Melody Petrul Retires after More than 33 Years
Melody Petrul, R.N., Director of Medical Review Services, will retire on Feb. 7, ending more than 33 years in numerous review roles for MPRO. Melody grew and evolved as MPRO and health care did the same. While these changes were profound, retirement will mark the greatest change of all: changing her focus to grandkids, family and herself.
Changes Along the Way
Melody came to us in 1986 after hearing good things from an MPRO employee who was a nursing classmate at Madonna University. She started in a review capacity, as a preauthorization nurse, under the 2nd Scope of Work (SOW) for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Part of that work consisted of reviewing 23 procedures for inpatient stays of less than three days. At the time, MPRO reviewed 5% of all Medicare discharges in the state of Michigan (a huge proportion).
MPRO had five offices across the state and employed more than 450 people. Melody worked in the Plymouth office, which had an expansive medical records room in the basement with “thousands and thousands” of paper files, she said. Computers were scarce and technology was limited – staff relied on the U.S. Postal Service to communicate. “We made the best with what we had, but we struggled with poor communication and continuity among the five offices,” said Melody.
“I was glad to be a part of CMS’ evolution over the years from review, which was mostly punitive and could put providers on corrective action plans, to quality improvement, more about collaboration with providers,” she said.
Lessons Learned and Shared
Melody will cherish the MPRO family and culture. “The most important things to me have been all of the people I’ve worked with and MPRO’s flexibility to accommodate personal and family needs. Also, my work has been different all the time. Every day I’m doing something different. That keeps it exciting!” she said.
Melody served as a kind and nurturing leader. She was a mentor to countless young reviewers and staff. “It’s always really exciting to see people develop,” she said. “When I finally can say you don’t need to run that by me anymore because you’ve got it—that’s a great feeling! I encourage people to learn as much as they can. If somebody needs help, offer to support them even if you don’t think you’re qualified; you will learn from everything you do.”
“I have worked with a lot of nurses in my career, but rarely have I worked with anyone as knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated as Melody,” said MPRO’s Medical Director, James Mitchiner, M.D., MPH. “She has been a wonderful mentor to me, a source of wisdom in dealing with the many challenges in performing case review, and a steady hand in making MPRO’s medical review program run smoothly. I have a hunch that we’ll be calling on her in the future to get her perspective on unique issues that arise with our current and future contracts. Well done, Melody!”
Melody says she learned leadership on the job. “I never planned to be in leadership,” she said. “I just kept getting put into leadership roles, and I think I really grew just because of that; there were people who trusted me, and my confidence kept growing.”
Other highlights of her time at MPRO include work with state agencies. “At the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, personnel are professional and really care about the work they are doing,” said Melody. “We are fortunate to have a very collaborative relationship with them.”
“As far as our independent review contracts, I learned a lot from the North Carolina Department of Insurance,” Melody said. “We started doing external peer review for them in 2009, and their feedback helped us become one of the most respected IROs (Independent Review Organizations) in the country.”
As much as she has enjoyed her time at MPRO, she gained perspective from it, too. “You need to be happy at your job, but when the day is done, it’s your family that you go home to,” she said.
Going back to family is exactly what she plans to do in retirement. Melody will spend more time with her grandson, and she is looking forward to the birth of her second grandchild in July. She also plans to go to the gym more regularly so she can keep up with the young ones—and anything else she takes on in this next chapter!
“Melody’s history with MPRO is pretty much the entire history of MPRO. She has been with the company almost since its inception. Melody has worked through multiple CMS and state contracts and has seen the company through several leadership changes,” said MPRO’s President and CEO, Leland Babitch, M.D., MBA. “Since my arrival, I have always appreciated Melody’s insights and historical perspective on MPRO. Many thanks to her for her years of dedication and service and best of luck in retirement!”
Introducing Meri Trajkovski
Meri Trajkovski, MSN, R.N., will be our new Director of Review Services effective Feb. 7; with Melody’s guidance, she began transitioning into the role late last year.
Meri has worked as a nurse for nearly 30 years, beginning at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. She increased her responsibilities and expertise in positions at Cottage Hospital, Bon Secours Hospital in Grosse Pointe Farms, and St. Joseph Hospital in Ann Arbor.
Meri earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit, and earned her master’s as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at Walden University. She won St. Joseph’s Emergency Department Nurse of the Year Award in 2008, and the Michigan Emergency Nurses Association’s Shining Star Award in 2011.
“I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a great team,” Meri says of her time so far with MPRO.
