Michele Thornton

Michele Thornton is an Associate Professor of Health Services Administration in the MBA program at SUNY Oswego's College of Business and Entrepreneurship. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MBA in Health Sector Management from DePaul University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University. Her research focuses on health policy implementation, health disparities, and ethical frameworks in healthcare during pandemics, with recent work exploring medical tourism and regenerative tourism's mental health impacts.

Education

• B.A. Psychology, Illinois Wesleyan University
• M.B.A. Health Sector Management, DePaul University (2010)
• Ph.D. Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago (School of Public Health)

Research Interests

Dr. Thornton examines the intersection of health policy and equity, including ACA implementation, small employer health insurance strategies, and pandemic workplace ethics. Her work highlights innovative solutions such as ethical decision-making frameworks for employers during health crises and leveraging tourism for mental health purposes. Recent projects include collaborating with Health & Disability Advocates on small business health initiatives and developing ACA Navigator Certification programs.

Key Contributions

Her publications address topics like ACA enrollment disparities, healthcare quality metrics, and the role of brokers in wellness programs. She has presented at conferences including Academy Health and the International Vincentian Business Ethics Conference, earning a Best Paper award in 2020.

Awards

• SUNY Oswego Accessibility Fellow & Coordinator (2019-2020)
• Academy Health Paul Q. Peterson Doctoral Scholar (2015)
• Viron L. Diefenbach Research Award (2016)

Teaching & Leadership

Teaches courses such as Health Insurance & Employee Benefits, Health Policy, and the MBA Capstone. Serves as a faculty mentor and collaborates on initiatives like the 10-Day Campus Accessibility Challenge. Maintains active consulting roles in health policy and small business insurance sectors.