Laura S. Johnson, MD

Medical Director, Walter L. Ingram Burn Center

Dr. Laura S. Johnson, MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM, is the Medical Director of the Walter L. Ingram Burn Center at Grady. She is board certified in general surgery, surgical critical care, and neurocritical care and is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, as well as an adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Johnson received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California. She completed her residency training at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and her fellowship training at Grady. She was on faculty at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) and Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, DC, before returning to Grady in her current position.

Dr. Laura S. Johnson is passionate about teaching and is a regular faculty member or course director for Advanced Trauma Life Support, Advanced Burn Life Support, Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma, and other burn and trauma education opportunities. Her trainees are her proudest achievements, and she mentors medical students and residents across various disciplines. Dr. Johnson has received several awards for teaching, including in 2020 the Dr. Sally Abston Association of Women Surgeons Distinguished Member Award, as nominated by her residents, given to a member who in addition to nationally recognized clinical expertise and providing outstanding mentorship, is a role model of what I want my surgeon to be like. She has also been recognized by her nursing staff with multiple MedStar Nurses Choice awards for Physician Collaboration and her nomination for the John J Lynch, MD Center for Ethics Moral Courage award in 2018.

When she is not in the hospital, Dr. Johnson is an avid saber fencer, competing around the country, and is part of the National Tournament Committee for the United States Fencing Association.

Specialties

General Surgery
Surgical Critical Care

Board Certifications

American Board of Surgery

Fellowships

Grady Health System

Affiliations

Emory

Education & Training

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Internship: Washington Hospital Center
Residency: Washington Hospital Center

Honors & Awards

John S Dillon, MD Award for Faculty Excellence in Medical Student Teaching in the Surgery Clerkship, Georgetown SOM 2022

Distinguished CHEST Educator, 2021

MedStar Health Teaching Scholars Program 2020 – 2022

Dr. Sally Abston Association of Women Surgeons Distinguished Member Award, 2020

Georgetown Women in Medicine Eisenberg Career Development Award, 2019

Principle Member, GUMC Teaching Academy for the Health Sciences, 2018 – 2022

Evans/Cornwall MD Teaching Award of the Year, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital – Washington Hospital Center Residency in General Surgery, 2018 – 2019, 2021-2022

John J. Lynch, MD Center for Ethics – Moral Courage Award, 2018

Off Service Faculty of the Year, Georgetown Emergency Medicine Residency, 2017, 2019, 2022

Clinical Program Excellence Award – The Burn Center, Medstar Washington Hospital Center Board of Directors, 2016

Edward E Cornwall MD Teaching Award of the Year, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, 2015 – 2016

Publications

Kogai T, Schultz JJ, Johnson LS, Huang M, Brent GA. Retinoic acid induces sodium/iodide symporter gene expression & radioiodide uptake in the MCF – 7 breast cancer cell line. Proceedings of the National Academies of Science 2000 97(15):8519 – 24. PubMed PMID 10890895; PubMed Central PMCID PMC26980. DOI. 10.1073/pnas.140217197

Rhee P, Kuncir EJ, Johnson L, Brown C, Velmahos G, Martin M, Wang D, Salim A, Doucet J, Kennedy S, Demetriades D. Cervical spine injury is highly dependent on the mechanism of injury following blunt and penetrating assault. Journal of Trauma – Injury Infection & Critical Care. 2006 61(5):1166 – 70. PubMed PMID 17099524. DOI. 10.1097/01.ta.0000188163.52226.97

Highstead RG, Johnson LS, Street JH 3rd, Trankiem CT, Kennedy SO, Sava JA. July – – as good a time as any to be injured. Journal of Trauma – Injury Infection & Critical Care. 2009 67(5):1087 – 9. PMID: 19901672 DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181b8441d.

Johnson LS, Shupp JW, Pavlovich AR, Jeng JC, Jordan MH. Hospital length of stay – does one percent really equal one day? Journal of Burn Care & Research 2011. 32(1):13 – 19. PMID: 21131842. DOI: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e318204b3ab.

Kath MA, Shupp JW, Matt SE, Shaw JD, Johnson LS, Pavlovich AR, Brant JD, Mete M, Jeng JC, Jordan MH. Incidence of methemoglobinemia in patients receiving cerium nitrate and sliver sulfadiazine for the treatment of burn wounds: A burn center’s experience. Wound Rep Reg 2011 19 201 – 204. PubMed PMID 21362087. DOI. 10.1111/j.1524 – 475X.2010.00665.x

Matt SE, Johnson LS, Shupp JW, Kheirbek T, Sava SA. Management of Faciotomy Wounds – Does the Dressing Matter? Am Surg 2011 77:1656 – 60. PubMed PMID 22273225.

