Tom D. Thacher, M.D.

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SUMMARY

While working as a medical missionary in West Africa for nearly 20 years, Thomas (Tom) D. Thacher developed a research interest in nutritional rickets — a disease causing painful bone deformities in children. Dr. Thacher's research demonstrated that rickets in African children was primarily due to calcium deficiency rather than vitamin D deficiency and that calcium treatment could effectively reverse the disease symptoms. Since joining Mayo Clinic's family medicine staff in 2007, Dr. Thacher has continued his international health research related to vitamin D, calcium and rickets.

Focus areas

• Vitamin D supplementation of breast-feeding mothers
• A population-based study of vitamin D status and risk of mortality, cancer, cardiovascular events and bone fracture
• Maternal factors related to the risk of nutritional rickets in children
• Interventions to improve screening for osteoporosis in primary care
• Patient panel size and value-based care in family medicine

Significance to patient care

The public health impact of Dr. Thacher's work will help lead to the eradication of rickets — a completely preventable disease and cause of global childhood disability. Ensuring adequate vitamin D status has the potential to affect multiple health outcomes. Vitamin D supplementation of breast-feeding mothers can improve the vitamin D status of their infants and has greater acceptance than infant supplementation. Dr. Thacher's work will determine if vitamin D levels that are too high or too low are related to the risk of mortality, cancer, cardiovascular events and bone fracture throughout the life span.

Professional highlights

• Member, Endocrine Society, 2015-present
• Member, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2007-present
• Member, American Academy of Family Physicians, 1990-present
• Parker D. Sanders and Isabella G. Sanders Professor in Family Medicine, 2017
• Leader, public health section for the Global Consensus Recommendations on Prevention and Management of Nutritional Rickets, 2016
• Award for outstanding contributions to growth and development of family medicine in Nigeria, Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, 2014
• Researcher of the Year award, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, 2014