Along with pediatrician Henry Silver, Ford started the pediatric nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado in 1965.

[2][3] When she was young, she wanted to be a teacher, but her family's financial situation led her to choose a less costly educational path.

In 1942, following the death of her fiancé in World War II, Ford joined the US Army Air Force.

She had hoped to enter flight nurse training, but was denied due to her vision, and instead served at base hospitals in Florida and Maine.

[5][2] At CU, Ford was mentored and impacted by several influential figures in nursing and public health including Lucile Petry Leone, Pearl Parvin Coulter, and Henrietta Loughran.

[2] Prior to completion of her EdD, Ford was already an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Nursing in Denver, and then earned full professorship in 1965.

[2] During this time, she noted a deficit of care in these communities, which she and other nurses filled with temporary health clinics.

This experience confirmed for Ford that nurses could independently fill gaps in healthcare if offered specialized training.

[8] Ford was given the opportunity to begin developing the specialized training she envisioned through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Nursing.

[2] In 1965, Ford joined with pediatrician Henry Silver to create the pediatric nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado.