Thomas Rundall, Ph.D.

After receiving his doctoral degree in organizational sociology from Stanford University in 1976, Thomas joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration at Cornell University. In 1980 he joined the faculty of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1985-86 Thomas served as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow in the office of U. S. Senator David Durenberger. During his tenure at the School of Public Health, Thomas served in many capacities in the School, including Director of the Center for Health Management Studies, Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Co-founder of the Center for Lean Engagement and Research, and Executive Associate Dean. His research has spanned many topics in the organization and management of healthcare organizations, including recent studies of the relationships among the implementation of Lean management principles and practices and financial performance, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction in U. S. hospitals. Thomas became an emeritus professor in 2010, but continues to do research on performance improvement in healthcare organizations.