Gulf Coast Village’s Amy Hoffmann Schenk and Elizabeth Perez-Vasquez earn designation as Certified Dementia Practitioners

Gulf Coast Village, a continuing care retirement community in Cape Coral, has announced that two of its employees, Amy Hoffmann Schenk (pictured on the left) and Elizabeth Perez-Vasquez (pictured on the right), have earned designations as Certified Dementia Practitioners. Schenk and Perez-Vasquez received their certifications from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, a worldwide leader in dementia education and certification for health care professionals. This designation is representative of Schenk and Perez-Vasquez’s comprehensive knowledge in the area of dementia care.

Schenk is a registered nurse with over 20 years senior leadership experience in a variety of health care settings. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, she has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science and Education in Public Health from the University of Toledo. She has experience at the regional vice president level in the areas of outpatient wound care management, hemodialysis as well as home care. At Gulf Coast Village, Schenk is the director of quality improvement, working with the clinical team in all areas of quality management, including effectively reducing 30 day re-hospitalization rates, and also provides dementia education through her role with the organization.

Originally from Homestead, Florida, Perez-Vazquez is a Licensed Practical Nurse of 14 years. Her areas of expertise include leadership skills in skilled nursing as an assistant administrator, a wound care nurse and as a MDS 3.0 coordinator. Perez-Vazquez is both IV certified and CORE certified, and is actively advancing her education in nursing at Florida SouthWestern State College, where she is pursuing a degree as a registered nurse. Perez-Vazquez has been employed with Gulf Coast Village for two years, and is currently serving as the unit coordinator in the Assisted Living Memory Support unit.

“Schenk and Perez-Vasquez are two great examples of health care professionals that are dedicated to providing the highest level care for individuals with dementia and demonstrate Gulf Coast Village’s commitment to continually enhancing care benefits and quality of life for all residents within our community,” said Kevin Ahmadi, executive director of Gulf Coast Village. “We are proud of our team members’ commitment to furthering their educations, and look forward to seeing how their increased knowledge and skills will benefit the health care services provided to Gulf Coast Village residents.”