Michelle Baulch discusses her experiences as a contract occupational therapist at the Fisher Body medical in Lansing, MI Doreen Howard: [recorder clicking] [tsk] Hi. Doreen Howard. I'm with the Lansing Fisher Body Historical Project. Um, we're interviewing Michelle Baulch. It is [papers rustling] [ringing] [clicking] October 6, 2005. Uh, we're at the Fisher Body plant, and it's approximately 9:30 a.m. [tsk] Um, everyone please introduce [papers rustling] yourselves. Mike Fleming: I'm Mike Fleming. [clicking] Linda Johnson: Linda Johnson. Doug Rademacher: Doug Rademacher. Marilyn Coulter: Marilyn Coulter. Doreen Howard: Okay. [tsk] [0:28] Um, Michelle, could you please, uh, spell your name? [clicking] [ringing] Michelle Baulch: My first and last? Doreen Howard: Your last name. Michelle Baulch: B-A-U-L-C-H. [clicking] Doreen Howard: Okay. [0:37] And, um [clicking], state your [thumping] address for the record, please. Michelle Baulch: P.O. Box 313 [clicking], DeWitt, Michigan 48820. [background movement] Doreen Howard: Okay. [0:45] And what, what is your title [papers rustling] here at the plant? [clicking] Michelle Baulch: I'm the occupational therapist for all the [background movement] GM employees in the city. Doreen Howard: Okay. [clicking] [0:54] And how long have you worked for... Michelle Baulch: I have... Doreen Howard: ...us? [background movement] Michelle Baulch: ...been here [clicking] for 2 years. Doreen Howard: For 2 years. [1:00] Um, do you, uh [clicking], recall your first day? [clicking] Michelle Baulch: Oh, I do [beeping], yeah. Doreen Howard: [1:05] Can you tell [beeping] us a little bit about it? [tsk] Michelle Baulch: Mm-hm. [beeping] I was born here. [beeping] I was born at St. Lawrence, so I've grown up in [beeping] the Lansing area [beeping], and I always wondered what went on inside this plant. And my husband used to sell cars. My father-in-law sells cars, Chevys. Doreen Howard: Okay. Michelle Baulch: And I always wondered how cars were put together, and I thought it was the coolest thing to cross the assembly line to get to work every [beeping] day. [background movement] That was, that was my first day, and I re-, that was really cool to me, so... [background movement] Doreen Howard: Okay. [thumping] [1:29] Did you have any problems finding your [home 1:32] where you were [clicking] to do your [background movement] work at? [papers rustling] A lotta people I know had a lotta problems getting in and outta the plant when they – they'd [background movement] get there and... Michelle Baulch: I just followed that path. [laughter] Doreen Howard: Stay within the lines. Michelle Baulch: Just follow in the lines, yep. Doreen Howard: Yep. Michelle Baulch: And as I got more comfortable, I [took 1:46] [clicking] outta those lines a lotta times to – [background noises] I just found my way around, so... Doreen Howard: Okay. [1:52] Um, [clicking] tell me a little bit [creaking] about [background movement], about your day. Um, [background movement] [tsk] what, what time do you start and what [clicking], what you do during the day while you're here? Michelle Baulch: Um, my day typically starts at 8, and I go over to Metal Fab, and I do [background movement] walk-throughs with Ergonomics and Medical. We look at jobs. And then I come here [background movement], and I work with people that I have scheduled for the day. [background movement] Um [background movement], since the plant shut down, I have a lot of sittin' around time to do paperwork, and I'm studying [background noises] to take my certification in [clicking] hand therapy [background movement], so I'm doing a lotta studying and reading when I'm not [background movement] treatin', treating the employees. Mike Fleming: [tsk] [2:26] What was your first day like on the job [background noises] when you came in and takin' over all of the plants for General Motors [background noises] for the Lansing area? What was that very first [creaking] day like? Michelle Baulch: Um, it was kinda busy because the last company [creaking] that was providing the services had [clicking] to take all their stuff [background movement], and we hadda bring all of our stuff in and assemble it and [creaking] set it up and [creaking], um, just get the clinic organized [background movement] and answer people's questions who walked by as to what we were doing. So [clicking], um, it was more just an organization day. [background movement] And then I was kinda nervous the first few days 'cause, um [creaking], I have hand therapy [thumping] experience, but I've, I had just come from nursing homes, so [background movement] I had a different population [background movement] [laughter], different treatments. Mike Fleming: [Inaudible 3:10]. Marilyn Coulter: [3:10] Um, Michelle, just [one other 3:11] question , just because, for those people who [background movement] will be hearing this and don't know, could you [background movement] explain what a walk-through [background movement] is? [What their goal 3:16] is? Michelle Baulch: Mm-hm. [background noises] What we do is we look at jobs where there have been a complaint of a sprain or a strain, and we go to the [clicking] actual job and watch that employee work [clicking] to see if maybe the job needs [tapping] to be modified or if the employee needs to maybe use their hands in a different way, um, or if – [creaking] sometimes we discover [background movement] that somebody was taught the job [background movement], but they [background movement] were taught the job the wrong way or that they're using too many, you know, lifting too many parts. We just kind of try to figure out what the root of the problem is, whether it's external or internal. [clicking] Doreen Howard: Okay. [3:46] And has, um, [background movement] is that part of any particular program [papers rustling] [clicking] that's set up [thumping] with General Motors or... Michelle Baulch: That was... Doreen Howard: ...was that somethin' that you had... [clicking] Michelle Baulch: ...that was... Doreen Howard: ...