Former Frontier Behavioral Health CEO Jeff Thomas has made a name for himself as one of the key architects of the region’s shift toward integrated mental health care, a practice that addresses both physical and mental well-being.
Thomas, who died of respiratory complications a year ago, also worked to ensure that these services were available to all in need.
Now a scholarship at a local university and an outpatient frontier facility are named after him.
The Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship and Endowment was established at Eastern Washington University by the Coordinated Care organization. The scholarship is designed to increase access to higher education for underrepresented students interested in behavioral health fields, such as social work or psychology.
On Monday at 3 p.m., Frontier will hold a dedication ceremony for its outpatient building, which will be named the Jeff Thomas Center (2118 E. Sprague Ave.).
Thomas pushed for the social services and mental health needs of area residents and was known for his loyalty and support to the agency’s more than 700 employees, said Kelli Miller, Frontier’s CEO.
“Jeff knew that high-quality care was not possible without talented staff,” Miller said. “This inspired Jeff to become a fierce advocate for addressing the staffing challenges in our field.”
This included partnering with local universities to train students and looking for ways to reduce barriers to higher education access for those wishing to enter the field.
“This scholarship is a direct reflection of Jeff, his life’s work and the inspiration he was to all of us,” Miller said.
Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance to over 300,000 Medicaid, foster care, Medicare and Marketplace members in the state.
“This initiative recognizes Jeff’s extraordinary work while demonstrating our commitment to addressing the healthcare workforce shortage and supporting the talents of those pursuing higher education to serve Washington communities,” said Beth Johnson, CEO of Coordinated Care.
Thomas has a Master’s degree in Social Work from EWU.
He served as CEO of Frontier from 2012 until his death in August 2023 at the age of 62. During his tenure, Frontier developed into a leading provider in the region.
Prior to Frontier, he served as executive director of Family Service Spokane for 15 years. Thomas served in that role when the company merged with Spokane Mental Health to form Frontier in 2011. He briefly served as deputy director of the merged agency at the time.
