Nicolas Thomason, DO

Meet Nicolas Thomason, DO

Addiction Medicine Physician Serving New Mexico 

Dr. Nicolas Thomason is an addiction medicine physician at CHRISTUS Health in Santa Fe, New Mexico. he completed his anesthesiology residency and addiction medicine fellowship at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Before medical school, he worked as a medical technologist performing high-complexity laboratory testing in hematology, chemistry and urinalysis. He also supported bone marrow aspirations and pathology specimen processing.  

A New Mexico native who began his education at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, Dr. Thomason chose to return to the state where he began his journey to serve patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders.  

Clinical Role 

Dr. Thomason focuses on addiction medicine, helping patients navigate substance use disorders and recovery with evidence-based treatment and individualized support. His medical training and broad healthcare experience allow him to approach each patient with an understanding of the physical, emotional and social factors that can affect recovery. 

He provides care for conditions such as: 

• Alcohol use disorder 
• Opioid use disorder 
• Other substance use disorders 
• Co-occurring mental health conditions related to substance use 

Research, Clinical Insight and Quality Improvement 

Dr. Thomason contributes to improving patient care through published research and quality improvement work: 

• He published a peer-reviewed case report in Cureus (April 2023) documenting the successful administration of preoperative Botox for giant omphalocele repair with ultrasound guidance.  
• He led a quality improvement project on preoperative respiratory education to help reduce post-surgical complications at the University of New Mexico.  
• He redesigned the intensive care unit handoff protocol at the University of New Mexico to improve communication between care teams.  
• He participated in emergency manual re-implementation as an ongoing quality improvement initiative at the University of New Mexico.  
• His earlier research at Mayo Clinic and Texas Tech University focused on an occult Hepatitis B virus detection assay.  

Commitment to Community and Service 

Dr. Thomason has a history of volunteerism and community engagement throughout his education and career: 

• Volunteered at Still Caring Health Connection, a free clinic in Kirksville, Missouri.  
• Served as a tutor for the TRiO Upward Bound Program.  
• Taught microbiology for the "Shake Hands with Your Future" Science Camp.  
• Participated in volunteer efforts supporting animal welfare, food insecurity programs, mentorship and medical education.  
• Served as Vice President of the Rotaract Club and the Jewish Medical Student Association in Kirksville, Missouri.