Health Care 2025: THOMAS, RONY

Under Thomas’ leadership since 2004, LifeNet Health has continued to grow since its 1982 founding as the Eastern Virginia Tissue Bank.

Today, the nonprofit that provides organ, tissue and cell transplants has approximately 1,500 employees globally. In 2024, the organization worked with a record 299 people donating 857 organs for transplant, a 25% increase from 2023.

While it’s better known for organ transplants, LifeNet Health also distributes nearly 1 million allografts — tissue implanted from one person to another — annually. LifeNet Health LifeSciences provides human primary cells, tissues and 3D models for scientific research, drug discovery and safety testing. In 2023, LifeNet purchased Bioventus’ wound care business for $85 million, including $35 million in cash at the time of purchase.

LifeNet Health announced in October 2024 it would use a lab in Virginia Beach for liver disease research and sports medicine applications. The nonprofit is leasing the 5,700-square-foot facility that housed the VABeachBio Accelerator, with renovations expected to be complete this year.

Previously, Thomas served as CEO at USA Instruments. He has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s degree from the University of Akron.

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