Interview with Thelma Thiel
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Highlights from this episode:
- What a 60 year life-long career dedicated to liver advocacy looks like
- Why the liver is often overlooked in public health discussions even though it is vital for overall health and well-being.
- The crucial importance of education and prevention for liver health and policy.
- Why the pharmaceutical industry often prioritizes treatment over prevention
- How public health education not being adequately funded or prioritized hurts us all.
- How to engage the public with relatable and memorable messages to impact public awareness.
Episode 254 of Public Health Careers
Thelma is the Founder and Chair at Liver Health Initiative.
Thelma King Thiel is a pioneering liver health advocate and nonprofit leader whose work has shaped global awareness and education for over 50 years.
She is Former President & CEO of the American Liver Foundation, she later founded the Hepatitis Foundation International, delivering innovative programs worldwide.
Thelma started her career through the cadet nurse corps where she received nursing training at Orange Memorial Hospital and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Health Education at New Jersey City University. She also received graduate training in administration and fundraising to support health liver advocacy work.
She began her advocacy around liver health when her son, Dean, was diagnosed with liver disease. Unknowingly to her, this would be the start of her lifelong journey as a worldwide liver health advocate.
After Dean passed, Thelma started the Dean Thiel Foundation in honor of his passing. She then went on to become the President and CEO of the American Liver Foundation where she worked for 15 years. Thelma then decided to start the Hepatitis Foundation International where she supported viral hepatitis work worldwide. During her career, she had partnerships with HHS, CDC, WHO, SAMHSA, and HRSA, to name a few.
Thelma then launched the Liver Health Initiative where she continued to educate and advocate for liver health education.
Links from show
Historical Perspectives History of CDC (“Prevention” Added)
American Association for the study of Liver Disease
5 Ways to Be Kind to Your Liver
A National Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis B and C: Phase Two Report by NIH
Untreated Hepatitis, Other Conditions Can Lead to Cirrhosis and Death on Contagion Live