Paul Thornton, MBBS

Medical Director, Endocrine and Diabetes Program

Paul Thornton, MBBS

Medical Director, Endocrine and Diabetes Program

Cook Children's Endocrinology - Dodson Specialty Clinics

1500 Cooper St.
Fort Worth, TX 76104

Main phone number icon 682-885-7960

4.8 out of 5

Read verified patient reviews

Languages icon Language(s): English

Accepting new patients icon Accepting new patients

Meet Dr. Paul Stephen Thornton

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and completed my medical school education there (hence the funny looking MD degree). After medical school, I moved to London and did some pediatric training there. Then, I moved to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where I completed my residency and a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology. I stayed on staff at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for several years before returning to Ireland in 1996 to run the National Center for Inherited Metabolic Diseases. In 1999, I moved back to Philadelphia and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to become the clinical director of the Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center, working closely with Dr. Charles Stanley. In 2003, I moved to Cook Children's Medical Center where I am very happy to continue working and hope to retire.

I knew I wanted to become a doctor at the age of 12 and never had plans to do anything else with my life, except perhaps become a chef. Once I got into medical school at 18, I very quickly realized I wanted to be a pediatrician. However, I didn't decide to become a pediatric endocrinologist until I started my training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (where I was fortunate to work with the world's experts in hypoglycemia who taught me everything they knew and were responsible for fostering my love for helping babies and children with hypoglycemic disorders).

As the director of Cook Children's Endocrinology department, I have focused my energy on running the Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center and participating in the congenital adrenal hyperplasia, differences of sexual differentiation and Silver Russel clinics. I continue to see a few of my patients with general endocrine disorders that I have treated over the last 13-15 years so I can help transition them to adulthood.

My passion is for clinical medicine, making children comfortable at their medical visits and about their medical conditions, making the correct diagnosis and implementing the right treatment, while doing the least amount of testing and incurring the least amount of cost for families and yet providing the best quality of care. I like to approach my interactions with families with humor, while at the same time demonstrating empathy and understanding of the difficulties they are faced with on a daily basis managing a complex medical condition. I love to do research and travel around the world educating doctors about the rare diseases I treat. I especially love this now that my wife can travel with me because at the end of the day work is not just about taking care of patients, but also being able to spend time with and enjoy family.

We go above and beyond by providing a huge amount of knowledge and support to families. – Paul Thornton, M.D.

After our baby didn't grow (height or weight) for over 6 months, we switched to Dr. Thornton and her growth has been right on target for years- she is now 5 years old and thriving! We adore Dr. Thornton and the whole Endocrinology care team. We have been incredibly blessed by them. They are top notch. - Patient family

Services

Disease treatment and care
State-of-the-art testing and diagnostics
Precision medicine for the treatment of congenital hyperinsulinism

Reviews

Average rating:

4.8

Questions were addressed	4.8 4.8 (54)
Provider explained things clearly	4.8 4.8 (54)
Likelihood of recommending this provider	4.7 4.7 (54)
Trust/confidence in physicians	4.8 4.8 (54)

What our families say

April 20, 2025

Dietician was very helpful and informative. Provided handouts to supplement education. Felt confident with knowledge after that visit.
April 08, 2025

All of our Endo Team! We love them all!
April 04, 2025

Timely visit, lots of supportive staff. Everyone is SO NICE!
April 04, 2025

Dr. Thornton is the best, and his nurse [...] who i often message in mychart is my favorite human being!
February 23, 2025

Love Dr Thornton . We will gladly drive from anywhere to him as our dr
February 23, 2025

Wonderful and listening bedside manner
February 20, 2025

Very good
February 14, 2025

It was a good experience
January 24, 2025

Everyone was extremely kind, knowledgeable and helpful!
January 24, 2025

Stellar experience all around!
December 10, 2024

The Dr was extremely professional. Very thorough. He went out of his way to make sure we understood every part of the process. My only complaint is the long delays (4, 5) months for scheduling a new patient. I think this is a bit ridiculous considering the nature of the specialty.
November 23, 2024

Dr Thorton is always outstanding. We leave feeling empowered and with all the knowledge we need to take care of our son.
November 23, 2024

[...] and Dr. Thornton always make is a great visit!
November 23, 2024

Child Life Specialist, [...], makes this my son's favorite appointment. Even his sister agrees this is the best. [...] is amazing! Dr. Thornton is also incredible. I am so thankful for him, and he gives excellent, customized care.
November 20, 2024

We've been coming here about 7 years and I love the staff. I won't move out of state because I want Dr Thornton to be my child's endocrinologist forever.
October 31, 2024

Dr Thornton and his staff (including assistant and front desk) were very helpful and kind. I truly appreciate all the time Dr Thornton took to explain everything.
October 30, 2024

We were over an hour early for our visit and the staff was so kind and even got us in earlier than our appointment time. Whole staff was kind.
October 17, 2024

