Betty Harlowe Breeden
1935-2003
University of Virginia School of Nursing,
Charlottesville Virginia, RN 1955
- Developed the Department of Risk Management at the University of Virginia Medical Center
- Founding member of the Virginia Chapter of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
- Fellow of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management
- Charter member of the National Association of Utilization Review Coordinators
Betty Harlowe Breeden had a profound influence on the health status of Virginia citizens that extended well beyond Charlottesville where she practiced nursing for forty-eight years. A pioneer in the area of quality assurance, utilization review, and risk management, Breeden developed the role of the risk management director at the University of Virginia and established a department that was frequently copied by other health care organizations throughout the Commonwealth. Her interests spanned a broad spectrum of health care from nursing supervision and administration to nursing education and health care quality.
"[Betty] is a woman of indefinable strength, integrity, and honor, who engenders trust at the deepest levels from all with whom she interacts, allowing her to delve to the heart of problems and to provide emotional and personal support unmatched by others."
Kathleen Fletcher, RN, FAAN
Distinguished Alumni Award Nomination, 2002
