2010 Scholar of Change: Melissa Thomas
Ph.D. in Public Health graduate Melissa Thomas combats healthcare disparities in rural Ohio
Dr. Melissa Thomas has dedicated her life’s work to educating the Amish and Mennonite community in rural Appalachian Ohio—an underserved and often overlooked group of women—on the importance of breast cancer.
Since beginning her journey more than 14 years ago, Dr. Thomas has worked hard to overcome cultural challenges such as learning their unique language and gaining the trust of the highly-private community. Her Ph.D. in Public Health from Walden University and a grant from the National Cancer Institute have helped Dr. Thomas provide free access to mammography screening, breast health education and follow-up support to more than 2,000 individuals and their families. Since Dr. Thomas started her organization in 1997, it has screened more than 3,000 women in Ohio and recently expanded services to Indiana. Both its reach and grant funding have doubled since Walden recognized Dr. Thomas as a Scholar of Change in 2010.
Walden provided Melissa with an opportunity to serve communities without getting up and going to graduate school. If she had chosen a traditional institution that didn’t offer online course work, Melissa would have had to sacrifice the current work she was doing, which was her true passion.