Everything you all do is with excellence. Thank you!
October 11, 2024

Incredibly thorough, patient, great bed-side manners, listen intently and answer any questions or concerns, take their time and do not make you feel rushed
September 27, 2024

The clinic is always so clean. The bathrooms, exam rooms, waiting area are unbelievably clean!!! We are always impressed and just grateful for a great place to get great care from a great team of providers!
September 27, 2024

Dr. Thornton and [...] are both unbelievable and amazing in every way. I have never met a provider as thorough and genuinely caring as Dr. Thornton. He looks at my daughter as an individual and really cared about her health and safety. He always explains things to us so well and it was really special to see him interact with the medical student during this visit. He was SO kind to her and genuinely wanted to help her learn! We all learned. He's so friendly and gentle while also effective. I can't say enough about how much we appreciate him and genuinely credit him so much for my daughter's well being. [...] is always kind and helpful and responsive and we really appreciate them both so much!!!
September 21, 2024

Very good
September 07, 2024

Very thorough, supportive, and explained well. Direct with information and gave plenty of space for questions
August 28, 2024

Everything was excellent!
August 28, 2024

Doctor Thornton was excellent. He explained everything thoroughly. He made both of us feel like he really cared about our concerns. I was really impressed!
July 24, 2024

Dr. Paul Thornton and [...], RN. They are excellent caregivers! We were treated so well. This is the best endocrinologist's office that we have ever visited. We feel very confident in the care we are receiving in this office. They go above and beyond in caring for our daughter.
July 24, 2024

This is an exceptional clinic! It should be used as an example for others to follow. Although we had many different appointments during the day, the time spent at each clinic was minimal. We were in and out but we did not feel rushed. The nurse and doctor took time to answer our questions and did not rush us out. The way the office is designed is nice also, it feels like a small clinic and with personalized attention. We actually look forward to our visits with the doctor. Again, I want to stress that this is an exceptional clinic and an exceptional doctor and an exceptional nurse. (All of the endocrinology clinic personnel are exceptional!)
July 23, 2024

Dr. Thorton was amazing, as was his P.A.
July 23, 2024

I was thoroughly impressed with the check-in staff, the tech staff, everyone really. The whole process was incredibly smooth. The parking was wonderful, and it feels like every detail was incredibly well thought of. Our youngest son who was just with us also loved all the elements, including the art on the walls and the maze in the entry way. Great job!
July 20, 2024

It was good experience as always
June 14, 2024

Dr. Thornton, Lainy and Corie were attentive, thorough, and considerate. I was very appreciative of their time and that they showed genuine concern for our concerns and our son.
April 29, 2024

We had a wonderful experience with every staff member and practitioner that we interacted with. My family was very impressed.

Publications

Elizabeth Rosenfeld, MD, MSCE. Paul S. Thornton, MB, BCh, MRCPI, DCH. Hypoglycemia in neonates, infants, and children. Received August 22, 2023. https://www.cookchildrens.org/siteassets/documents/specialties/endocrinology/hyperinsulinism/hypoglycemia-in-neonates.pdf

Paul S. Thornton 1,2 and Colin P. Hawkes 3,4,5. Approach to the Patient: Investigation of Pediatric Hypoglycemia in the Emergency Department—A Practical Algorithm. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2024, 00, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae072

Paul S. Thornton 1, Diva D. De Leon 2, 3, Susann Empting 4, David Zangen 5, David M. Kendall 6, Sune Birch 6, Eva Bøge 6, Jelena Ivkovic 6, and Indraneel Banerjee 7. Dasiglucagon for the Treatment of Congenital Hyperinsulinism: A Randomized Phase 3 Trial in Infants and Children. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2023, 00, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad648

Charles A. Stanley 1, 2, Paul S. Thornton 3, 4, and Diva D. De Leon 1,2. New approaches to screening and management of neonatal hypoglycemia based on improved understanding of the molecular mechanism of hypoglycemia. March 2023. DOI 10.3389/fped.2023.1071206. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1071206/full

Preneet Cheema Brar 1, Ryan Heksch 2, Kristina Cossen 3, Diva D. De Leon 4, Manmohan K. Kamboj 5, Seth D. Marks 6, Bess A. Marshall 7, Ryan Miller 8, Laura Page 9, Takara Stanley 10, Deborah Mitchell 10, and Paul Thornton Management and Appropriate Use of Diazoxide in Infants and Children with Hyperinsulinism. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2020, Vol. 105, No. 12, 1–12 doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa543. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/105/12/3750/5894029

Danielle Drachmann 1, Erica Hoffmann 1, Austin Carrigg 1, Beccie Davis‑Yates 1, 2, Valerie Weaver 1, Paul Thornton 3, David A. Weinstein 4, Jacob S. Petersen 5, Pratik Shah 6 and Henrik Thybo Christesen 7, 8. Towards enhanced understanding of idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia: a literature review and introduction of the patient organization, Ketotic Hypoglycemia International. Drachmann et al. Orphanet J Rare Dis (2021) 16:173. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-021-01797-2

