Craig Honors Becky Knowles for “6,261,600 Minutes” of Service 

Inside Becky Knowles’ immaculately organized office located in the Outpatient Clinical Care Management Department, you can find a few pieces of Craig Hospital memorabilia. Among them is an original employee handbook from 1975 with tips for filling out a timecard by hand. 

The handbook, still in mint condition, was issued to Becky herself. 

“If anybody ever asks you about me, I’m very tidy, and I keep everything,” she says with a laugh. 

Becky has been that kind of trusted source for Craig team members and outpatients alike since joining Outpatient Clinical Care Management (CCM), formerly known as Follow-up Services, as their Social Security and resource coordinator in 2000 after 25 years in the Nursing Department. 

She has supported countless individuals and their families after life-changing brain and spinal cord injuries, embodying Craig’s standard of care and dependability. 

An avid fan of Bruce Springsteen, Becky has been nothing short of a rock star for Craig. This March, the effervescent Social Security and resource coordinator with a steel-tight memory and a love for wearing black celebrates 50 years of service with Craig! It is a rare milestone she credits to working with Craig patients, their families and wonderful people.  

“Becky is so very dedicated and has worked diligently over the years paying attention to patients’ needs and filling in the gaps to make Craig better,” says Outpatient CCM Victor Towle, who has worked closely with Becky for most of his 27 years at Craig. “She is great at details and follow-up services. Her impact is just immense. It has been a pleasure to know her and work with her. She’s been a good friend, confidant, an inspiration and a huge foundational part of the Outpatient CCM program.” 

From helping patients and families with disability applications as the Social Security resource coordinator, to organizing presentations at area high schools as the Prevention Program coordinator, to overseeing outreach clinics outside of the Denver Metro area and helping ensure patients are set up for success when they leave Craig in her current role, Becky’s impact on Outpatient CCM is founded in her eagerness to help others and take on new challenges.

“Having someone like Becky who is so willing, at any point in time, to drop anything and help you has been invaluable to me,” says Cristina Barca, director of CCM. “There aren’t enough words to explain how she’s helped me integrate into the CCM team and into Craig as a whole. I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart.”

Hungry Heart

Becky was born in Independence, Missouri, and lived just six blocks away from former President Harry S. Truman. After developing asthma as a child, Becky and her parents moved to Denver. Growing up, Becky envisioned herself being a lifelong special education teacher. She was inspired to serve those in need of extra support by a close relationship she had with a cousin who was born with developmental disabilities.

After graduating high school and completing a year of studies at the University of Denver, Becky learned through a family friend that Craig was hiring rehab techs for its brain injury program. Becky saw this as an opportunity that aligned with her passion. She was hired in March of 1975. A year and a half later, Becky became an assistant ward manager and eventually ward manager.

“I knew that this was where my heart was,” she says. “I just love working with the patients. We had a lot of fun with them. I think we felt like it was not a job. We wanted to make things as normal and seem as day-to-day for them so they could get through therapy and get through rehabilitation, and if we could do something for them to make it easier, we did.”

The quality of service Becky provided is made evident through her lasting relationships with Craig grads. One of Becky’s first patients, Barbara Neubauer of Oklahoma, still keeps in touch with her. The two met in 1975 when Barbara came to Craig after she sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident at 16.  

“She really showed me respect and had a great way to get me up and working as well as giving me social support to feel like a real person with feelings and fears,” says Barbara, who has been a social worker for 37 years. “[She] helped me find my humor and personality again…I can’t stress enough the wonderful way she treated me as a patient and person.” 

Craig created its Follow-Up Services department–now Craig’s Clinical Care Management department–in 1987. In 2000, the department needed an administrative assistant to help patients and their families with paperwork and resource applications after discharge. Naturally, Becky raised her hand. 

“That’s what I always seem to do,” she says. “I thought it would be a great transition. Patients and their families are just so gratifying to work with. I wanted to keep working closely with them.” 

Human Touch

Along with her colleagues in Outpatient CCM, Becky helps patients navigate the complexities of accessing resources after returning home and by taking meticulous care of department records. The position is tailored for someone with compassion, empathy and an eye for detail. 

“She is very dependable and is always very thorough and meets the patient’s needs in a timely manner,” says Outpatient Administrative Representative Bonita Morning, who has worked with Becky for more than four decades. “She has a very good memory, too, for dates 30 or 40 years ago. She knows the day of the week, time of the day, and what the weather was like that day. It is an ongoing joke with us.”

Another running joke is that when Becky retires, Craig will need to hire two people to replace her. She is a jack of all trades.

“I know because of my longevity I’m able to have the kind of job description I do, and I take pride in that,” Becky says. “Every day for me is a new day. Every day is a different day. I consider it an honor that I have the ability to work with these patients and help them make their life a little bit better, and it’s lovely because you build these long-term relationships. I get Christmas cards from people I’ve worked with, and they still call me 10 years later. I consider myself very fortunate. I am very lucky.”

And Craig is lucky to have Becky. Her eagerness to help others knows no bounds.  

“She has been a great support system over the years and someone you can really rely on,” Outpatient CCM Becki Bushnell says. “Becky has always been real with me as I have with her. She has many strengths in her current position and is always willing to assist when and where she can. The one thing I think she has a hard time with is saying ‘no,’ which sometimes we have a good laugh over.”  

That goes for even the little things, which led to a funny tale of the two Becky(i)s.

“For the past 12 years, Becky has gone with me to help out with the Grand Junction outreach clinic,” Becki says. “We work hard there, but we also have a good time. I can always rely on her to carry my bottle of A.1. Sauce in her purse into an upscale steak restaurant because I always feel bad asking the restaurant for it.” 

Glory Days

Asking Becky to share a favorite memory at Craig is like asking her to name her favorite Springsteen song – “They’re all lovely, right?” Becky has enjoyed many shining moments. There were the Craig outings to the Denver Zoo; the Rockies games with patients, staff, family and friends; and the Craig Field Days that “were always amazing.” 

Becky’s favorite memory, though, has to do with The Boss. It was the year 2000, and she and some of her peers were being celebrated for 30 years with Craig at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Becky’s friends and colleagues surprised her with a video of them recreating the cover of Springsteen’s 1987 album “Tunnel of Love.” The room watched on the IMAX screen as Victor strummed his guitar and sang a rendition of “I’m on Fire,” with the lyrics changed to honor Becky, in front of a yellow convertible full of Becky’s work friends. 

“It was pretty hysterical,” Becky says. “I would love to see that again. Memories like that make me feel so lucky to have lifelong friends. We’ve just had so many great times.”

For You

To celebrate Becky’s 50th anniversary with us, the Craig team threw her a surprise party filled with laughter and stories, photos of Becky through the years and, of course, likenesses of The Boss. Becky was presented with a diamond-studded pin by Vice President of Clinical Services Dana Polonsky. Craig President and CEO Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, praised Becky for embodying “the Craig Recipe” and the hospital’s approach to care.

“In my mind, you are Craig,” Jandel says. “It’s that kind of passion, loyalty and commitment to this amazing work, and being that lifeline to people out in the community, being the person who bridges the loneliness, isolation, anxiety and the fear that people can feel that is just irreplaceable and invaluable. You are Craig!”

Keeping with tradition, Becky was treated to another video performance by Victor, who on guitar performed his own rendition of “Seasons of Love” to celebrate Becky’s 6,261,600 minutes with Craig.

“You guys are all so sweet, and I’m shocked,” Becky said. “I have no words of wisdom other than I love you.”