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Thomas Hunt, M.D., D.Sc. is a Board Certified orthopaedic surgeon who maintains a Subspecialty Certificate in Surgery of the Hand from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He serves as Chairman of The Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Hunt holds the Wilhelmina Arnold Barnhart Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Surgery. His primary academic appointment is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery (tenured) and his secondary appointment are Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) and Professor of Space Medicine. He is Team Physician for the NFL Houston Texans and Medical Advisor for the Titleist Performance Institute in Carlsbad, California.
Dr. Hunt is a graduate of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California whose medical training and experience spans more than 30 years.
In 1986 he earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. He then went on to complete a general surgery internship before returning home to Kansas City where he completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He spent an additional year in the laboratory investigating osteoinduction, the stimulation of immature cells to produce bone and heal fractures as well as bone defects.
In 1992, Dr. Hunt sought highly specialized fellowship training in the fields of hand and upper extremity surgery, and microsurgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation he began his medical practice in Seattle, Washington.
In 2004 Dr. Hunt assumed leadership of a busy academic orthopedic division and sought applicable leadership and business knowledge at the Harvard School of Public Health’s course entitled “Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers.” He completed this highly regarded certificate program in 2005.
From 2010 to 2014, while overseeing this orthopedic division and also maintaining a busy surgical practice, Dr. Hunt returned to the classroom earning a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree in Health Service Administration and Research from the University of Alabama School of Health Professions, consistently ranked as one of the top two programs in the nation. Later, Dr. Hunt would be named the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus by the school.
Education
Pembroke Country Day School (Pembroke Hill School)
Kansas City, MO
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Bachelor of Science (Biology)
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN
Doctor of Medicine
University of Alabama School of Health Professions
Birmingham, AL
Doctor of Science (Healthcare Leadership)
Post-Graduate Training
General Surgery Internship
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN
Orthopaedic Surgery / Pathology Research Fellowship
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, KS
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, KS
Hand and Microvascular Surgery Rotation
Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA
Hand and Microvascular Surgery Fellowship (ACGME accredited)
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania / Children’s Hospital of Phila.
Philadelphia, PA
Leadership Fellows Program
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
AOA Leadership and Management Series – Module 1
Developing the Skills and Competencies to Catalyze Others to Act
Strategy Formation
Managing Organizational Change: Strategy Implementation
Executive Decision Making
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, IL
AOA Leadership and Management Series – Module 2
Transformational Leadership: Key Human Resource Levers
Leadership and Ethics: Managing Values
Negotiating Productive Agreements
Masking Risky Decisions
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, IL
AOA Leadership and Management Series – Module 3
Leadership Targets, Tactics, and Timing of Promoting Ideas and Change
Leading Organizational Transformation
Responding to Crisis Situations: Converting Challenges to Opportunities
Trends in Governance
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, IL
Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers
Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston, MA
Baylor Scott & White Executive Education Program (BSWEEP)
Scott and White Healthcare
Austin, TX
Strategy for Value-Based Health Care Delivery
Harvard Business School and Rice Business School
Michael Porter and Robert Kaplan
Houston, TX
Value-Based Healthcare Delivery – Executive Summit
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch
Houston, TX
AO North America Faculty Education Program
Orlando, FL
Advanced Collaborative Leadership Series
CHI Service Line Leadership
Woodlands, TX
AO North America Chair Education Program
Wayne, PA
Multiple additional and ongoing professional education courses/meetings/events
Dr. Hunt has held leadership positions at several prestigious institutions throughout this country. In 1993 he began his professional career in Seattle at the Virginia Mason Medical Center, an institution known widely for its pioneering focus on high quality, patient-centered care delivery. He quickly rose to the rank of Head, Section of Hand Surgery and led a multidisciplinary upper extremity care team.
Dr. Hunt was recruited to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1998 where he eventually oversaw all clinical, educational and research activities for the Section of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery and directed the Cleveland Combined Hand Surgery Fellowship Program until he was recruited away in 2004. While in Cleveland, Dr. Hunt served as the hand / wrist surgeon for multiple high schools, colleges, and professional teams, including the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and the NFL Cleveland Browns.
In 2004 Dr. Hunt accepted the position as Professor and Director of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. While there he not only grew the division in size and prominence but also as Surgeon-in-Chief of UAB University Highlands Hospital helped develop and oversee the surgical service line at this new hospital. Until his departure in 2012, his clinical activities included serving as a team physician for the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama, Birmingham and as the hand / wrist consultant for Auburn University, Jacksonville State University and West Alabama University to name just a few.
Dr. Hunt is currently Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Surgery, and Space Medicine. He is Chairman of the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery and holds the Wilhelmina Arnold Barnhart Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston. He serves on the Board of Governors for BCM’s Faculty Group Practice (FGP) and is a critical member of the surgical leadership team. In addition, he serves on the Executive Committee and Chairs the Clinical Practice Committee for the FGP.
Deeply integrated into the operations and leadership structure for BCM’s Faculty Group Practice (FGP) and is a critical member of the surgical leadership team. In addition, he serves on the Executive Committee and Chairs the Clinical Practice Committee for the FGP.
