Jenny (and Wendy Flottmeyer) came over to my home, one Saturday, last year (in the Spring). I was in the initial stages of Cancer treatment (chemo) and feeling very weak and vulnerable. She made me feel very loved and cared for. They brought flowers and herbs with them and spent a good 3 hours planting them on my deck and did yard clean up, because I could not do it myself. I think they even brought a meal for me. She has also intermittently, checked on me and encouraged me throughout the past year and a half as I work to complete all my treatments and surgeries. I feel very blessed and cared for and amazed that she (and Wendy) would give up a Saturday morning for me. I hope to one day, pay it forward, like she did. Jenny you ROCK and I love you girl!!!
-Siouxanne Mease, BSN
I was aware of Jenny Lang Burns and her work with patients before I ever worked at Mountain Family. I worked as an addiction counselor for many years prior to working at MFHC. I would have clients talked to me about Jenny, how much she helped them, how she cared for them, and respected them—addictions and all. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but trust me—it is not something that people always experience from a health care provider. I also worked at Mountain Valley Developmental Services for several years, and I would hear those individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities praise Jenny for her friendly and respectful care. This prompted me to nominate Jenny for a Garfield County Humanitarian Service Award almost 10 years ago. I am now proud to have her as a friend and one of my favorite coworkers.
-Barbra Corcoran, LCSW
I’d like to acknowledge my appreciation of Jenny as a caring, mission-driven provider and leader. She is a great partner across many topics and issues we face as an organization. She is dedicated to helping others build a better work environment and works to level-up herself and others into achieving their potential. It has been a joy working with Jenny and I look forward to a continued strong partnership. Congratulations Jenny on 20 years of service!
–Scott Owens,SPHR
Jenny provided a fantastic story on the care she provides at Mountain Family and helped to raise over $30,000 in online appeal donations at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Her story inspired many people to be truly generous.
On a personal level, when our 5 ½ year old daughter was exhibiting COVID symptoms, Jenny was standing by to make sure that we could receive care. Dr. Roques tended to Sophia, and we had a test that very same day in Glenwood. Jenny was on-call to ensure that we were taken care of swiftly. Jenny has a real grace to her that she shares with everyone, fighting for dignity and compassion for all.
-Jan Jennings
Congratulations to Jenny on 20 years at MFHC! We are very lucky to have enjoyed her skills as a provider, strength as a leader and compassion for patients and staff alike for two decades. Jenny believes strong provider leadership starts with excellent patient care and she leads by example, going above and beyond to provide high quality care for her patients every day. She has advocated for some of the most vulnerable in our communities, working to minimize barriers to reproductive healthcare for women, providing care to patients at Mountain Valley Developmental Services and advocating for the expansion of school based health centers. Jenny has also helped us “grow our own”, mentoring countless staff and community members to further careers in healthcare, including encouraging me to apply to be site medical director when I was only a few months out of residency. I have appreciated Jenny’s wisdom and honesty over the years in both challenging and celebratory times. Jenny brings many gifts to MFHC but perhaps her greatest is the love and care she shares with all patients and staff. You can feel Jenny cares for you in every interaction and I am sure she has thousands of hugs saved up for everyone post-pandemic times. For now we will settle for a virtual group hug and smiles behind screens and masks in celebration of this wonderful woman we are lucky to know and work with. Thanks for all you do Jenny!
-Matt Percy, MD
I would like to acknowledge Jenny’s compassion for the lives and health of families in our community as well as her commitment to inserting justice into health. Though I have only worked with Jenny for a short time, her interest in hard topics like reproductive justice and the needs of different populations is compelling. Thank you, Jenny, for being a leader for good!
-Risa Turetsky, FNP
Dear Jenny,
First and foremost, many congratulations on your 20th anniversary with Mountain Family Health Centers. What a wonderful accomplishment in your professional career.
No words can begin to express the incredibly deep impact you have had on so many lives in our community. Each and every day you share many amazing gifts with us: your impeccable skills as a medical provider, your dedication to quality, and your unending positive energy. I have had the pleasure of working with you on many quality activities including PDSAs, peer review, your role as medical director, etc. and have always been impressed with your remarkable talent to see opportunity for growth in all situations.
Perhaps the greatest gift you share with us is your excellence in communication. Your skills continually emulate the open-minded, non-judgmental, grateful, and humble human being you are. Your patience in even the most stressful situations is astounding. You have an uncanny ability to make those you connect with feel like they are the most important person in the world, and your warmth instills a sense of calm to all whose lives you touch.
On a personal note, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate our friendship. It is an honor to share time with you beyond the walls of MFHC. I am truly grateful for your spirit, and for all the blessings and bright light you bring to our lives.
Many congratulations, Jenny.
With gratitude,
Karen Miller
Happy 20th anniversary to Jenny!!!
SO much to say about my deep appreciation for all that she does for MFHC on so many levels AND the community that we live in. She is a source of great inspiration who simply makes the world a better, kinder, place. She never fails to greet co-workers and patients like a long, lost friend regardless of how stressful her day might be. She is a great provider, leader and listener and I am proud to have her as my supervisor. There is no greater cheerleader than our Jenny!
