(Seguin) — Local healthcare officials are remembering the dedication and commitment of former Seguin Mayor Betty Ann Matthies, who died on Monday at the age of 90. Matthies was a nurse and administrator at Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (GRMC). In fact, she is tied to just about every bit GRMC’s history in Seguin.
Former GRMC CEO Don Richey says Matthies was already a fixture at the hospital when he arrived back in the 1970s.
“She mentored countless people, including me. She’d been there 10 years before I got there and already knew the ends and outs of the operation. and was more than willing to share and help anybody — new, older or in between — with any issue that they have,” said Richey.
Richey says Matthies was dedicated to serving the patients at what was then Guadalupe Valley Hospital. He says she was always taking care of the people in this community.
“I think it was basically her compassion and her dedication to her job and the extreme loyalty to the hospital. She was really the epicenter of all the quality activities that went on. I think the picture that you all ran with (Father) Sam (Gottlich) holding the child and with Betty immunizing him for polio, way back in the 1950’s, was exactly the image that I like to remember her by,” said Richey.
Taking care of people wasn’t just something she did at the hospital. Richey says it’s also something she did when she became mayor of Seguin. He says she had a demeanor that allowed her to work with anyone to get things done.
“I think probably the best example was when she was mayor. You know, she being a woman, coming into this operation — although we’d had Betty Jean Jones as a female mayor before — she just immediately would size up the issue and be very specific about what the right thing to do was, and pressed for it. People respected her for that,” said Richey.
Current CEO Robert Haynes says he worked alongside Matthies for years. He says she was a dedicated person, who always worked to serve the patients the hospital. The compassion and service that she demonstrated was tied to her roots in the Seguin area.
“She was a child from the 1930s and she grew up in a country that was very different than what we live in today. She was part of that generation that made a difference and made things happen quietly and just worked. You definitely knew where you stood with her, and she could definitely get the attention of the room and make things happen,” said Haynes.
Haynes says Matthies was serious about her work, and she expected the same from others around her. He says the grit that she showed helped to set the standard for care for many at the hospital.
“From a clinical standpoint, she and I worked together for maybe 30 years, plus or minus. Honestly at first — I’m a little bit younger, about 20 years younger than what she was — you kind of avoided her, because she was pretty tough. But eventually, once I got to work with her side by side, you admired that strength that she had,” said Haynes.
Haynes says Matthies always had a big presence at the hospital. He says she was well-respected, and that allowed her to get things done. She carried those skills over to the mayor’s office, where Haynes says they also served her well.
“She commanded the attention of those physicians even back then. So yes, when I saw her in her roles as the mayor, City Council, and different committees, I just smiled because I knew what I was watching. This is what I saw all the time at the hospital. Whether she was listening to citizens who had their five minutes to make their point, she would listen and then move on to the next things…she was an incredible woman and made a difference in this community in many different ways,” said Haynes.
Matthies was not one to mince words, and Haynes says that was large part of her appeal. He says she was comfortable in just about any setting. No matter where she was, Haynes says he commanded respect.
“No matter who you ask, anyone that had anything to do with her — whether it was the governor, I mean, she was comfortable in the governor’s office or whether she was talking with a patient in the ER — she, without question, commanded that (attention). Her legacy will live on. And one thing I will add that I don’t know how many people know, but she made the best rum cake! If you ask a few people who knew her, they’ll laugh and echo that same sentiment,” said Haynes.
Michelle Rumbaut has been a long time administrator at GRMC. She currently serves as the medical center’s project administrator. Her office, for many years, was right next door to Matthies’ office.
“I think one of the elemental things about her was how much she cared about other people. She cared about, who they were, what made them tick, what inspired them, and she saw opportunities in everybody. Sometimes people would disappoint her, but she started with the opportunities that she with them and aimed to elevate people” said Rumbaut.
Matthies believed that the patient always came first. Rumbaut says it went beyond what you might expect. She says Matthies made it clear that taking care of the patient was their most important task in any situation.
“She always said over and over again, do the right thing for the patient. When you’re working in healthcare and there’s so many conflicting issues that are involved, whether it’s, you know, the doctor or the staff or the family or the medical decision making — she always said it’s simple, you always do what’s right for the patient. One would say, well, what an obvious thing to say, but it’s not always obvious. If you can always boil it down to what’s right for the patient, then you know you’re on the right path,” said Rumbaut.
Rumbaut says Matthies helped to build a culture of care at GRMC. She says it’s something that still continues at the hospital, which is jointly owned by the city of Seguin and Guadalupe County.
“We’ve had great nurse leaders since she departed, but she really developed that culture of doing what’s right for the patient, and also calling out doctors as needed. She stood by her nurses, and she wouldn’t let a doctor chew up one of her nurses if the nurse was doing the right thing,” said Rumbaut.
There was no shortage of stories about the life and legacy of Betty Ann Matthies. However, there was one story shared by Rumbaut, that seems to sum the essence of someone who was always ready to help others.
“She was one of the people that literally helped move things, the equipment, from the old hospital to the new hospital in trucks. She and several of the nurses were actually the moving crew for the equipment,” said Rumbaut. “Yeah, she would wear many, many hats. She knew how to be an x-ray tech and a pharmacist. Back in those days, you know, you had a little bit more leeway, and she did it all,” said Rumbaut.
Matthies’ legacy will live on within the local medical community, thanks to the Betty Ann Matthies (BAM) Scholarship Fund. The endowment fund was established as a way to help all GRMC employees advance their education and careers. It’s a reflection of how Matthies encouraged people to always pursue advancement in their chosen field. Memorial contributions may be given to the fund via the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation at 1215 E. Court St., Seguin, Texas 78155. Donations can also be made online at https://grmedfdn.ejoinme.org/donatenow.
The funeral, for Matthies, is set for 2 p.m. Friday, August 8 at First Methodist Church.