This week, Liane Jollon, executive director of San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH), attended the award ceremony for the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. Awarded to Jollon in 2021, the recognition honors elected officials and career government employees.
Jollon was one of five recipients of the award in 2021.
Citing her resourcefulness and strong advocacy for Southwest Colorado and public health agencies across the state, Jollon was honored in the “Career public servant at the local level” category for her exemplary work as a leader in public health during pandemic response. U.S. Senator Michael Bennet nominated Jollon for this award.
Named after the AMA’s founder, the award recognizes elected and career officials in federal, state, and municipal service who have made outstanding contributions to the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. Jollon joined more than 200 past recipients who have been commended by the AMA as government officials who dedicate themselves to advance the well-being of all.
“I am proud to accept this award on behalf of all of the public health superheroes at SJBPH and all of Colorado’s local public health agencies, who spent the last three years sacrificing in every way to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jollon said. “If we’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that we’re all in this together, and extraordinary team efforts in public health and across our entire society are what truly make a difference,” Jollon added.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Jollon helped plan, oversee, and communicate the agency’s response to mitigate COVID-19 in Southwest Colorado.
“From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Jollon has worked with leaders in the region and throughout the state to develop and communicate a coordinated public health response,” AMA Board Chair Russ Kridel, M.D., said at the time of the award. “The fight against COVID-19 is just the latest challenge Ms. Jollon has taken on during a career devoted to improving public health. I am pleased to present her with our Outstanding Government Service Award.”
More information about the AMA’s Dr. Nathan Davis awards is available here.