I honestly think she has more than 24 hours in her days because how on earth could she possibly fit everything in! She certainly makes it difficult to say no to her requests as no one works harder than she does.
Thank you for your 20 years of service to so many Jenny! Now let’s go celebrate!!
Sandy
I first met Jenny in May 2012, when I interviewed for the MFHC CEO position as David Adamson was retiring. In my first few months on the job, I shadowed several MFHC medical and dental providers, including Jenny. I was immediately struck by Jenny’s compassionate and humane care. I remember the first patient I met with Jenny, “Super Steve” in July 2012, her high standards (“our job is to serve patients, let’s get on the floor and do so”), and her sharp elbows in the name of social justice.
A few years into my career with Mountain Family, we were having traditional, rather unhealthy, “providers vs. administration” battles at MFHC, or as is commonly referred to over a glass of weekend red wine: “good vs. evil: the battle against the dark side.” We were stuck in arguing about everything from schedules, to time off, to quality, to staffing, to-ma-toe or toe-mah-toe. Honestly, I was getting pretty exasperated in my first few years as CEO and was searching for a way to build a true team, giving caregivers and administrators equal agency, voice, and ownership of Mountain Family. I remember distinctly the day when I had asked our clinical leaders to join the MFHC Executive Team and Jenny said “I will do it.” Within a week, she joined the Executive Team, and starting deepening our shared understanding, vision, ownership, and direction of Mountain Family. That was a pivotal moment in Mountain Family’s story bringing us together as a collective.
When MFHC Basalt was struggling, Jenny stepped up and said “I will do it, I will serve as the Basalt Site Medical Director to help this part of our family.” She helped Basalt heal and grow until she could gracefully hand off leadership of the Basalt clinic to Anneliese. When MFHC Edwards was struggling, Jenny stepped up and said “I will do it, I will serve as the Edwards Site Medical Director to help this part of our family.” She helped Edwards heal and grow until she could gracefully hand off leadership of the Edwards clinic to Zack. When MFHC was struggling to find the right Chief Medical Officer to lead us forward, Jenny stepped up and said “In partnership with Matt and Anneliese, I will do it, and I will serve as a member of the Chief Medical Team to serve this part of our family.” Throughout, she’s continued to lead the Glenwood Springs clinic, MFHC’s mothership and largest clinic, as Site Medical Director, balancing high expectations for patient care, financial stability, and joy in the workplace.
Jenny is the heart and soul of Mountain Family. Her passion and fingerprints are on access to affordable, healthy, local food via the MFHC Farmacy; access to affordable, local family planning via Title X and contraceptive access programs; and access to school-based care via MFHC’s growing school-based health centers.
Jenny never shies away from trouble or a good fight. She doesn’t do so to be right, but rather to do the right thing. A few examples:
- Challenging local law enforcement, local ERs, primary care providers, and community mental health providers to evolve to best serve patients in mental health crises.
- Pushing forward, and educating, on gender, racial, ethnic, and reproductive justice issues.
- Standing up for the safety, protection, and rights of all Mountain Family staff.
- Fighting for universal healthcare access, and coverage, for all.
One of the great joys of my career at Mountain Family has been having Jenny as a partner, and growing with Jenny. Today, we celebrate Jenny’s 20 extraordinary years of service to others and our communities. Take a bow Jenny. To you, we send our Namaste bows, Western Slope cowbell clanging hoot and hollers, and a not so silent standing ovation.
-Ross
In case you haven’t noticed, I LOVE mnemonics! In his little book, Leadership by Example, Dr Sanjiv Chopra describes ten key qualities of all great leaders:
L – listen well
E – empathy
A – attitude
D – dreams and decisiveness
E – effectiveness
R – resilience
S – sense of purpose
H – humility and humor
I – integrity and imagination
P – principles, and willingness to pack other people’s parachutes (set others up for success)
In all my encounters with her, since I joined Mountain Family, Jenny Lang Burns has lived up to this mnemonic! She has been a great leader and was a true gift to the Edwards office when we had a “crisis of leadership” two years ago. I can’t thank her enough for holding our little clinic together through some most challenging and uncomfortable times.
Congratulations, Jenny, on your 20 years with Mountain Family! You have been a blessing to all of us who have had the honor to work with you.
-Kent Petrie, MD
I have worked at MFHC a long time, but didn’t really get to know Jenny until I moved to Glenwood four years ago. Before that she was just a working machine that Dr. Tonozzi agreed to supervise. Now that I know her, she is still a working machine! She works on her leadership skills, she works on keeping the clinic humming but mostly she works on her connections within Mountain Family and in the community. Having dinner with Jenny at a local restaurant is an experience of many interruptions, many hugs (pre-COVID) and many laughs. People love her! I am also the lucky person (along with Corrinne) who gets to hike with her on Wednesday mornings up Red Mountain with her two dogs – Quinn and Sam – and occasionally, I get to join her mountain biking. She is one strong woman packed into that tiny frame! Finally, you can’t talk about Jenny without mentioning her family. Tim, Mae and Tess have been in and around all that Mountain Family has to offer as much as anyone. Twenty years is a long time for one family to give to another, but they do it because they love Jenny. I love Jenny. Can we retire together??
-Wendy Flottmeyer