Best Wishes and Reflections on My Upcoming Retirement by John "Fred" Thomas
Dec 22, 2025
With the arrival of our annual winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you all for making this a truly inspiring year—celebrating ECHO Colorado's 10th anniversary, the rebranding of The Care Collaborative and so many achievements in advancing our models of healthcare access and provider training across Colorado and beyond! I hope that, wherever you are this season, you are able to pause, recharge, and spend time engaged in activities that make you whole, and with friends and family who bring you joy and peace of mind.
By the time you come back from break, I will have retired, moving into “preferment”—bringing an end to my 13 plus years at the University of Colorado and over 25 years advancing telehealth. For the most part I have enjoyed my career in academic medicine, mostly the brilliant and dedicated people I’ve had the chance to work with. Unfortunately, there’s also a level of stress in healthcare and in academics—things you should be doing, grants and papers you should be writing, reports that need to be completed by yet another deadline. Thus, I have reached a point where I’m ready to experience my week-to-week differently, not to have so many responsibilities and demands on my time and instead, I will begin to force myself to just walk and be with my thoughts and to develop a set of routines, habits and hobbies that will hopefully be a framework for a form of modified idleness, just enough to focus on to keep myself rooted and present while allowing my mind to wander. Thus, “preferment.”
Thank you, as always, for your commitment, collaboration and passion. After this winter rest and as you come back and embark on another remarkable year, be proud that through this last decade—in a time of waning resources and increasing expectations—The Care Collaborative has continued to grow, has continued to build new innovative efforts, and has endured as a trusted partner for many around the state. And, as always, I encourage you to take care of yourselves and each other. Continue to make this a place where it’s enjoyable to work with people you like. I look forward to hearing about your work and continuing to be inspired by you all as I always have been.
Warmly,
John "Fred" Thomas, PhD
Executive Director, The Care Collaborative
Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and Colorado School of Public Health
By the time you come back from break, I will have retired, moving into “preferment”—bringing an end to my 13 plus years at the University of Colorado and over 25 years advancing telehealth. For the most part I have enjoyed my career in academic medicine, mostly the brilliant and dedicated people I’ve had the chance to work with. Unfortunately, there’s also a level of stress in healthcare and in academics—things you should be doing, grants and papers you should be writing, reports that need to be completed by yet another deadline. Thus, I have reached a point where I’m ready to experience my week-to-week differently, not to have so many responsibilities and demands on my time and instead, I will begin to force myself to just walk and be with my thoughts and to develop a set of routines, habits and hobbies that will hopefully be a framework for a form of modified idleness, just enough to focus on to keep myself rooted and present while allowing my mind to wander. Thus, “preferment.”
Thank you, as always, for your commitment, collaboration and passion. After this winter rest and as you come back and embark on another remarkable year, be proud that through this last decade—in a time of waning resources and increasing expectations—The Care Collaborative has continued to grow, has continued to build new innovative efforts, and has endured as a trusted partner for many around the state. And, as always, I encourage you to take care of yourselves and each other. Continue to make this a place where it’s enjoyable to work with people you like. I look forward to hearing about your work and continuing to be inspired by you all as I always have been.
Warmly,
John "Fred" Thomas, PhD
Executive Director, The Care Collaborative
Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and Colorado School of Public Health