Thomas Calhoun, MD graduated from Florida A&M University in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Med, then served two years as an officer in the U.S. Army Artillery, receiving specialized training in chemical and biological warfare. He entered Meharry Medical College in 1959, earned his M.D. in 1963, and completed his internship at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis. From 1964–1968, he trained in General Surgery at Howard University, later becoming certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Over the course of his academic career, Calhoun rose to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, Emeritus, at Howard University College of Medicine. Since 1979, he has been deeply involved in Quality Assurance, Improvement, and Clinical Nutrition. He served as the principal author of the Nutritional Support Guidelines used during the early development of nutritional support services at Providence Hospital, D.C. General Hospital, and Capitol Hill Hospital. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Physician Executives, the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, the American College of Nutrition, and a member of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
A prolific contributor to his field, Calhoun has published more than 20 articles and authored a chapter in a major Japanese textbook on Clinical Pathways.
In 2003, he transitioned into public health leadership as Medical Director of Emergency Preparedness for the D.C. Department of Health. The following year, he joined the Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA), where he later became the department’s Risk Manager and Coordinator of Emergency Preparedness, as well as Chair of the Safety Committee, serving until the end of 2006. During this time, he was the principal author of the District’s All-Hazards Infection/SARS Plan, a major contributor to the Smallpox Prevention Plans, and a contributor to the All-Hazards Mental Health/Substance Abuse Plan.
His commitment to understanding emerging health threats led him to complete a Master of Science in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University in 2007. He has since served on the Nutritional Support Committee of Providence Hospital, worked extensively in Case Management—particularly with individuals with intellectual disabilities—and consulted for Accretive HealthCare, Inc.
Calhoun has been married to Shirley Kathryn Jones of Charleston, West Virginia, for 42 years. They have three adult children—Thomas Jr., Christine, and Kathryne—and honor the memory of their youngest daughter, Maria, who was tragically killed in 2003.
He is the author of three published books—The Last of the Black Hawks: Memoirs of Childhood Friends, 43 Days: A Surgeon’s Wake Up Call, and The Essentials of Emergency Preparedness: A Primer for Healthcare Providers. He has also written The Surgeon’s Prayer, which is yet to be published.
