David Thomas, who has more than three decades of behavioral health experience, is the new Site CEO at the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery.
His first day at the Upper Marlboro, Maryland, facility was Oct. 14.
The Center of Excellence (COE) offers treatment exclusively for IAFF members, including fire fighters, dispatchers, and first responders. Multiple treatment types are available, but center clinicians focus primarily on serious behavioral health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, extreme grief, and addiction.
“I want to make sure the facility lives up to its name: the Center of Excellence,” Thomas said. “The center should deliver the highest quality of care using proven techniques while making room for cutting edge, emerging techniques. What works for one person may not work for another, so we want to have the resources to see what will truly work with each patient.”
The site director position opened when it was announced the site’s previous director, Marc Rattigan, would become the site director for the new COE western location in Hemet, California.
David’s background as a veteran and in healthcare will be a welcomed addition to our operations. The COE is a critical piece of support that has assisted more than 3,500 members. Under David’s leadership, we know the COE and its team will continue providing excellent care for members seeking help.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly
“David’s background as a veteran and in healthcare will be a welcomed addition to our operations,” said IAFF General President Edward Kelly. “The COE is a critical piece of support that has assisted more than 3,500 members. Under David’s leadership, we know the COE and its team will continue providing excellent care for members seeking help.”
A team from the IAFF, the Center of Excellence Maryland location, and Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS) worked together to fill the position. ARS partners with the IAFF to provide specialized treatment programs tailored to the unique needs of fire fighters and first responders.
“The team did an extensive search because we wanted the best. We felt David was the perfect fit because of his distinguished background in healthcare administration, behavioral health, and clinical leadership,” Nanci Stockwell, ARS Senior Vice President of Operations, said. “His track record shows he focuses on quality care leading to improved therapy approaches and ensuring that treatment aligns with the latest research and best practices.”
Called to serve
Most people who become fire fighters do it because that’s all they ever wanted to do, with many describing it as a calling. Thomas got his calling at a young age too, but not to become a fire fighter. He wanted to become a psychiatrist.
Thomas remembers being concerned about the cost of college tuition, but he then received a phone call that changed his life. A U.S. Navy Recruiter asked him to lunch to discuss how the service could help him reach his goals.
“Saying yes to that lunch was one of the best decisions I ever made,” Thomas said. “Thanks to the Navy, not only was I able to get the education and training I needed to enter a career in behavioral health medicine, but I was also able to gain valuable experience caring for patients.”
After joining the Navy in 1994, Thomas became a Hospital Corpsman, a medic trained by nurses. He quickly discovered he loved nursing.
“I focused on becoming a nurse and never looked back,” he said.
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Minnesota, he was commissioned a U.S. Navy Nurse Corps Officer.
Tracey Giles, who currently serves as the Commanding Officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) at Fort Belvoir, was Thomas’ colleague when they were assigned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia.
“David is an invaluable resource as a colleague and mentor because he has had vast experience in all levels of care. He always makes himself available to offer his assistance, provide his perspective, or give advice,” Giles said.
And his military experience will translate well into a first responder environment, she said. “He has seen firsthand the impact trauma can have on the individual and he also understands that the end goal is to get the patient back to doing what they love, the job.”
Indeed, Thomas said he certainly understands the mindset of first responders.
“Just as it does with military personnel, behavioral health issues for first responders are not always the result of one traumatic incident,” Thomas said. “It can compound over time, in much the same way as it does in fire and emergency medical service.”
After retiring from the Navy in 2022, Thomas held the first-ever Regional Director role for Behavioral Health Operations at Kaiser Permanente, an executive-level position in which he oversaw all mental health-related clinical operations for more than 800,000 members across the Mid-Atlantic States.
He believes his accumulation of experience will help him lead a behavioral health center — from treatment to the administrative level.
“The goal is to get them back to doing what they love, if possible. And, if it is not possible, help them transition into a different life,” Thomas said.
Thomas is married to a former pediatrician who is now a full-time mom and educator to their three young children. They enjoy cooking, reading, gardening, community service, music, and playing board games.
The path forward
Stockwell, ARS’ Senior Vice President of Operations, is excited about the opportunities to add to the already-excellent services provided by the Center.
“Under David Thomas’s leadership, the IAFF Center of Excellence (COE) is positioned to grow in several impactful ways, leveraging his extensive experience in healthcare administration, behavioral health, and clinical operations,” she said.
Specifically, she pointed to five areas: Enhanced clinical programs; operational efficiency; integrated mental health services; expansion of outreach and partnerships; and data-driven quality improvement.
Under Thomas’s guidance, the IAFF Center of Excellence can evolve into an even more effective, responsive, and comprehensive support system for those who serve on the front lines,” Stockwell said.
The average stay at the Center of Excellence is 38 days. That is longer than most in-patient care centers, but this timeframe allows the patient to see what kinds of treatment are effective, practice what they have learned, and determine next steps.
The COE Western location – the next stop for Rattigan – is roughly halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. It will open once all the permits and insurance paperwork have been processed by the corresponding agencies.
The IAFF is hopeful that it will be operational late next spring or summer.
