Barbara S. Diggle-Fox

Dr B. Suzy Diggle-Fox, PhD, ANP, GNP-BC is a full-time Assistant Clinical Professor at UNCW school of nursing. She teaches courses within all UNCW’s graduate and undergraduate programs. After her initial education as an HHA, then as a LPN, then she went on to complete her BSN (1982), MSN as an NP (1988), and her PhD in Nursing Education (2014). Dr Diggle-Fox has extensive clinical experience in multiple settings. She became a Certified Dementia Educator a few years ago and a Parkinson’s Disease Faculty Scholar in 2018 and in the 1990’s she became a Nurse Practitioner HIV scholar. Currently, she volunteers as a NP at a local senior center and vaccine centers. She is also an expert witness regarding Gerontology. For the past few years, she has been taking classes for her Certification as an Older Adult Sexual Counselor at the Institute of Integrative Sex Therapy. She is a Sexuality Educator. She herself is now a senior citizen, and her nursing career has largely been focused on gerontology regarding ways individuals can increase their joy, independence, safety and quality of life and this includes a healthy sexual life, as well as preventative health care. Dr Suzy Diggle has been working with UNCW in developing their new Adult, Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program. She has been doing research regarding older adults in the community within sexuality. Dr Suzy Diggle has presented on sexuality, as well as preventative care and older adults locally, nationally and internationally.

Education

CNA BOCES Technological Center in Lindenhurst New York, 1977
LPN BOCES Technological Center in Lindenhurst New York, 1978
BSN SUNY at Downstate Brooklyn New York, 1982
MSN as Nurse Practitioner Gerontology, Adult, Hunter, New York, New York, 1988
HIV Counselor, Nurse Practitioner, Department of Health, New York, New York, 1989
HIV Nurse Practitioner Scholar, Department of Health, New York, New York, 1997
Certification Training for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling, PACE Center, Bohemia, New York, 1997
Certified HIV Clinical Scholar, NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute, 1999
PhD in Nursing Education, Capella University, Minneapolis, MN, 2014
Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Nursing Scholar, Boston, Mass, 2017
Sexuality Educator, Institute of Integrative Sex Therapy, LA, CA, 2020
Certified Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease Educator, Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care (CADDC), National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, 2023

Specialization in Teaching

Dr B. Suzy Diggle-Fox, PhD, ANP, GNP-BC is considered a specialist in gerontological care and this includes geriatric education. She was sought out in 2024 by a law firm that needed a geriatric specialist to be an expert witness. She has been a Geriatric/Adult NP since 1988. She has been teaching full-time in a college/university since 2012. Much of her educational teaching and clinical care is in geriatric and adult health care. Dr. Suzy Diggle-Fox has been continuing her education both by teaching and learning within related geriatric fields, Parkinson’s Disease, sexuality and aging, preventative care as we age and how to age well are her areas of interest. She attends many educational sessions yearly as well as reading almost daily within gerontology to continue to be updated in her area of specialty and teaching. She has been on UNCW’s committee to develop UNCW’s Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner DNP Program since this committee began. She is presently developing the 616 course Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing II with Dr Tammy Arms. Dr B. Suzy Diggle-Fox will be the sole professor teaching this course in spring 2026. Lastly, she has always been the caregiver for her grandparents and both her parents until this year when the last of their generations passed on. Dr B. Suzy Diggle-Fox was her mother’s sole family member and primary care giver until several months ago. She is now an even better educator, having had these personal experiences within gerontology.

Research Interests

1) Scholarly & Research Interests/ 250 Words

A) Older Adult Sexuality (50 +)
B) Gerontology
C) Preventative Care
D) How to Live Longer, Healthier with increased Quality of Life
E) People who work with or have Dementia and their Care Givers
F) Parkinson's Disease and their care givers
G) Care Givers for Geriatric and Adult Individuals
H) Community/Public Health

Professional Service

Professional Service - 1 /250 words

• North Carolina Nurses Association Gerontology Association Council Board Member 2019-present
• UNCW’s committees to develop UNCW’s Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner DNP Program
• Palliative and Hospice Care Course Coordinator 2020-2025
• UNCW Gerontological Affiliate 2019-present
• Facilitator of Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s new and first Sexuality Course for Older Adults 2023-2024
• Committee Board to Develop ANCC Gerontological Certification Review Course with AHEC 2022-2025
• A member on multiple committees within UNCW

Community Engagement

• New Hanover County Nurse Practitioner/RN Volunteer to administer COVID-19 Vaccines 2020-Presently, COVID, FLU and more
• Parkinson’s Disease Support Group NP Educator, New Hanover Senior Citizen Center Wilmington NC 2018 – present
• Nurse Practitioner Volunteer, Cape Fear Clinic Wilmington, NC, June 2018 – 2024
• Nurse Practitioner Volunteer, Cape Fear Hospice Wilmington, NC, June 2018 – July 2019

Honors & Awards

Honors & Awards - 1 /250 words
• 1) At least twice a year she is recognized as a faculty member that made a difference in a nursing student’s academic career from the Division of Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington’s Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (2017-present).
• 2) She was a:
• A) Member Spotlight for the Gerontological Council within the North Carolina Nurse’s Association (2021).
• B) Finalist in the North Carolina Association on Aging in the Excellence in the Field of aging “Shining Star Award” category for quality of direct service they provide to older adults in their community (2020).
• C) Inducted into the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Geriatric Affiliation Association (2019).
• D) Finalist in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Care Heroes Award Program within the Nurse Practitioner/Physician’s Assistants Category (November 2019).