About Jessica Thomas, MPH | The Fibroid Files

01 · Case History

From the bedside to public health.

Every role taught me something about how care really works, and where patients get left out of the conversation.

01The Start

Direct care worker and CNA

I started in college as a certified nursing assistant, mostly on memory care units. It was hands-on, personal work, and it shaped everything that came after.

What it taught meCare looks very different from the patient's side of the room.

02Education

Health administration and gerontology

I earned my B.S. in Health Administration with departmental honors and a minor in aging studies. I also served as president of our gerontology student organization.

What it taught meToo many patients feel invisible in the systems built to serve them.

03Hospital

Patient safety and performance improvement

I built a grant-funded delirium prevention program and recruited and trained its volunteers. The program helped reduce patient falls and restraint use and improve quality scores. Some of those volunteers went on to become physicians, dentists, and nurse practitioners.

I later served as a performance improvement leader and as a network liaison for a clinically integrated physician network.

What it taught meSafety comes from asking the right questions before something goes wrong.

04Workforce

Direct care workforce development

At a community college, I managed a $600,000-a-year direct care program run in partnership with the county.

What it taught meHealth outcomes start long before someone walks into a hospital.

05Graduate

MPH and public health informatics

I earned my Master of Public Health from Michigan State University while working in the hospital and managing the direct care program. I also completed a graduate certificate in public health informatics.

What it taught meHow to read research critically and use data to see the bigger picture.

06Writing

Healthcare writer

I write B2B and B2C healthcare content for health brands, and I contributed to a professionalism course for allied health students. I've also written for wellness brands, so I know how product claims get made and reviewed.

What it taught meClear information is a patient safety tool.

07Now

The Fibroid Files

Everything I've learned now goes into one place: research translated into plain language, questions worth asking, and real stories from people who've been there.

02 · Why Fibroids

This work isn't abstract to me. I'm a fibroid patient too.

Patient FileJ. Thomas

DiagnosedDecember 2025

SymptomsHeavy bleeding, low iron and ferritin, abdominal fullness and firmness

Imaging4 problematic fibroids, large and complex

TreatmentRobotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy

Removed6 fibroids

In December 2025, I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. I'd been dealing with heavy bleeding, low iron and ferritin, and a full, firm feeling in my abdomen.

Imaging found four problematic fibroids. During my robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy, my surgeon ultimately removed six.

By the time they were found, my fibroids were already large and complex. As a public health professional, that stuck with me. My care started at tertiary prevention, managing a problem that had already progressed, instead of catching it earlier.

That gap is a big part of why The Fibroid Files exists. Too many people are told to live with symptoms that deserve a closer look.

I'm not here to tell you what to choose. I'm here to make sure you choose with the full picture.

03 · Where I Stand

My thoughts on fibroid care.

These beliefs shape every file I open.

Quality of care

Patients shouldn't go from "I don't know what fibroids are" to "I have multiple, complex fibroids that need costly, advanced procedures."

That jump says more about how care is delivered than about the patient. Fibroids deserve the same attention to early detection and follow-up we expect for other common conditions.

Quality also means how information is shared. I hear from women who say a doctor looked at them and simply said, "Oh, you'll need a hysterectomy." A decision that big deserves clear explanations, real options, and sensitivity.

Questions I'm asking

Should fibroids be treated as a chronic condition, with ongoing monitoring instead of one-time fixes?
What standards exist for screening and follow-up, and are they enough?
What should those standards be, so fibroids are caught while patients still have more options?
Do patients actually understand the information they're given about their diagnosis and options?
Is this topic being handled with sensitivity, or are patients pointed to a hysterectomy before every option is on the table?

ii.

Evidence first

I lean on current, credible research and tell you when the evidence is thin, mixed, or missing. Science evolves, so what we know will change.

Fibroids have been described since ancient times, and we still don't fully understand them. We need more research.

iii.

Safety and better quality, always

I look at risks, red flags, and who benefits, and I push for care that keeps improving. That's the same lens I used in hospital quality work.

iv.

Informed decision making

Your choice should come from understanding your options, risks, and tradeoffs. It shouldn't come from pressure, a rushed appointment, or a product promise.

v. The Bigger Picture

Fibroids are expensive. That makes them a public health problem.

To the patient

Appointments, procedures, recovery time, missed work, and out-of-pocket costs.

To the insurer

Imaging, surgeries, and hospital stays, especially when fibroids are found late.

To employers

Sick days, lost productivity, and time away for treatment and recovery.

To the nation

Billions in direct and indirect costs, carried by families, workplaces, and the health system.

When fibroids are caught late, everyone pays more. Better detection and follow-up isn't just better care. It's better public health.

Who's Jessica Thomas, MPH?

From the bedside to public health.

Direct care worker and CNA

Health administration and gerontology

Patient safety and performance improvement

Direct care workforce development

MPH and public health informatics

Healthcare writer

The Fibroid Files

This work isn't abstract to me. I'm a fibroid patient too.

My thoughts on fibroid care.

Quality of care

Evidence first

Safety and better quality, always

Informed decision making

Fibroids are expensive. That makes them a public health problem.

The paperwork.

Master of Public Health

Graduate Certificate, Public Health Informatics

B.S. Health Administration

Patient Quality + Safety

Healthcare Communication

Frontline Care

Follow along as I open new files.