Carey Thomson, MD, MPH, named Chair of Medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital

Cambridge, Mass. – Carey Thomson, MD, MPH, has been named Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital. Thomson has served as Interim Chair of Medicine since November 2020 and has been recognized throughout her career for her expertise and her compassion as a leader in pulmonary medicine and critical care.

“Dr. Thomson is a strong administrative leader with a solid track record of clinical excellence and compassionate care,” said Jeanette Clough, President of Mount Auburn Hospital. “Mount Auburn’s culture of patient-centered clinical excellence and collegial warmth among its staff are a perfect fit for Dr. Thomson’s expertise and personal philosophy, and we are excited to welcome her into this new role.”

Thomson joined Mount Auburn Hospital in 2005 as a physician specializing in medicine and pulmonary/critical care. In recognition of her commitment to teaching and clinical excellence, and of her strong leadership skills, Thomson has held several major leadership positions at Mount Auburn Hospital including Director of Critical Care Education, Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and most recently Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. In these roles, Thomson focused on clinical innovation and service line development that incorporated quality improvement and multidisciplinary teamwork. Thomson is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“I am honored to assume the distinguished role of Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital,” said Thomson. “I look forward to serving Mount Auburn Hospital’s patients, providers, and learners and providing ongoing excellence with compassion.”

Thomson’s expertise in clinical innovation has progressed most notably in the area of thoracic oncology, however other areas include clinical care pathways and quality improvement in the ICU and inpatient setting. Her research interests span across lung cancer and pulmonary disease, including lung nodule management, screening, and ARDS, with her most recent research looking into the impact of COVID-19 on acute respiratory disease (ARDS). She mentors a dozens of trainees and junior faculty in quality improvement and health services research and is committed to training the next generation in advancing high quality care.

Regionally, Thomson serves as Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Lung Cancer Learning Collaborative, which brings together programs from across the state to share best practices. Nationally, she chaired the development of an American Thoracic Society (ATS)/American Lung Association (ALA) implementation guide and web-based toolkit for lung cancer screening, and has presented this work nationally and internationally. Her work at Mount Auburn has led to collaboration with colleagues across the country on the American Cancer Society’s National Lung Cancer Roundtable where she serves as Vice Chair of the Implementation Strategies Task Group and a member of the State-based Initiative Task Group. She has held numerous leaderhip roles in education, including Chair of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Education Committee. Thomson was honored in 2018 with the ATS Outstanding Educator Award for her leadership implementing numerous programs and mentorship of clinicial educators. She also serves as an expert on lung cancer for the ALA, and on the American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening 2.0 Steering committee. Thomson has served on the Board of Directors of the ATS where she honored with the Presidential Commendation in 2017 for her exemplary work in education, quality improvement and her contributions to the Society.

Born and raised in the Appalachian mountains in Paintsville, Kentucky, Thomson is a graduate of Smith College, with honors, where she received her bachelor’s degree in education. She earned her medical degree from Dartmouth College with honors and completed her internship and residency training in internal medicine at Stanford University. Upon completion of her residency, she completed fellowships in pulmonary/critical care and respiratory epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and the Channing Laboratory. In 2002, she received her Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health.

About Mount Auburn Hospital

Mount Auburn Hospital was founded in 1886. A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, its mission is to provide clinically excellent care with compassion and to teach students of medicine and the health professions.

Mount Auburn Hospital is a member of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a new health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,000 physicians and 35,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education. For more information, visit www.bilh.org.