J. Regan Thomas, M.D., was inaugurated as president of the Illinois State Medical Society
(ISMS) during its 2021 Annual Meeting, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to otolaryngology, he is board-certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Thomas
practices at Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, where he is a professor of otolaryngology – head and neck
surgery at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from University
of Missouri School of Medicine.
Dr. Thomas has been a member of ISMS since 2001. He is the past president of the American Academy of
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), past president of the American Board of Facial
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and past president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck Surgery. He also served as the president of the Chicago Otolaryngology specialty organization.
He presently serves as the AAFPRS delegate to the American Medical Association.
Dr. Thomas has published seven textbooks on facial plastic surgery, along with more than 200 textbook
chapters and scientific studies. He previously worked as a television medical reporter and maintains his
membership in the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
His term as ISMS president will run through April 2022.