[initiated 3:54]? Michelle Baulch: ...requested from [Jim Miller 3:57] [clicking] over at Plant 3 about a year and a half ago. [background movement] Wanted to kind of investigate, you know [clicking], why there were problems occurring. Mike Fleming: [tsk] [4:06] Who is Jim Miller? [background movement] Michelle Baulch: He's the personnel director [background movement] at Plant 3. Mike Fleming: Jim [Mitchell 4:10]. Michelle Baulch: Mitchell. Yes. I always wanna call him Miller. [laughter] Sorry. [laughter] [background movement] Mike Fleming: [4:15] Um [clicking], [the 4:17] majority of the [background movement] injuries you see, musculoskeletal... Michelle Baulch: Mm-hm. Mike Fleming: ...repetitive injuries. What type of injuries [clicking] do you see? Michelle Baulch: Um, because I'm the occupational therapist, I treat from the shoulders [background movement] to the fingertips, so I see a lot of carpal tunnel, a lot of lateral epicondylitis, trigger finger, um, hand pain, shoulder strains [background movement], rotator cuff tears. [background movement] Um, pretty much any injury you can do to your arm, I can help treat it. Mike Fleming: [4:45] But these are generally categorized as repetitive injuries or no? [door squeaking] [background noises] Michelle Baulch: Hm [creaking], sometimes. [creaking] Um, lacerations, you know... Mike Fleming: [Inaudible 5:00]... Michelle Baulch: ...[inaudible 5:00]... Mike Fleming: ...[inaudible 5:01]... Michelle Baulch: ...incidents [inaudible 5:01]... Mike Fleming: ...[inaudible 5:02] lacerations [inaudible 5:03] [laughter], but the majority... Michelle Baulch: ...yeah. Mike Fleming: ...of our injuries [background noises] at an automobile [clicking] plant [I think would be 5:06]. [background noises] Michelle Baulch: I don't really wanna answer that question. [laughter] Doug Rademacher: [Inaudible 5:12]. Michelle Baulch: Yeah. Doreen Howard: [5:15] So, um [clicking], when [clicking] – how do people get referred to you? Michelle Baulch: There are 2 ways. Um, through Plant Medical, and also what a lotta people don't realize is that we treat all the GM employees who have personal injuries as well. Even if their outside [background noises] physician requests therapy, they can [thumping] come here [background noises], and there are no fees or charges involved. [background noises] We actually don't report to insurances [background noises], so that's a health cost way that GM's tryin' ta [background noises] get the word out, you know, tryin' ta get the word out [background noises] to employees that [background noises] we're here for [background noises] personal injuries as well. [background noises] Um, but you have to go through a medical department [background noises] to be seen. You have to have a prescription. [clicking] Doreen Howard: And, um [clicking], so when you come in the morning [background noises], you said you do your walk-throughs and then you see a few [thumping] people. [background noises] [6:03] Is there anything that you do [clicking] at lunchtime? Anything fun or, uh, groups of people that you [background noises] have met maybe over [tsk] your, your time here that you tend to do anything with? Michelle Baulch: Um, no because sometimes we get walk-in employees, so we, we stay close to the clinic during lunchtimes. But there is, um – every other month, [Sharon 6:22] and I do go to an outside clinic for, um, kind of a brainstorming meeting with other therapists in town, treatments, you know, different – you know, there's always a different [background movement] way to treat. And so we get together with that group during [background movement] lunchtime. Doreen Howard: [6:36] Here in our facility [background movement], have you seen, uh, improvements in the time that you were here as far as, um [tsk], maybe fewer injuries or have you seen [background noises] more injuries [background noises] or [background movement] [inaudible 6:49]... Michelle Baulch: At this... Doreen Howard: ...[inaudible 6:50]... Michelle Baulch: ...particular plant, fewer injuries because of all the, the layoffs. [background movement] Um, I mean [clicking], that's primarily why we see less. [background movement] Um... [background movement] Doreen Howard: But when w-, [clicking] when they were... Michelle Baulch: I'm just... Doreen Howard: ... [staffed 7:04]... Michelle Baulch: ...yeah. I'm tryin' ta think... Doreen Howard: ...