The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the appointment of Bernadette (Bernie) Johnson, MD, as the new head of the Section of Emergency Medicine effective April 1. Johnson has been a dedicated member of the section for over a decade. As a highly respected clinician, educator, mentor and operational leader, she brings extensive experience in pediatric emergency care, system-wide process improvement and faculty development.
During her tenure as associate medical director, medical director, and currently director of clinical operations for the section, Johnson has led numerous quality and operational initiatives that significantly improved patient flow, safety and experience across our emergency department system. Under her direction, the section has achieved nationally recognized performance metrics, including reductions in door-to-provider time, overall length of stay and left-without-being-seen rates, accomplished largely through innovation and collaboration. She has shared this work with peer institutions across the country, elevating our national profile as a leader in pediatric emergency operations.
As a faculty member, Johnson has contributed meaningfully to academic scholarship with publications in quality improvement, pediatric trauma and emergency operations. She has also been an integral partner in advancing research operations within the section, supporting the growth of a robust and collaborative research infrastructure and helping ensure continued success in the nationally funded Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) and other major research initiatives.
Her passion for education is reflected in her longstanding contributions to the PEM fellowship, resident and medical student teaching and outreach across Colorado and the region. A dedicated mentor, she has invested deeply in supporting colleagues at all career stages and has helped strengthen and foster pathways for leadership, faculty development and wellness.
Johnson’s vision for the section emphasizes operational excellence, exceptional clinical care, faculty support, academic growth and improvements to our care environments. She is committed to ensuring that we continue to be a national model for pediatric emergency care while pursuing and developing further innovations for enhancement.
Bernie received her doctor of medicine in 2005 from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Her pediatric residency training was completed at the University of Missouri Kansas City and Children’s Mercy Hospital in 2008. From 2008 to 2011 she pursued Pediatric emergency medicine fellowship training at Children’s Mercy. After completing fellowship, she joined the faculty at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is expected to be promoted to professor of pediatrics this coming July.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Mark Roback, MD, for his nearly seven years of exceptional leadership as the section head of emergency medicine. This section is the largest in the nation and he has done a phenomenal job in guiding such a robust and vast care model to our patients and families. We appreciate his commitment and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Please congratulate Bernadette Johnson on her appointment and we look forward to her leadership and to the continued advancement of the Section of Emergency Medicine.