John Rutkauskas, DDS, CEO of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), has been selected as the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Public Advocacy Award on behalf of the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR), the organizations announced.
The award was presented to Dr. Rutkauskas during FNIDCR's annual conference and awards dinner for its members and friends, including distinguished leaders from the U.S., Canada, and abroad, on December 6 in Washington, DC.
The award is presented to an individual or organization that has helped foster improved healthcare for patients and other health consumers through advocacy efforts for specific patient groups and/or public education activities. Past awardees include C. Everett Koop, Joe Garagiola, Scientific American, the Washington Post and, most recently, Terrie Cowley, co-founder of TMJ Association.
Dr. Rutkauskas was nominated by FNIDCR board member Mary Kaye Richter and given unanimous support, the organization stated. Ms. Richter is the past executive director of the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias.
Members of the FNIDCR board acknowledged Dr. Rutkauskas' vigorous efforts to get oral health coverage for patients with special needs under medical insurance, his advocacy for oral healthcare when the first discussions on national healthcare insurance began in the 1990s, and his continued fight for the needs of special care populations.
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