[to capacity 7:05]... Michelle Baulch: ...when they're ful-, when they were full capacity. [background noises] Doreen Howard: [Okay 7:07]. Michelle Baulch: Um, you know, probably didn't see as many people as you would expect from a plant with the employee [background noises] population [background noises] the size that it is [background noises], um [background noises], compared to other plants in the city. Doug Rademacher: Michelle, you said that [clicking] your father and your brother – or your husband sold... Michelle Baulch: [My 7:23]... Doug Rademacher: ...cars. [background movement] Michelle Baulch: ...and my father. Doug Rademacher: And I was curious, um, you said you always wondered what went on in this building... Michelle Baulch: Mm-hm. Doug Rademacher: ...you grew up in this area. [7:30] Uh [background movement], did you gain a respect for the workforce after seeing what they do on a daily basis? [clicking] Michelle Baulch: Oh yeah. Yep. Um, you know, the little intricacies to putting in, you know, the parts [clicking], um. I really didn't know what to expect on how – I did, I had no idea of how a car was built. I thought it was a – it was pretty neat, um, you know, starting over at Metal Fab and watching the parts being pressed [background movement] and then watching'm come over here and the different, um, hoists that are used and the different body postures people have to get into to put the cars together. It's – yeah [clicking]. You have a new appreciation for [clicking] why your cars are [clicking], you know, not $5000. [laughter] [papers rustling] Doreen Howard: Um. [papers rustling] [clicking] Mike Fleming: [8:13] Do you [background noises], um, hire your own staff or is [clicking] that something that's done externally or [background noises] do you, are you [background noises] responsible for that? [background noises] Michelle Baulch: Me personally, no. We are an outside provider. [clicking] We do have, um [clicking] – our boss is in Janesville at the Janesville plant. [background noises] And [background noises], um, he comes out if we need some – we have [clicking] some staffing that needs [clicking] to be added [clicking], e comes out and does interviews. But, um, she, it's – we work for a company out of Kansas that provides to your Fairfax plant as well. Doreen Howard: Hm. [background noises] Doug Rademacher: Can you share... Michelle Baulch: And I personally don't... Doug Rademacher: ...[oh, I'm sorry 8:45]. [8:46] Could you share – or is there a concern about Janesville? Have you been [clicking] getting communications from [clicking], uh, the talk of Janesville possibly being [background movement], um, uh, one a the plants that has been marked to maybe go down [inaudible 8:58]... Michelle Baulch: It's now one of the oldest, isn't it? Doreen Howard: Yeah. Doug Rademacher: Yeah. So I just wondered if that had [background noises] come to you from your [background noises] boss. Michelle Baulch: Um, actually I read that in the state journal. [laughter] Um, no. Our, our big concern right now is just getting our therapy contract renewed. This – it expired [background movement] the end of last month, and it's kinda going on a month-to-month basis, so, um, but I haven't heard. [background movement] Yeah, he's – that's our concern right now is just [thumping], you know... Doreen Howard: Continuing... Michelle Baulch: ...continuing those contracts... Doreen Howard: [Mm-hm 9:21]. Michelle Baulch: ...and then whether the plant in Janesville [background noises] shuts down, then, then that would be looked at [inaudible 9:27]... Doug Rademacher: So you share a contract. [9:29] Is, is it a union company or is it just private? Michelle Baulch: No. It's a small. There, there aren't any therapy clinics that are unionized [background movement]. They're – it's, um [background noises], it's a small, family-owned business down in Kansas City, Kansas, and they have a, they have clinics in [clicking] Kansas City, Missouri. Um, we were their first out-of-state clinic that they had had [background noises], so, and they have [background noises] Michigan and then they added Janesville. Mike Fleming: [9:51] Can you explain to us [clicking] how your working, uh [background noises], um, [tsk] relationship is with the physicians in the plant that refer [background noises] patients to you? [background movement] Michelle Baulch: [tsk] Um, I think, I think they're pretty good. They're very reasonable people. Um [background noises], you know, if I have suggestions or thoughts or concerns [clicking], they're, they're real [clicking] receptive to what I [clicking] have to say. Um, if I recommend somebody to continue with services, they [clicking] usually go along with me. [background movement] Um, so yeah, I think they're, they're pretty open and [background noises] responsive. [clicking] Mike Fleming: [10:24] As an [clicking] employee, if I came to [clicking] the Medical Department [clicking] and I had some [background movement], uh, repetitive injuries and I needed therapy [background noises], explain how that process would work. What would I go through [background movement]? What would happen to me? [background noises] Michelle Baulch: You would see, um, one a the plant doctors [clicking], and they would determine – we, we offer a service called Home Strengthening and Conditioning, and sometimes they use that route first where it's a one-time visit. You come and see