP, CADDCT, Quality Monitoring Program Pharmacist, Department of Health and Human Services, TX
Denise Scruggs, ADC, CDP, CADDCT, Director of the Beard Center on Aging, Lynchburg College, VA
Cindy Lamica, ADC, LPN, CDP, CADDCT, Harmony Program Director, Notre Dame Healthcare, Inc., MA
Linda Chapman, RN, CDP, CADDCT, Regional Clinical Educator, Heart to Heart Hospice, MI
Rhonda David, RN, CDP, CADDCT, Director of Education, the Medical Team, MI
Tameka Battle, CTRS, CDP, CADDCT, Assistant Professor, Nassau University Medical Center, NY
Ninety Morningside Ministries Staff Members Complete Certified Dementia Practitioners Program
Employees completed a comprehensive course on dementia and are now Certified Dementia Practitioners.
San Antonio, TX (April 4, 2017) - In response to the growing number of seniors living with dementia in the San Antonio community, 90 employees at Morningside Ministries Senior Living Communities have been awarded status as Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP) by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP).
45 of the 90 graduates will be honored during a special ceremony at Morningside Ministries at The Manor-Kaulbach (630 Babcock, San Antonio, Texas 78201) on Thursday, April 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The CDP certification is one of several certifications offered by NCCDP, an organization formed in 2001 to promote standards of excellence in dementia and Alzheimer's Disease education for practitioners and other caregivers who provide services to those living with dementia.
Throughout the month of March, Vice President of Corporate Training for Morningside Ministries Maria Wellisch, who is also a Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT), coordinated training seminars for frontline staff at two Morningside communities. This staff included certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses and activity coordinators who work daily with residents affected by dementia.
"Morningside Ministries is committed to maintaining and promoting quality of care. This employee certification is just one more way we do this to support our residents and their families," expressed Wellisch.
According to the World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia worldwide is currently estimated at 47.5 million and is projected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030. The Texas Department of State Health Services estimates that in the state of Texas alone, 350,000 individuals are living with dementia. Programs like those offered by the NCCDP help health care professionals better understand how to provide compassionate care to those living with dementia.
For more information on the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, visit their website at portal.nccdp.org. Learn more about Morningside Ministries by visiting www.mmliving.org.
About Morningside Ministries
Founded in 1961, Morningside Ministries is San Antonio's oldest and largest not-for profit, faith-based, senior care organization. The faith-based mission of Morningside Ministries is to enhance the dignity and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers with compassionate care. Morningside Ministries offers options in independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care in three communities in San Antonio and Boerne, Texas. To learn more, visit www.mmliving.org
