Russ Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer of Availity. His vision helped to diversify Availity’s solutions and grow its customer base, creating the foundation for the expansive Availity network that exists today. Combined, the enterprise now delivers healthcare business solutions to a growing network that connects more than 1,000,000 physicians and allied care providers, 2,700 hospitals, and more than 600 technology partners with health plans nationwide. Under Thomas’s leadership, Availity is leading the charge in provider engagement and empowering health care professionals to improve results.
Before joining Availity, Thomas was CEO of Gold Standard, a drug information database and clinical knowledge solution. Thomas grew the company from a small start-up to a multi-sector leader in the healthcare market before selling the business to Reed Elsevier in 2006. He remained with Reed Elsevier as a senior executive in their clinical information business until 2008. Thomas also serves on the Board of Directors of Connecture, Inc., (CNXR), a technology company that develops information systems to support purchasing insurance online.
Thomas is active in many industry and philanthropic organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors for eHealth Initiative, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that seeks to drive improvements in the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare through information technology. In 2015, he served as Chair of the United Way Northeast Florida Annual Campaign. Through the United Way, Availity developed a partnership with Ribault Middle School in the “Achievers for Life” dropout prevention program. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Jacksonville University and was a founding board member and past chairman of Hillsborough Kids, Inc., which provides oversight and resources for more than 4,000 disadvantaged children in Hillsborough County, Florida. A licensed commercial pilot, Thomas was appointed to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority board of directors in 2015.
Thomas earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Tech and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia. He lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida with his wife Claudia and their two children. He is an avid cyclist.