Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA

Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA, has over 20 years of experience in scientific and administrative leadership in translational and clinical research across both federal and non-federal sponsors. She currently serves as the vice president of Healthcare Delivery Research at the MedStar Health Research Institute, where she provides executive oversight for the MedStar Healthcare Delivery Research Network, the MedStar Women and Children’s Research Network, and the Center for Biostatistics, Informatics, and Data Science.

In these centers, Dr. Thomas leads a team of experts who apply rigorous scientific methods to enhance healthcare delivery through quality, safety, innovation, health economics, payment reform, outcomes assessment, health services research, data science, and health equity. Her team implements and evaluates data-driven solutions that support policies and programs aimed at improving healthcare while integrating scientific insights with the clinical and operational expertise necessary to meet patient and community needs. Dr. Thomas also ensures that these research activities leverage the collective leadership and unique strengths of MedStar Health and Georgetown University.

Dr. Thomas’s research interests include health equity and patient safety. In March 2020, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation funded $27 million of the $30 million Safe Babies Safe Moms initiative, which has expanded and continues to grow. As the Executive Leader of this program, Dr. Thomas is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of an evidence-based program that has successfully reduced disparities in maternal and infant mortality in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she contributes her research expertise to initiatives aimed at identifying the factors contributing to disparities in maternal and infant harm.

Before her current role, Dr. Thomas was a key member of the Pelvic Floor Research Group in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan. There, she published and presented her research on urinary incontinence in women both nationally and internationally. She gained valuable expertise in qualitative and quantitative survey methods to understand the context of racial disparities in urinary incontinence, which ultimately earned her an award from the International Continence Society.

With nearly two decades of experience, Dr. Thomas has extensive expertise in executing all aspects of research projects, including retrospective data analysis, chart review and abstraction, recruitment and retention, and overall project leadership. She has hands-on experience with both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as extensive expertise in analyzing user data from electronic health records, patient safety event management systems, AHRQ patient safety indicators, and severe maternal morbidity case extractions. She utilizes the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Global Trigger Method, conducts statistical analyses, and disseminates research findings through journal articles, conference presentations, and technical reports. Her research has been funded by organizations such as the Latham Foundation, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, and the California Healthcare Foundation.

Dr. Thomas has published in several peer-reviewed academic journals, including NEJM Catalyst. Her work has also been featured in media outlets such as Modern Healthcare and The Washington Post and has received recognition from the Clinton Global Initiative. Furthermore, she has been acknowledged by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the 2024 “Black Healthcare Leaders to Know” and received the Health Equity Leader Award at the 2024 Washington Business Journal’s inaugural Innovators in Health Care Awards.

Dr. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education from the same institution. She later obtained a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, as well as a Doctor of Public Health in Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health from the University of South Florida.

Research interests

Dr. Thomas's research interests include

• Health equity
• Patient safety
• Maternal and infant health

Selected research studies

D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms: A Novel, Multigenerational, Integrated Care Delivery Model to Reduce Maternal and Infant Health Disparities

Women who were cared for by the MedStar Health D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms program (SBSM) had better outcomes in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum, according to a study published in NEJM Catalyst . Additionally, the study showed that Black patients cared for by SBSM were also less likely to have low or very low birthweight babies or preterm birth than Black or White patients who received prenatal care elsewhere.

Identifying and Understanding Ways to Address the Impact of Racism on Patient Safety in Health Care Settings

Through a collaboration with RAND Corporation and other MedStar Health investigators, Dr. Thomas examined the intersection of patient safety and racism, focusing on patient safety and health equity from clinician leaders' perspectives. An overarching emphasis of the work concerned the impact of racism and other related factors (i.e., bias) on patient safety events and potential interventions or changes (such as creating a culture of speaking up about racism in care) that can help prevent such events.

Policy Changes To Address Racial/Ethnic Inequities In Patient Safety

In an article published to Health Affairs, Dr. Thomas argues that applying a health equity lens to patient safety reporting can help us better understand the extent of inequities, develop necessary interviews, and measure outcomes.

View Dr. Thomas's publications on PubMed