Jeff Thomas, former CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health, built his legacy as a key architect of the region's transition to integrated mental health care, a practice that considers both physical and mental health.
Thomas, who died a year ago from respiratory complications, worked hard to ensure these services were available to everyone who needed them.
Now a local college scholarship and a Frontier outpatient facility are named after him.
The Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship and Fund was established at Eastern Washington University by the Coordinating Care Organization. The scholarship is intended to improve access to higher education for underrepresented students interested in behavioral health, including degrees in social work and psychology.
On Monday at 3 p.m., Frontier will hold a dedication ceremony for an outpatient building that will be named the Jeff Thomas Center (2118 E. Sprague Ave.).
Mr Thomas was a strong advocate for the social service and mental health needs of local residents, and Frontier CEO Kelly Miller said he was known for his loyalty and support of his more than 700 employees.
“Jeff knew that quality care is not possible without a great workforce,” Miller said, “which led him to become a passionate advocate for addressing workforce challenges in our field.”
This included partnering with local universities for student learning and finding ways to remove barriers to college admissions for people wanting to go into the field.
“This scholarship is a direct reflection of Jeff, his life’s work and the inspiration he has been to all of us,” Miller said.
Coordinated Care provides free or low-cost health insurance to more than 300,000 Medicaid, foster care, Medicare and Marketplace members across the state.
“This initiative celebrates Jeff's incredible work and demonstrates our commitment to solving the health care worker shortage and supporting the talents of those seeking higher education to serve our Washington communities,” said Beth Johnson, CEO of Coordinated Care.
Thomas earned his Master's in Social Work from EWU.
He served as Frontier's CEO from 2012 until his death in August 2023 at the age of 62. During his tenure, Frontier grew to become a leading provider in the region.
Prior to joining Frontier, Thomas served as executive director of Family Services Spokane for 15 years, a role he continued in when the agency merged with Spokane Mental Health to become Frontier in 2011, and also served a short stint as deputy director at the combined agency.
