Russ Thomas is the President and CEO of Availity, the nation’s largest real‑time health information network. For more than two decades, Russ has led Availity’s mission to simplify healthcare administration by connecting payers and providers through shared infrastructure, trusted data exchange, and real operational improvement.

Under Russ’s leadership, Availity has grown into a critical foundation for the healthcare system, supporting eligibility, authorizations, claims, payments, and clinical data exchange at national scale. His perspective is shaped by deep operational experience, long‑term partnership with payers and providers, and a clear-eyed view of how system design either enables progress—or quietly prevents it.

Russ is known for candidly addressing healthcare’s hardest truths while focusing relentlessly on practical outcomes. His leadership emphasizes accountability, transparency, and the belief that lasting progress requires systems that allow good decisions to hold and improvement to compound over time.