Thomas, Tami

Positions

Professor, Nicole Wertheim Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences , Academic Affairs

tthomas@fiu.edu

Google Scholar
LinkedIn

overview

Dr. Tami Thomas is an award-winning nurse scientist with a background in epidemiology. She is renowned as an advocate and authority in health promotion whose research findings serve as models for culturally appropriate patient education and care for underserved children and families.

Dr. Thomas’ illustrious body of research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. Her research focuses on the HPV Vaccine, Rural Health and Health Disparities.

Her groundbreaking NIH-research on adolescent HPV vaccinations showed that health care providers could increase HPV vaccine uptake serving to reduce HPV-related cancers through a multi-faceted approach to educate patients by relating to their values and beliefs. As a highly respected thought leader in health promotion for underserved populations, Dr. Thomas is leading federally funded projects addressing the health care gap by increasing the role of nurse practitioners to serve rural communities as primary care providers and certified sexual assault nurse examiners.

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities have funded her research in the prevention of population specific risk factors for infectious diseases and the HPV virus since 2007.

Dr. Thomas’ scholarly work has been presented nationally and internationally, with the impact of her service resulting in her selection as one of only 15 nursing faculty for the second cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Nurse Faculty Scholar Program; selection as an Early Career Reviewer; and requests to contribute to prevention initiatives worldwide. Dr. Thomas is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

In 2018, she was designated by the Dean of the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences (NWCNHS) as the senior research administrator responsible for developing and facilitating innovative, progressive, faculty-led programs of research.

Dr. Thomas is creating a strategic research and faculty development plan and leading a change to an innovative research culture that fosters creativity, collaboration and leadership for faculty to attain sustained external funding. A board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and tenured Associate Professor, Dr. Thomas is a life long advocate of underserved children and their families, she has served on a multitude of organizations and consulted with policy makers to inform current advanced nursing practice and to act as a catalyst for enhancing the health care delivery system.

Dr. Thomas serves as an intellectual resource and trusted leader in one of the most important areas of emphasis – strengthening the health care delivery system locally, nationally, and internationally in rural areas.

Dr. Thomas’ research findings on HPV vaccination and cultural approaches to prevention have been published widely in respected journals. Her students and colleagues recognized her as a thoughtful leader whose demeanor is characterized by kindness and integrity. She remains an active volunteer in her community, serving and consulting in the area health promotion.

Since her tenure at FIU she has been continuously funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration on multiple funded projects totaling over $4.36 Million addressing rural health disparities including Sexual Assault Services in Rural Areas of South Florida, primary care access and opioid use disorder in rural areas.

research interests

Vaccine Hesitancy
HPV Vaccine
HPV Prevention
Rural Health
Sexual Assault Services
Nurse Education and Clinical Training
Interprofessional Practice
Performance Metrics