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Kristen L. Thornton, M.D.

Kristen L. Thornton, M.D.

Geriatrics & Aging, Family Medicine

Accepting New Patients

Contact

Call Center (585) 276-3000

About Me

Kristen Thornton, MD
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine & Medicine
Kristen grew up in New Hampshire and loves all things New England. After graduating from Providence College with a major in biology and minor in public and community service studies, she completed a year of service with th...
Kristen Thornton, MD
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine & Medicine
Kristen grew up in New Hampshire and loves all things New England. After graduating from Providence College with a major in biology and minor in public and community service studies, she completed a year of service with the Redeemer Ministry Corps in their hospice and elder outreach programs. This was followed by a year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer in Rhode Island. She attended medical school at Dartmouth, completed her internship at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and went on to finish her family medicine residency at the University of Rochester. She also served a year as chief resident, receiving the Jacob Holler M.D. Annual Resident Award for inspired teaching and dedication to resident education. Kristen completed a two year fellowship in geriatric medicine and is board certified in Geriatric Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is also a board certified wound care physician (CWSP). She is a fellow of both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Geriatrics Society. She is very active in the American Geriatrics Society in the Clinical Practice and Medical Guidelines Committee, as well as in the Teachers Section. She is co-director of the Aging Theme at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and advisor for the Area of Concentration in Geriatric Medicine for the family medicine residency. In 2015, she received the Resident Teaching Award from the Department of Family Medicine and the Educator of the Year Award from the Division of Geriatrics & Aging. Her research interest focuses on quality of life issues in the nursing home. She is currently working towards earning a M.S. in Teaching and Curriculum with a focus on health professions education through the Warner School of Education. She enjoys spending time with her husband, young son, and three cats. She is a history buff and prolific gardener who loves to travel, cook, and craft. She splits her time between serving as faculty for the Department of Family Medicine where she cares for patients of all ages, and the Division of Geriatrics/Aging where she provides patient care and medical student, resident, and fellow education in the long-term care setting.

Certified Specialties

Geriatric Medicine - American Board of Family Medicine

Hospice and Palliative Medicine - American Board of Family Medicine

Credentials

Residency & Fellowship

Fellowship, Geriatric Medicine, Monroe Community Hospital. 2009 - 2011

Residency, Family Medicine, Highland Hospital of Rochester. 2006 - 2009

Internship, Family Medicine, Mayo Foundation Rochester. 2005 - 2006

Education

MD | Dartmouth Medical School. 2005

Awards

Presidential Poster Award for Quality of Life Category. 2015

First Place Creative Writing Poetry Category. 2015

Strong Star. 2015

Resident Teaching Award. 2015

Educator of the Year. 2015

Fellow. 2015

McDaniel-Farley Psychosocial Medicine Faculty Award. 2014

Presidential Poster Award for Case Studies From Clinical Practice. 2013

Fellow. 2013

Hartford Scholar in the Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine and Training Program at the University of Rochester. 2012

Presidential Poster Award for Case Studies from Clinical Practice. 2012

Best Case Study Poster. 2011

Jacob Holler Annual Resident Award. 2009

The Good Physician Award. 2005

Albert Schweitzer Fellow. 2002

Rural Health Scholar. 2002 - 2005

Research

Kristen grew up in New Hampshire and loves all things New England. After graduating from Providence College, she completed a year of service with the Redeemer Ministry Corps in their Hospice and elder outreach programs, followed by a year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer in Rhode Island. She atten...
Kristen grew up in New Hampshire and loves all things New England. After graduating from Providence College, she completed a year of service with the Redeemer Ministry Corps in their Hospice and elder outreach programs, followed by a year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer in Rhode Island. She attended medical school at Dartmouth, completed her internship at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and went on to finish her family medicine residency at the University of Rochester where she served as chief resident. She completed a two year fellowship in geriatric medicine and holds a CAQ in geriatrics. She is also working towards earning a M.S. in Teaching and Curriculum with a focus on health professions education through the Warner School of Education. She enjoys spending time with her husband, baby boy, and three cats. She is a history buff who loves to travel, garden, and cook. She splits her time between serving as faculty for the Department of Family Medicine and the Division of Geriatrics/Aging.

Publications

Journal Articles

Wound Care 101: A Guide for the Family Physician

Thornton, K.

Family Doctor: A Journal of the New York Sate Academy of Family Physicians. 2015; 4(2): 32-35.

Endocarditis: From Diagnosis to Treatment

Pierce D, Calkins B, Thornton K.

American Family Physician. 2012; 85(10): 981-986.

Can Background Checks of Long Term Care Residents Improve Safety?

Thornton, K.

Letter to the Editor. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2012; 13 (2): E11.