Kaiser Permanente Medical School in Pasadena Names Johns Hopkins Educator to Its Board

The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine has appointed Patricia A. Thomas, MD, FACP, to its board of directors, the Pasadena-based medical school announced in a statement July 8.

Thomas is Professor of Medicine Emerita at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she spent more than two decades in leadership roles tied to medical education, ambulatory medicine and curricular development, according to the announcement. She served as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine and as Associate Dean for Curriculum in the School of Medicine, KPSOM said.

“I’m honored to join Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine’s Board of Directors,” Thomas said in the announcement. “The school’s commitment to integrating clinical excellence with health systems science and community-centered care reflects the future of medical education. I look forward to supporting the school’s continued growth as it prepares physicians to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.”

John L. Dalrymple, KPSOM’s dean and CEO, welcomed the appointment. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Thomas to our board,” Dalrymple said. “Her depth of experience in curricular transformation and academic leadership will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our educational model and train physicians equipped to lead in a dynamic and changing healthcare environment.”

At Hopkins, Thomas co-led development of the “Genes to Society” curriculum, an approach built around patient-centered care and systems-based learning, according to the announcement and Case Western Reserve University, where she later worked. In 2014, she was recruited as Vice Dean for Medical Education at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. There, she led the launch of new educational pathways in World Medicine, Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Humanities, and oversaw the development and accreditation of a new Physician Assistant Studies program, KPSOM said.

Thomas has served as a faculty lead for multiple medical school accreditation cycles and as a consultant to schools in the United States and internationally, according to the school. She is first editor of the monograph “Curriculum Development in Medical Education: A Six-Step Approach,” which has been presented to clinician-educator faculties spanning the globe.

Glenn Hackbarth, the board’s chair, said in the announcement that Thomas “brings a rare combination of strategic vision and operational expertise in medical education. Her track record of advancing pioneering curricula and strengthening accreditation processes will greatly enhance the board’s ability to serve the school.”