In 2009, the world was buzzing with the news of Sully Sullenberger’s heroic touchdown of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River.
More quietly, at Teton Therapy’s Riverton clinic, Jennifer Hegwood’s career was just taking off. As a Therapy Technician, Jennifer began a journey that would shape her life over the next decade and a half.
Three years into her tenure at Teton Therapy, Jennifer stepped up when the company needed an Insurance Verifications manager for the growing outpatient therapy clinic’s two locations, “We didn’t have the Billing Department in-house at the time, so I did both jobs for a while,” she recalls. For three years, Jennifer was the cornerstone of Teton Therapy’s insurance verification efforts, demonstrating her tenacity and commitment.
It was trust that led Teton Therapy’s owners Jeff and Michelle McMenamy to discontinue outsourcing the company’s billing operations and put Jennifer in charge. “I am grateful to them for allowing me to be in this position. Basically, they took a leap of faith when they thought about bringing the billing operations in-house. But I knew we could do it better.”
In the Billing department for nine years now, Jennifer is still committed to improving: “Because of the task-oriented person I am, there’s always something to do. Even when insurance companies [make me mad] beyond all belief, there’s always something to learn. If only insurance companies would behave….”
Jennifer’s passion for getting insurance companies to behave took a presidential turn when dealing with insurance that covered disabled vets: “We had multiple claims into the company, and they were behind by 18 months or so on processing claims for payment. So I tried to get a resolution at the local level, but no local supervisor was able to handle my requests. Then I stumbled across an email address for the White House. And within a day, I got a message stating that the issue was being investigated. Within a week, the [US Representative for Wyoming’s] Veteran’s Administration Liason reached out. I sent them spreadsheets of dates and document numbers. We had almost all the claims paid in three weeks.”
Today, Jennifer balances her professional achievements with her personal joys, from being a doting grandmother to Adeline, 5 and Ellie, 1, to hunting and fishing, to leading the crew of a hot air balloon. The “Hot & Bothered,” has soared across various festivals, from Canada to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival in New Mexico. As the balloon’s crew chief, Jennifer puts it with a smile, “Shocker – I’m in charge.”
At Teton Therapy, we’re more than just a clinic—we’re an organization that nurtures growth, celebrates achievements, and supports one another. If you’re passionate, driven, and eager to make a difference, we invite you to be part of our story.
