GIH Board

Qiana Thomason, a life-long Kansas Citian, has dedicated her career to the improvement of health and wellness across the region, with a special focus on communities experiencing significant health injustices and people living in marginalized conditions. Thomason serves as the president and CEO of Health Forward Foundation. Every day, Health Forward works to build and support inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities characterized by racial equity and economically just systems.

Thomason currently serves as a board member for Grantmakers in Health, a national philanthropy serving organization, which achieves better health through better philanthropy. She also serves on the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Health Commission, and on the boards of the KC Chamber, Urban Neighborhood Initiative, and is a board trustee for William Jewel College. She received her undergraduate degree in Social Work from Florida A&M University and has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas.

Thomason came to Health Forward from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), where she most recently served as vice president of community health. During her tenure at Blue KC, she spearheaded development and implementation of new care delivery and payment models in partnership with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and primary care providers throughout Kansas City. She was also a successful champion for the inclusion of health equity and the social influencers of health in Blue KC’s corporate strategy.

Prior to her tenure at Blue KC, Thomason spent eight years at Swope Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, as program manager of a regional Mental Health Court and as the director of clinical operations, behavioral health. Qiana also served as deputy director and health and human services liaison for United States Senator Jean Carnahan.