me, I do a quick evaluation [background movement], see if maybe there's some stretches or, um, some different [background movement], um, hand postures that you could use to make your symptoms decrease [background movement] and usually have you call back 7 to 10 days after that. And if it doesn't get better, then you go back to Medical, and typically [clicking] they'll send you for an evaluation [clicking] from me where I do a full evaluation. And then [tsk] we set up a treatment plan and then have you come back for about 6 sessions and go through a whole therapy treatment, which, you know, depending on your needs, we use fluidotherapy, ultrasounds [background noises], TENS unit, the hot packs, you know. We're a full, running clinic like you would see in the, you know, outside of GM. Mike Fleming: [Okay 11:27]. [clicking] Doug Rademacher: [11:29] Uh, what's your most rewarding success as far as therapy here in this facility? Michelle Baulch: Uh, I have... Doug Rademacher: Not necessarily [inaudible 11:36] [background movement], but you said... Michelle Baulch: ...right. Doug Rademacher: ...you do all of Lansing. Michelle Baulch: [tsk] Well I have to say, um, I do have [clicking] some employees who have had some – [tsk] should've seen some other surgeons [laughter], who, um, you know, come in with their hand, you know, in this position, and they're very protective of it and won't use it and over time get'm to relax and, and work with that and then be able to use their hand again [background movement] because you just don't realize how important your hands and arms are until you've had a significant injury [background noises]. So that always makes me feel good when somebody says, "I'm so much better, and I can hold my child again," [clicking] or "I can brush my own hair," or [clicking], you know. So that makes me happy [background noises] 'cause I do get my fair share of people who say I did cure'm. [laughter] [thumping] They took my wand away from me [inaudible 12:17]. [laughter] Doug Rademacher: They took your wand away, huh? [laughter] Doreen Howard: Okay. [12:21] Um [tsk], is there, uh, [clicking] anything that, that you wanted to talk about that [background noises], that we haven't touched on at all or, uh, your – any memories or [background movement] anything that, that you [background movement] can recall? [background noises] Michelle Baulch: No, I think that's, that's about it. We're just, um – we may, we may not be providing the therapy services to this local, at the new plant [background noises] 'cause they're treating it separately [background movement], so [clicking], from LGR. So we're kinda hopin' that we'll be able to stay there. We [background movement], you know, Sharon knows a lotta people... Doreen Howard: Yeah. Michelle Baulch: ...and [we 12:55] [background noises] get a lotta visitors who just pop in to say hi, who [background movement], you know, we've treated in the past. And that's nice that [background movement], you know, you musta done something [clicking] good for them that they would come back and, and wanna say hello to you. Doreen Howard: [Right. Gotcha. 13:04] Michelle Baulch: Yeah. Doreen Howard: [Hm 13:07]. [background noises] Michelle Baulch: So we just hope that we're able to continue over at the new plant. Doug Rademacher: Can I just ask one more question? Michelle Baulch: Sure. [clicking] Doug Rademacher: [13:13] Um, what did you find [clicking] [that was – 13:13] what's the demeanor of the average person that comes to see you? [background noises] Uh, the worker? Michelle Baulch: [tsk] [background noises] Most, you know, most people know that I didn't cause their injury, so they're [laughter], they're, you know. I, I don't get [clicking] the belligerent person, you know. I don't get really many very angry people who say nasty things to me. But, um, most people, you know, most people are willing to take my suggestions and, and take them home and work on them and do stretches and [background noises]. You know, they're, they're pretty receptive to try, you know [background noises], to what I plan to help get them better. [clicking] So it's [background movement], you know, pretty positive overall. [background movement] Doreen Howard: [13:53] Where did you go to school to learn your... [background noises] Michelle Baulch: [I was gonna say 13:54] which school? I went to 3 colleges. [laughter] Doreen Howard: [All right 13:56]. Michelle Baulch: Um, I got my bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from Baker College in Flint [clicking], and I have minors in psychology and health sciences. And, um, I was also in the first graduating class, so I was the guinea pig. And our instructors were cli-, you know, clinicians who [clicking] didn't realize how much was too much in terms of homework and assignments. [laughter] Doreen Howard: [Yeah 14:19]. Doug Rademacher: [So 14:19]... Michelle Baulch: So, and I graduated from there about 10 years ago. Doug Rademacher: Well we appreciate you putting [background movement] all that effort into your education and sharing your abilities and, and talents with us. Michelle Baulch: Thank you. Marilyn Coulter: Thank you. Doreen Howard: Thank you very much, Michelle. Mike Fleming: And thank you [background noises] very much. [recorder clicking] /lk