Deeply integrated into the operations and leadership structure of BCM’s academic hospital, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Dr. Hunt serves as the Musculoskeletal Service Line Chief and is a dedicated member of Quality and Academic Enhancement and Integration Committees.
Dr. Hunt remains a highly active and dedicated clinician, attending to patients of all sizes and shapes with hand, wrist, and elbow disorders and injuries. He serves as team physician for the NFL Houston Texans, a member of the National Football League Physicians Society, and as the hand/wrist/elbow medical advisor for the Titleist Performance Institute. Through his relationships with professional teams, athletes, and agents, he functions as a resource for elite athletes worldwide.
Employment (descending dates)
Chair
The Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Director
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery
The University of Alabama, Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Attending Surgeon and Section Head
Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, OH
Attending Surgeon and Section Head
Hand Surgery
Department of Surgery
The Virginia Mason Medical Center
Seattle, WA
Major Health System and Hospital Service (past and present)
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center – Baylor College of Medicine | Catholic Health Initiative Joint Venture | Dignity Health
Catholic Health Initiatives | Dignity health
Texas Medical Center
University of Alabama Health System
University of Alabama University Hospitals
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Virginia Mason Medical Center
Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Dr. Hunt is intensely focused on research and innovation as the critical means of improving patient care outcomes. He has participated in numerous scientific investigations within his specialty and has designed a series of novel orthopedic implants for the treatment of traumatic upper extremity injuries.
Dr. Hunt has served as a Senior Scientist and Internal Advisor on a number of university-designated basic science research centers over the years. At present, he is a member of the Program Advisory Board for the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas, a multi-institutional research collaborative based in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Dr. Hunt is an appointed member of the NFL’s Musculoskeletal Committee, a group dedicated to improving the health and safety of players in the league. In addition, he is leading a collaborative multi-institutional effort to re-design the TMC’s National Center for Human Performance into a world-class site dedicated to the functional assessment of late-stage healthcare-related scientific advances and innovations with the overarching goal of enhancing human performance and maximizing human potential. This functional outcome effort dovetails with the patient outcome program he is developing within the Baylor orthopedic department as a means of assessing and documenting the safety, efficacy and value of the patient care being delivered. As an Advisor for the TMC Innovation Institute, Dr. Hunt provides guidance to digital health and medical start-up companies as well as strategic partners.
Baylor College of Medicine’s strength as a genomic and research institution provides Dr. Hunt and his team an exceptional environment for translation of scientific discoveries and groundbreaking therapies for the benefit of his patients. At present, Dr. Hunt’s current research focuses on the genetic basis underlying ligament and tendon injuries in athletes with the goal of preventing injury, simplifying treatment, and speeding recovery. He is working to discover susceptible therapeutic targets for injured tendons and ligaments through transcriptome and functional analysis of normal and abnormal human specimens.
As an educator, Dr. Hunt has held a variety of teaching positions at academic institutions. He has served as an academic advisor to numerous medical students, residents and fellows. He has also directed upper extremity fellowship programs at both the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the University of Alabama Birmingham. At present, he oversees all medical student, resident and fellow education in orthopedic surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Hunt has served as visiting professor at prestigious medical schools throughout this country, as well as course organizer, faculty, or invited speaker for national and international symposia. He has educated those in training, along with his peers, through podium presentations, laboratory skills instruction and scientific publications, ranging from books and original scientific articles to digital media. He currently serves on the AO Trauma Hand Education Committee. From 2010 to 2014, while overseeing this orthopedic division and also maintaining a busy surgical practice, Dr. Hunt returned to the classroom earning a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree in Health Service Administration and Research from the University of Alabama School of Health Professions, consistently ranked as one of the top two programs in the nation. Later, Dr. Hunt would be named the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus by the school.
Dr. Hunt is a prominent member of numerous orthopedic organizations including American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Society of Sports Medicine, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association for Hand Surgery, Twentieth Century Orthopaedic Association, AO North America, Texas Orthopedic Association, Western Orthopedic Association, and National Football League Physicians Society.
Dr. Hunt was recently named as one of only three orthopaedic surgeons to the advisory board for the Titleist Performance Institute in Carlsbad, CA.
Thomas Hunt, M.D., D.Sc. is a board certified orthopedic surgeon who holds a Subspecialty Certificate in Surgery of the Hand from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
He maintains active medical practice licenses in the states of Texas, Florida, and Alabama.
Dr. Hunt is married and has four children. He was born and raised in the Midwest by his mother, a renowned scientist, and his father, a neurosurgeon.
His passion for keeping patients active and involved in life, especially through sports, is evidenced by his clinical specialization and his research focus. His recent pursuit of additional education in the health services and health administration reflects his desire to effectively respond to healthcare reform on behalf of his patients, especially in regard to quality, safety, and value initiatives. This additional education, combined with his experience in varied patient care settings throughout this country, has provided him a unique perspective regarding the provision of healthcare services on a large scale.
Dr. Hunt is a dedicated father and husband as well as an avid golfer. His other interests include tennis, snow skiing, hiking, biking, and physical fitness.
