Dr. Veda Johnson appointed to a Marcus Society in Pediatrics Professorship
It is with great pleasure to introduce our newest Marcus Society in Pediatrics Professor, Dr. Veda Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a longtime pioneer and advocate in child health disparity work and research, and she will hold the Marcus professorship in General Academics and Pediatrics. Veda Johnson, MD, FAAP is an Associate Professor and Director of PARTNERS for Equity in Child and Adolescent Health for the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of PARTNERS is to increase access to health care and improve health outcomes for at-risk children and adolescents in the state of Georgia. The mission of PARTNERS is to enhance the health and wellbeing of Georgia’s underserved children by: expanding the number of school-based health clinics (SBHCs) in the state of Georgia; creating a family-centered model for comprehensive primary care services for urban children; developing innovative programs that link healthcare, education, and community services; and training future pediatricians and other medical professionals to provide medical care that addresses the social determinants of health. Its vision is to eliminate health disparities and ensure that all Georgia children are happy, healthy, and productive members of society. Targeted health disparities and research initiatives include access to healthcare, childhood obesity, asthma, and behavioral health issues.
Dr. Johnson received her Medical Degree from Emory University where she also completed a Residency in Pediatrics. Following a year as Chief Resident, she served as Medical Director of a community health center in Meridian Mississippi. Prior to her current position, Dr. Johnson was the Director of Community and School-Based Clinics for the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. In that position, she served as Medical Director of two school-based health centers and two community-based health centers working with underserved women and children in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Dr. Johnson has participated in the development of national standards for comprehensive school- based health programs and in petitioning Congress to increase federal allocation for school health centers nationwide. For more than 20 years, she has worked to promote and expand school-based health centers/programs in the state of Georgia. Under her leadership, the number of SBHCs in the state has increased from 2 to 22 over the past 5 years. These centers have enhanced access to health care for thousands of Georgia’s children, improved health outcomes for those with asthma and obesity, and provided psychosocial risk assessments and screenings for at-risk students through annual health check services. Student seat time has increased as well contributing to improved academic performance.
Dr. Johnson has served as Principal Investigator (PI) for numerous grants supporting the mission of PARTNERS and the expansion of SBHCs in the state. She is Co-PI of a National Institute of Health grant which evaluates the impact of SBHCs on reducing student health disparities in Georgia. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the executive committee for the Academy’s Council on School Health. In addition, she serves as Chair of the School Health Committee for the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Georgia School Based Health Alliance, an affiliate of the National School Based Health Alliance. Finally, she is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and Board of Directors for the HEALing Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center catering to the poor of Atlanta. You can imagine how much happiness it must have given me to name Dr. Veda Johnson our newest Marcus Professor in Pediatrics!