Mauger named associate chief medical officer for ambulatory care

Thomas Mauger, MD, who leads the WVU Eye Institute and is the chair for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, has agreed to take on an additional role at WVU Medicine, serving as the associate chief medical officer for ambulatory care.

"Dr. Mauger has been instrumental in his position as associate dean for practice plan integration," said Clay Marsh, MD, vice president and executive dean, WVU Health Sciences and WVU School of Medicine. "He has helped optimize our business practices and ensured that we strive to optimize all of our missions.

"Dr. Mauger had leadership roles with the Ohio State faculty practice plan, and this experience has benefited University Health Associates and the School of Medicine," Dr. Marsh continued. "He expanded WVU ophthalmology services to three new regions in the state in 2019, demonstrating his capabilities."

"Through his new role, Dr. Mauger will serve as the primary physician executive with responsibility for directing ambulatory clinical care at WVU Medicine," explained Judie Charlton, MD, chief medical officer, WVU Medicine. "He will be responsible for access, quality, growth, coordination, and fiscal soundness for ambulatory care, and will serve as the clinical voice with administration, representing the opinion of practitioners, and conversely, help the medical staff understand the rationale for administrative decisions."

The position, which reports to the chief medical officer, will help promote a culture of patient-centered care, where clinical outcomes are defined, measured, evaluated, and continuously improved. He will also serve as a spokesperson for WVU Medicine physicians in policy discussions and institutional planning events as they apply to ambulatory care within the WVU Health System.

Mauger specializes in medical and surgical care for corneal disease, including keratoconus, Fuchs' corneal dystrophies, corneal transplants, and cataract surgeries. He joined WVU Medicine from Ohio State University (OSU), where he served as professor, department chair, and director of the Havener Eye Institute. He earned a master’s degree in physiological optics and doctoral degrees in optometry and medicine at OSU. He also completed residency training in ophthalmology and a fellowship in cornea and external disease at OSU. In 2015, he completed a second master’s degree in healthcare management from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Active in outreach and community-based care, Mauger is a past board member for Prevent Blindness Ohio and serves as an alumni advisory council member for Fight for Sight. He also served a leading role in creating a free ophthalmology clinic for underserved community members in Ohio and gives back on a global level through his collaborative work in Ghana and Nicaragua.