Long-Term Local Healthcare Provider ‘Partially’ Retires

By Misty Cryer

Fusion Health and Wellness, an established medical practice in Carlsbad, is changing hands. The founder and independent practitioner of the medical clinic, Jane Cornwell, MSN, CNP-BC, recently retired from the practice. Rebecca Jones, MSN, FNP-BC, a familiar face to Cornwell’s patients, will continue to operate the practice as her own.

Cornwell came to Carlsbad in 2003, when she began working for Dr. Kim Lark. Before then, she was a Nurse Practitioner in New York for one year and in Florida for two years. She went to a Nurse Practitioner conference in Albuquerque in 2002.

“It was a warm year. It was sunny, and we went to the balloon festival. I was like, ‘Wow, I could live in New Mexico’,” said Cornwell, adding she started looking for a job anywhere in the state. “Over Easter of 2003, my daughter Sarah and I came to Carlsbad, and in five days, I found a job and bought a house,” she said.

For a number of years, Cornwell said her husband, Jeff, encouraged her to open her own practice, which she felt would be difficult. “I’m a nurse. I’m not a businessperson. I had every reason in the world why I didn’t want to do that,” she said.

Cornwell said they looked at a number of offices before finding the one in Building 6 that had previously been a dentist’s office. “It was just the perfect size for one provider,” she said.

With the help of Steve and Tina Walker and her husband, Jeff, Cornwell said they did a lot of work to get the suite up and running as Fusion Health and Wellness, opening in 2014.

Over the years, Cornwell said she had many nurse practitioner students, and Rebecca Jones was one of them. “After she graduated, she came and worked for me; she worked for me for two years,” she said, adding that Rebecca literally ran the practice when Cornwell had COVID. More recently, Jones worked in a family practice in Carlsbad for Artesia General Hospital, said Cornwell.

Cornwell said she told Jones that she wanted to retire from practice at the end of the year. “I talked to her and her husband, and we decided we could come up with a plan that would work where she will buy the practice,” she said.

The two practitioners worked together for about a month, with the transition taking effect at the beginning of this year. “All of the staff is staying, except Jeff,” she said, adding with a laugh, “She doesn’t get to keep my husband.”

When people ask Cornwell what she is going to do, she said she laughs and says, “Nothing,” adding, “But I don’t know how to do nothing.” She said she is a busy person.

“My mother always used to tell me, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person because they know how to do things,” said Cornwell. “My husband and I, both, we garden. We have a greenhouse. We have a little, tiny ten-tree orchard, which is plenty. Then I can food,” she said, adding that they also enjoy traveling with their camp trailer and fishing.

In the foreseeable future, Cornwell said there are no plans to leave Carlsbad, although she wouldn’t say she’ll never leave because her daughter lives in Florida.

“We like Carlsbad, and we’ve lived here for over 20 years. We have developed good relationships with people in and around Eddy County. Our good friends are here. Why would I leave? The weather is perfect,” she said.

Cornwell has also signed a three-year contract with CARC, Inc. “I’m the Medical Director at CARC Farm right now for virtually all of their residents,” said Cornwell, explaining that residents who are on hospice will stay with hospice.