Coordinated Care Establishes Memorial Scholarship to Honor Jeff Thomas, former CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health
Date: 08/13/24
In honor of Eastern Washington University alumnus, Jeff Thomas, the scholarship aims to improve access to higher education for underrepresented people in behavioral healthcare fields.
Spokane, WA – In memory of the remarkable life and legacy of Jeff Thomas, Coordinated Care, Frontier Behavioral Health (FBH) and Eastern Washington University (EWU) proudly announce the establishment of the Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship and Endowment. This scholarship aims to celebrate the passions and values that defined Thomas' life, while supporting aspiring social work or psychology students at EWU in their pursuit of undergraduate or graduate degrees.
EWU alumnus Thomas was known for his passion for social services and mental health, his loyalty and support for staff, and his aspirations to provide hope, making a lasting impact on Spokane and the behavioral health community. Thomas served as CEO of FBH from 2012 until his passing in 2023. During his tenure, FBH grew to become the region's lead provider of comprehensive behavioral healthcare.
"We are honored to establish the Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship and Endowment," said Coordinated Care President and CEO, Beth Johnson. "This initiative commemorates the extraordinary work of Jeff while demonstrating our commitment to solving healthcare workforce shortages and supporting the talents of those pursing higher education to serve Washington communities."
Through this scholarship, Coordinated Care seeks to continue Jeff's legacy by empowering future generations of EWU students who demonstrate similar dedication, tenacity, and commitment to behavioral health services.
"Jeff dedicated his entire career to improving behavioral health in Washington. With a never-ending commitment to ensure services were available to anyone in need, Jeff knew that quality care wasn’t possible without a talented workforce. This inspired Jeff to be a fierce advocate for addressing workforce challenges in our field," said Frontier Behavioral Health CEO, Kelli Miller. "Jeff was enthusiastic about partnering with local universities to enhance student learning and finding ways to remove barriers in access to higher education for those wanting to work in behavioral healthcare. This scholarship is a direct reflection of Jeff, his life’s work, and the inspiration he was to all of us."
This endowment created by Coordinated Care aims to improve access to higher education for underrepresented populations in behavioral health-related fields. Recipients must be students majoring in behavioral health programs, such as the School of Social Work or Psychology.
"The Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship will have a significant impact for students pursuing degrees related to behavioral health. This scholarship makes a degree in fields like social work, psychology, counseling, or addiction studies more attainable for students," said Professor, Chair & Director of EWU’s School of Social Work Amanda Reedy, PhD, MSW. "As a result, graduates are more prepared to enter the workforce and can spend more years working in this high need field. We are grateful that Coordinated Care has chosen to honor Jeff Thomas in this way."
Students wanting to apply for the scholarship can visit www.ewu.edu/apply/tuition/scholarships. EWU accepts scholarship applications each year between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1.
For more information or to support the fund donors can visit www.ewu.edu/jeffthomasfund to make a one-time or monthly gift.
###
About Coordinated Care
Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance coverage to more than 300,000 Medicaid, foster care, Medicare and marketplace members across Washington, with more than 40,000 providers in-network. Coordinated Care is committed to transforming the health of the community one person at a time. They treat the whole person by breaking down barriers to accessing care, walking members through their benefits, and connecting them to the care they need. Coordinated Care is a Washington managed care organization and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. To learn more about our efforts in Healthcare Workforce Development, visit www.CoordinatedCareHealth.com/WA-first.
About Frontier Behavioral Health
Frontier Behavioral Health (FBH) is a nonprofit Trauma-Informed Care organization that provides behavioral healthcare and related services to adults, youth, and seniors in Spokane County who are dealing with a wide range of issues including those with serious mental illness who are often low-income, homeless, or disabled. In addition to outpatient and inpatient treatment, FBH provides crisis response and mobile responder programs, and operates the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for Eastern Washington.
About Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University provides an education rooted in the liberal arts, designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing the region. Characterized by a student centered focus and opportunities for applied learning in high demand fields, this education creates upward social mobility and intellectual growth for our students that supports a healthy, sustainable, and economically successful region. Visit www.ewu.edu.