CL I NI CAL LY SPEAK ING
DECADES OF DEDICATION TO HEALING AND HOPE Written by: ROSA WALSTON LATIMER
Betsy Howell is a physical therapist (PT) at the University of Michigan Health Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, where she has worked for over 40 years. “I chose the University of Michigan, because I always knew I wanted to live and work in Michigan. My grandparents lived in the Upper Peninsula on Lake Michigan, and that was always my happy place. I asked a girl in another PT class who was from Michigan about a good place to work, and she suggested the University of Michigan. Fortunately, they hired me, and I have loved being in a major medical system.
WHAT INITIALLY DREW YOU TO THIS CAREER? IS THERE AN EARLY EXPERIENCE THAT HELPED SHAPE YOUR WORK? I was initially drawn to this occupation when I was in high school. I knew I wanted to do something that would help people. I visited a lady from our church who was in the hospital, and a nurse came in and gave her a shot. So, here’s this little 85-year-old woman crying, and I knew right then I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t be a nurse.
and neuromuscular disorders and wheelchair seating, primarily ordering equipment. I also work with children with spinal muscular atrophy who have received gene therapy. PT for these patients involves partial weight bearing activity to strengthen their core and hip muscles. It also entails trialing equipment to see what they can possibly use to move, get stronger and develop some independence. I also get to work with children with “driver’s education” to help them use a power wheelchair independently.
WHAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR WORK SINCE YOU BEGAN? Thirty-seven years ago, there was very little evidence for anything in pediatric therapy. There was no PubMed or Google. At that time, it was not unusual for me to take current inpatients in our children’s hospital in my
I was part of an Explorer Group in high school, and our group visited Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. We toured the physical therapy department for kids, and I realized that was something I could do and wanted to do. Fortunately, with my first application to PT school, I was accepted, and I haven’t looked back! My work at the University of Michigan began on the cardiopulmonary team treating adults, which I got very little exposure to in college. I proceeded to try to get off of that team as soon as I could! However, I learned a great deal from that problematic experience, and afterward, I never had a patient I couldn’t handle because of the difficulty of their medical situation. I worked with some severely sick adult patients, and it shaped my career going forward. After a year and a half, I did a rotation in pediatrics at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and I found my home! Kids are tough. They are fighters no matter what the circumstances. I worked with children after cardiac surgery and any kind of pulmonary condition. I also worked with our children with high-level spinal cord injuries and neuromuscular conditions requiring ventilation. It was challenging to figure out how to help them access power mobility.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRESENT WORK SITUATION. I currently split my time between treating pediatric patients with cerebral palsy, rare genetic conditions, osteogenesis imperfecta
10
DIRECTIONS 2023.6
Betsy Howell with a patient who is off to college to study engineering. She has worked with this young man for 18 years.
