Her goal after graduation from
St. Catherine’s High School (located on the East Side of Detroit) was
to enter nursing school. This
was the time however, in the early 40’s that our country was emerged
in WWII and the nursing schools were crowded.
So she went to work at Packard Motor Car Company as a typist and
after two years was accepted at the Providence Hospital School of
Nursing where she graduated in March, 1947.
Armed
with this grand diploma as a Registered Nurse, she went to work at the
Wayne County Psychiatric Hospital.
The hospital was doing specialized work with returning soldiers. Treatment involved twelve patients, who had three months of
specialized care including individual and group therapy, dream analysis,
music, insulin therapy and unbelievably, shock therapy. After working at Eloise for three years, she decided it was
time for a change.
Having experienced part time
work at a nursing home, Betty decided there was a true need for this
kind of service. With the
help and support of her husband, Charles (they were married in 1950) she
went full speed ahead with the purchase and renovation of a beautiful
building at 395 East Grand Boulevard.
This was the only area zoned for this kind of business.
The venture proved to be a success in many ways.
Owning your own business provided you with many advantages, and
just a few disadvantages!
Charles worked as a
Manufacturers Representative for a firm in Southfield and she ran the
Murtagh Nursing Home for 15 years.
In the interim, they had four children, and she went back to
school and earned a Bachelors degree from Mercy College of Detroit and
then …Betty joined the Blues in 1972, hired by Velma Glass as a
consultant to skilled nursing homes, physical therapy and psychiatric
facilities that were approved for participation in the Medicare Program.
The responsibility of the consultant was to assist personnel of
the facility to properly document services provided, so that
reimbursement was assured. The recordkeeping in many instances was inadequate.
Since documentation was the key to payment, it was essential that
nurses, as well as doctors, were advised about the Federal regulations
and need for adequate documentation.
This department was often asked to participate in seminars and
meetings throughout the state, in conjunction with hospital, marketing
and billing representatives.
After three years in this
department, she was hired by Howard Griggs to serve as a Medicare
Consultant to retiree groups who were covered by the Blues.
Also, during this period in time, she completed her Masters in
Business, compliments of BCBS Educational Reimbursement Program.
Much of my time was spent with union activities, community groups
as well as special groups requesting assistance in understanding the
various programs.
Once the government realized
the value of the service we were providing to the retirees, they
proposed that all retirees in Michigan should have access to the same
service. Hence, her
activity was transferred to Government Programs, and she went to work
for Art Meharg.
She had wheels, a pony show
and traveled!! Where two or
three were gathered, she was there!
The job was fun and she
treasured the friends she made at BCBSM.
The trips were enjoyable and she met wonderful retirees
throughout the state.
Betty retired in 1987 and has
become a devoted soccer grandma. She
and Charles spend winter months in Naples, Florida and most of the
summer at a cottage in Canada on beautiful Lake St. Clair.
