Joanna E. Thomson, MD, MPH

As a hospitalist, I care for hospitalized children with medically complex conditions. I enjoy guiding kids and their families through the difficult times of acute illnesses that require hospitalization. I also love having long-term relationships with patients and families, as we get to know them well during the long-term course of care.

Our inpatient complex care team extends beyond the hospital medicine physicians, residents and nurse practitioners to include social workers, nutritionists, pharmacists and care management specialists. I would not be able to do my job without this amazing multidisciplinary team.

My approach to care came from Dr. Michael Farrell's guidance when I was a resident at Cincinnati Children’s. He told us, "Take care of the patient first, deal with the rest in the morning." That has stayed with me as I strive each day to make sure my patients receive exceptional care.

My research focuses on identifying, implementing and disseminating best management practices for hospitalized children with neurologic impairment. In 2017, I received a Career Development Award from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to identify management practices for pneumonia, including antibiotics and airway clearance therapies, associated with better hospital outcomes. We are currently developing, and then plan to implement, care recommendations for the hospital management of pneumonia in medically complex children. We believe these will allow for standardization of care and improvement in patient outcomes.

I love spending my free time with my family and our friends. We enjoy exploring local parks and vacationing to National Parks across the United States.