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Betty Long, RN, MHA

Bio

Nationally, Long’s advocacy work has been featured on The Doctor Oz Show and National Public Radio’s Marketplace. The Guardian Nurses success story has been reported in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, and the New England Healthcare Journal. In 2009, Long’s work was featured in a New York Times Business Section article entitled, “After a Diagnosis, Someone to Help Point the Way.” In 2008, Long was honored by TAG Heuer North America and Glamour Magazine for making a difference in her community. The “What Are You Made Of” award was presented by TAG spokesperson Uma Thurman in conjunction with Glamour’s Women of the Year Gala at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  In 2011, she was selected as a Woman of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal.


With 25 years of experience as a Registered Nurse and Administrator, Betty Long knows how the healthcare system works. As a caretaker for elderly relatives, she saw firsthand how difficult it is for patients and families to make the healthcare system work for them.


These experiences as both a provider and a consumer of healthcare services led Long to found Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates in 2003. As President today she leads a growing team of Registered Nurses who represent and advocate for corporate and private clients all over the United States. The company’s Nurse Advocates are a strong and independent voice for patients and families who need help with hospitals, doctors, long-term care facilities, insurance companies and government agencies.


Long began her career in 1986 as a critical care nurse. She later earned a masters degree in healthcare administration and went on to leadership positions in hospital administration and healthcare consulting. Long also has management experience in long-term care and out-patient services for seniors.


Long is also a contributing editor for Employee Benefit News, a monthly national magazine for employee benefits professionals.  She enjoys spreading the word about healthcare advocacy and speaks regularly to healthcare professionals, insurance industry and human resources professionals and consumers.  Long shares practical healthcare advice each month in the free Guardian Nurses email newsletter, The Flame. Anyone can subscribe at www.GuardianNurses.com.


 



Activity

  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Nursing:
    Doctors Reluctant to Expand Nurse Practitioners' Role: Survey

    WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- The United States has a shortage of primary care doctors, and some policymakers want to fill the gap by expanding the role of nurse practitioners. But the two professions are engaged in a turf war over who can do the job better, a new survey finds.

    Th...Full Article

  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    How do I get proper guidance in finding a doctor?
    Some things to consider when selecting a primary physician: Ask your family and friends who...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    How do I get proper guidance in finding a doctor?
    Some things to consider when selecting a primary physician: Ask your family and friends who...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    How do I get proper guidance in finding a doctor?
    Some things to consider when selecting a primary physician: Ask your family and friends who...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    How do I get proper guidance in finding a doctor?
    Some things to consider when selecting a primary physician: Ask your family and friends who...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA has posted a blog entry: The Day That Changed My Life

    Thirty years ago today, May 23rd, my mom died after a four month “battle” with what doctors said was liver cancer.  Now that I know a little more (well, kind of…), I’m thinking it may have been pancreatic cancer.  Still, 30 years ago today.  So officially, I’ve been alive longer without my mom than with

    ...Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA has posted a blog entry: I Love Serendipity!

    Who around us hasn’t had the experience where you thought, “Wow, I don’t know why that just happened, but I’ll chalk it up to serendipity.”  OK, maybe exactly those thoughts, but close enough.

    There are alot of other synonyms for serendipity—-luck, karma, fate, destiny.  Regardless of what you call

    ...Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    What is the Q Ball system for pain relief after surgery?

    Thankfully, the days of intramuscular injections (you know, the ones that hurt!) for post op pain relief are long gone. These days, in addition to epidural catheters and PCA pumps, there is another 'trick' that surgeons can use to improve patient's pain control. 

    The Q Ball system (also called other names

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    Who was Clara Barton?

    Clarissa Harlowe Barton -- Clara, as she was known -- is one of the most honored women in American history for being a true pioneer as well as an outstanding humanitarian. Her most notable accomplishment is founding the American Red Cross organization.

    Born on Christmas Day, 1821, in Massachusetts, Clara began

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    Is Zometa covered by insurance?

    Zometa is a drug used to treat high levels of calcium in the blood. It is given as an intravenous infusion usually under the observation of staff in a physician's office. 

    Depending on your insurance plan, Zometa should be covered as part of the medical coverage because it's given by IV infusion, not

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    What causes frequent burping?

    Frequent burping may indicate that you are swallowing too much air, or it may indicate the presence of a more serious problem such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (aka GERD), peptic ulcer disease, gastroparesis or gastritis, or H Pylori infection.

    Eating rapidly, gulping beverages, chewing gum,

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA has posted a blog entry: Recognizing Mother's Day

    Many years ago, I lost my mother to cancer.  She was 61, I was 23.  In the early years after her death, Mother’s Day was a cruel reminder of my life-altering loss, particularly as most of my friends went back to visit their moms and celebrate the day or I happened to find myself in a drug store looking at all of the M

    ...Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    Can I choose the anesthesiologist for my surgery?

    If you are scheduled to have surgery, it's likely that your surgeon will determine where you will be having the surgery because he/she operates at certain facilities. Likewise, the anesthesia team that is at that facility will be providing your anesthesia. So you may not have too much control over who

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    Will I be charged for anesthesia services?

    Before you are put to sleep by an anesthesiologist, it's a very good idea before your surgery to confirm that the anesthesiologist is 'in network' with your insurance plan. Many patients have come to Guardian Nurses to ask for help dealing with hospital bills that they've gotten after their surgery.

    ...  Full Post
  • Betty Long, RN, MHA
    Betty Long, RN, MHA answered:
    Are all nursing homes the same?

    Absolutely not! They are as distinct and diverse as each one of us. While it IS true that nursing homes all render long term care, the delivery of that care can be wildly different. And while it is true that many nursing homes may be owned by the same corporation, the administration will be different, the medical

    ...  Full Post