Garg PK, Putegnat B, Truong L, et al. Visual interpretation, not SUV ratios, is the ideal method to interpret 18F-DOPA PET scans to aid in the cure of patients with focal congenital hyperinsulinism. PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0241243. Published 2020 Oct 27. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241243. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33108363/

Kathryn White 1, Lisa Truong 2, Kimberly Aaron 3, Nasir Mushtaq 4, Paul S Thornton 2 The Incidence and Etiology of Previously Undiagnosed Hypoglycemic Disorders in the Emergency Department. PMID: 30365409. DOI: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001634. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30365409/

Paul Thornton 1, Lisa Truong 1, Courtney Reynolds 2 3, Tyler Hamby 4, Jonathan Nedrelow 5 Rate of Serious Adverse Events Associated with Diazoxide Treatment of Patients with Hyperinsulinism. PMID: 30889588. DOI: 10.1159/000497458. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30889588/

Paul S Thornton 1, Charles A Stanley 2, Diva D De Leon 2, Deborah Harris 3, Morey W Haymond 4, Khalid Hussain 5, Lynne L Levitsky 6, Mohammad H Murad 7, Paul J Rozance 8, Rebecca A Simmons 9, Mark A Sperling 10, David A Weinstein 11, Neil H White 12, Joseph I Wolfsdorf 13, Pediatric Endocrine Society Recommendations from the Pediatric Endocrine Society for Evaluation and Management of Persistent Hypoglycemia in Neonates, Infants, and Children. PMID: 25957977. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.03.057. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25957977/

Pradeep K Garg 1, Stephen J Lokitz 1, Lisa Truong 2, Burton Putegnat 2, Courtney Reynolds 2, Larry Rodriguez 2, Rachid Nazih 1, Jonathan Nedrelow 2, Miguel de la Guardia 2, John K Uffman 2, Sudha Garg 1, Paul S Thornton 2 Pancreatic uptake and radiation dosimetry of 6-18Ffluoro-L-DOPA from PET imaging studies in infants with congenital hyperinsulinism. PMID: 29117181 PMCID: PMC5695579. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186340. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29117181/

Kai Lee Yap 1 2, Amy E Knight Johnson 1, David Fischer 1, Priscilla Kandikatla 1, Jacea Deml 1, Viswateja Nelakuditi 1, Sara Halbach 1, George S Jeha 3, Lindsay C Burrage 4, Olaf Bodamer 5, Valeria C Benavides 6, Andrea M Lewis 4, Sian Ellard 7, Pratik Shah 8, Declan Cody 9, Alejandro Diaz 10, Aishwarya Devarajan 5, Lisa Truong 11, Siri Atma W Greeley 12, Diva D De Leon 13, Andrew C Edmondson 14, Soma Das 1, Paul Thornton 11, Darrel Waggoner 1, Daniela Del Gaudio 15 Correction: "Congenital hyperinsulinism as the presenting feature of Kabuki syndrome: clinical and molecular characterization of 10 affected individuals". PMID: 30097611. DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0126-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30097611/

Ann W McMahon 1, Gerold T Wharton 1, Paul Thornton 2, Diva D De Leon 3 Octreotide use and safety in infants with hyperinsulinism. PMID: 27910218 PMCID: PMC5286465. DOI: 10.1002/pds.4144. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27910218/
Preneet Cheema Brar 1, Ryan Heksch 2, Kristina Cossen 3, Diva D De Leon 4, Manmohan K Kamboj 5, Seth D Marks 6, Bess A Marshall 7, Ryan Miller 8, Laura Page 9, Takara Stanley 10, Deborah Mitchell 10, Paul Thornton 11 Management and Appropriate Use of Diazoxide in Infants and Children with Hyperinsulinism. PMID: 32810255. DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa543. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32810255/

Ana Paola De Cosio 1, Paul Thornton 2 Current and Emerging Agents for the Treatment of Hypoglycemia in Patients with Congenital Hyperinsulinism. PMID: 31218604. DOI: 10.1007/s40272-019-00334-w. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31218604/

Education

Medical school:
University College, Dublin, Ireland
Residency:
Medicine: St. Luke's Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital
Pediatrics: Temple Street Children's Hospital, The National Maternity Hospital, Guys Hospital, The Hospital for Sick Children, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Board certifications:
American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatric Endocrinology

Affiliations

Pediatric Endocrine Society,Endocrine Society,European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology,American Diabetes Association,Cook Children's Physician Network

Paul Thornton, MBBS

Medical Director, Endocrine and Diabetes Program

Paul Thornton, MBBS

Medical Director, Endocrine and Diabetes Program

About

Meet Dr. Paul Stephen Thornton

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