Ynhi Thomas, MD, MPH, MSC
Baylor College of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Ynhi Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and serves as the Assistant Medical Director of Operations Research at the Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Center. She also holds the role of Investigator in the Behavioral Health Program at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt). Drawing on her expertise in public health, mental health, and leadership in quality improvement, Dr. Thomas develops innovative interventions to enhance emergency care for patients experiencing mental health crises.
Her contributions include the development of the Behavioral Health Sorting Tool, establishment of a multidisciplinary Crisis Intervention Team, and the formulation of data-driven guidelines for the use of physical restraints. Dr. Thomas's research, funded by federal and private entities, focuses on substance use disorders, suicide prevention, and the development of clinical decision support tools. She has served as principal or co-investigator on various projects, including an FDA-funded U01 study on kratom's human abuse potential and National Institutes of Health-funded initiatives on diagnostic accuracy.
Dr. Thomas has received several accolades, including the 2025 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology New Investigator Award, the 2024 Chao Physician-Scientist Award, and the 2023 Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine President's Momentum Award. An inductee of Alpha Omega Alpha and The XXXI Honor Society, she completed her medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, her M.P.H. at the University of Alabama School of Public Health, her M.Sc. in Medical Anthropology at Oxford University, and her Emergency Medicine residency and fellowship training in Leadership, Quality, and Administration at BCM. Dr. Thomas enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two school-aged sons.
Her contributions include the development of the Behavioral Health Sorting Tool, establishment of a multidisciplinary Crisis Intervention Team, and the formulation of data-driven guidelines for the use of physical restraints. Dr. Thomas's research, funded by federal and private entities, focuses on substance use disorders, suicide prevention, and the development of clinical decision support tools. She has served as principal or co-investigator on various projects, including an FDA-funded U01 study on kratom's human abuse potential and National Institutes of Health-funded initiatives on diagnostic accuracy.
Dr. Thomas has received several accolades, including the 2025 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology New Investigator Award, the 2024 Chao Physician-Scientist Award, and the 2023 Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine President's Momentum Award. An inductee of Alpha Omega Alpha and The XXXI Honor Society, she completed her medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, her M.P.H. at the University of Alabama School of Public Health, her M.Sc. in Medical Anthropology at Oxford University, and her Emergency Medicine residency and fellowship training in Leadership, Quality, and Administration at BCM. Dr. Thomas enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two school-aged sons.
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