Kellogg Community College Physical Therapist Assistant professor Barbara “B.J.” Simmons has received the first-ever Physical Therapist Assistant of the Year Award from Battle Creek AMBUCS, a local chapter of the nonprofit service organization dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities.
National AMBUCS President Jack Bellware presented the award to Simmons during the Battle Creek AMBUCS and AMBUCS for Veterans Club Awards Program held May 29 at the American Legion post at 228 N. 20th St. in Springfield.
Simmons, who also serves as coordinator of clinical education for the PTA Program, has worked at KCC since 1984. She is the first-ever physical therapist assistant appointed to the Michigan Board of Physical Therapy and is active in the Michigan Physical Therapy Association and its Western District.
KCC President Dr. Dennis Bona said the award is well-deserved.
“B.J.’s tireless efforts on behalf of her students prove her dedication to the PTA profession and the community as a whole,” Bona said. “We here at KCC are proud that AMBUCS has recognized the outstanding work she continues to do to advance the health of our community.”
KCC’s PTA Program began in 1971 as one of the first PTA programs in the country and the first in Michigan. The program had a 100 percent employment rate for graduates seeking a position from 2010 to 2012.
For more information about KCC’s PTA Program, visit www.kellogg.edu/pta.
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