Callaway has had a nursing home facility in the community since 1963, and has operated under the ownership of various companies during its years. When it looked as though the town might actually lose the facility a few years ago, a group of individuals stepped up to make sure that didn’t happen.

Now under the banner of Callaway Good Life Center, the 35-bed facility is proud to introduce a new administrator and new director of nursing.

Betsy Spanel has been a nurse for more than 36 years, and has lived in Callaway with her husband, Craig, for 29 years. The couple has three grown children and five grandsons. “We are currently down to one dog, but we have had multiple pets throughout the years,” she laughed.

The majority of her nursing career has been spent in acute care. She worked in Texas for eight years in that field, and then spent more than 20 years at Good Samaritan in Kearney. When Kearney Regional opened she went to work there where she stayed for six years.

“I also did a little stint of traveling out in Scottsbluff, then ended up here,” she said with a smile. “About 12 years ago I filled in helping out here on weekends, so that has basically been my only long-term care experience. We did see a lot of geriatric patients in acute care, but this is a completely new ballgame.”

Betsy was born in western Nebraska, and said that other than the years she lived in Texas she has spent most of her life in Callaway. She began her duties as Director of Nursing at Callaway Good Life on June 27.

Another new face in the facility is Administrator Lori McConnell, a native of Arnold. After high school she attended college in North Platte on a volleyball scholarship, then worked as an oral surgeon assistant for five and a half years.

“For the last 27 years I have been working for an insurance agency - life and health type agency. At the same time I was doing that I worked for a year in a nursing home in North Platte in the dementia unit,” Lori explained. “I totally love it, and always knew that I wanted to be in a facility taking care of residents. I found the opportunity and this has been a Godsend for me.”

Lori’s family - her parents, along with a sister and her family - still reside in Arnold which she said is going to make the move to Callaway even better. She currently lives in North Platte and commutes to Callaway every day, and said she is looking for housing in either Callaway or Arnold.

“It’s been really hard trying to find housing, but I would like to get that done before the snow begins to fly,” she laughed.

Lori has a 20-year-old daughter currently attending college in Lincoln, and two dogs. She lost a little brother to leukemia when he was only 43, so she said she and her sister remain quite close.

She began her duties as administrator on June 6, after about a week and a half of training at the facility in Burwell. Both ladies said that starting in their positions at about the same time has been somewhat of a benefit.

“We work together so well, and we both have a lot of the same ideas on where we want this facility to go and how we want our residents and employees to be treated,” said Lori. “We come from a similar small-town background which I feel is important.”

Currently at Callaway Good Life Center the residents are allowed to attend activities and eat in the dining hall, though masks are required. The facility did have to go back into lockdown for a short time in June. Visitors are allowed but must be screened and wear masks.

“I’m finding that nursing homes are operated under stricter guidelines than even hospitals are,” Betsy shared. “These restrictions are federally mandated.”

“We are just trying to keep the residents safe, and the employees safe as well,” Lori added. “I love the residents and I feel like I want to protect them and give them the best lives I can for what time they have left.”

“Kudos to the staff here - all the staff. They have given their hearts and souls to this place, and it is still here because they did that,” Betsy said.

Lori added that aside from the staff there are a number of Callaway residents who volunteer their time at the facility, with things such as landscaping and maintenance. Good Life Center truly is a community endeavor that the whole town supports.

“I would also like people to know that there are employment and volunteer activities for men and boys as well as women and girls. I think people often think of women only at nursing homes,” Lori added. Not only are there opportunities for both in nursing, but there is also dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, grounds keeping, clerical, transportation, etc.”

Lori said the facility does have rooms available for residents. For more information on any of these opportunities contact her at 308-836-2267.