Johnson LS, Lesandrini J. Clinical Judgement in Medicine: Risk Benefit Analysis and Informed Consent. J Hosp Ethics 2011 2(3):12 – 15.

Watkins CJ, Feingold PL, Hashimoto B, Johnson LS, Dente CJ. Nocturnal Violence: Implications for Resident Trauma Operative Experiences. Am Surg 2012 78(6):657 – 62. PMID: 22643260.

Johnson LS, Lesandrini J, Rozycki GS. Utilization of the Medical Ethics Consultation Service in a Busy Level I Trauma Center: Impact on Decision Making and Patient Care. Am Surg 2012 78(7):735 – 40. PubMed PMID 22748529;

Brewer BL, Diehl AH 3rd, Johnson LS, Salomone JP, Wilson KL, Atallah HY, Feliciano DV, Rozycki GS. Choice of motorcycle helmet makes a difference: A prospective observational study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 75(1):88 – 91. PubMed PMID 23778444. DOI. 10.1097/TA.0b013e3182988b59

Rajani RR, Johnson LS, Brewer BL, Brewster LP, Duwayri Y, Reeves JG, Veeraswamy RK, Dodson TF Anatomic characteristics of aortic transection: centerline analysis to facilitate graft selection. Ann Vasc Surg. 2014 Feb;28(2):433 – 6. PubMed PMID 24485775. DOI. 10.1016/j.avsg.2013.06.029

Travis TE, Johnson LS, Moffatt LT, Subramanian RM, Jordan MH, Shupp JW. Organ donation from burn – injured patients – – a national perspective. J Surg Res. 2014 Jul;190(1):289 – 99. PMID: 24731765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2014.03.010

Johnson LS. The 2014 RAS – ACS annual essay content: Anecdotes. Bull Am Coll Surg. 2015 Jan;100(1). PMID: 25626270.

Dixon KB, Johnson LS, Shah NS.A middle – aged man with hypoxia after cranial metastasectomy. Chest. 2015 Feb;147(2):e34 – 7. PMID: 25644913 DOI: 10.1378/chest.14 – 0799.

Coleman JJ, Zarzaur BL, Katona CW, Plummer ZJ, Johnson LS, Fecher A, O'Rear JM, Feliciano DV, Rozycki GS. Factors associated with pulmonary embolism within 72 hours of admission after trauma: a multicenter study. J Am Coll Surg. 2015 Apr;220(4):731. PubMed PMID 25724603 DOI. 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2014.12.032.

Alkhalil A, Tejiram S, Travis TE, Prindeze NJ, Carney BC, Moffatt LT, Johnson LS, Ramella – Roman J, Shupp JW. A Translational Animal Model for Scar Compression Therapy Using an Automated Pressure Delivery System. Eplasty. 2015 Jul 2;15:e29. PubMed PMID 26171101; PubMed Central PMCID PMC4492193.

Hoffman JR, Chowdhury R, Johnson LS, Brewster LP, Duwayri Y, Reeves JG, Veeraswamy RK, Dodson TF, Rajani RR. Posttraumatic Resuscitation Affects Stent Graft Sizing in Patients with Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury. Am Surg. 2016 Jan;82(1):75 – 8. PubMed PMID 26802861.

Tejiram S, Zhang J, Travis TE, Carney BC, Alkhalil A, Moffatt LT, Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Compression therapy affects collagen type balance in hypertrophic scar. J Surg Res. 2016 Apr;201(2):299 – 305. PubMed PMID 27020811; PubMed Central PMCID PMC4813311. DOI. 10.1016/j.jss.2015.10.040.

Sokolovic M, Pratt AK, Vukicevic V, Sarumi M, Johnson LS, Shah NS. Platelet Count Trends and Prevalence of Heparin – Induced Thrombocytopenia in a Cohort of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Patients. Crit Care Med. 2016 Nov;44(11):e1031 – 1037. PubMed PMID 27441904. DOI. 10.1097/CCM.0000000000001869.

Tejiram S, Johnson LS, Mete M, Desale S, Johnson K, Zhang J, Moffatt LT, Shupp JW. Screening nasal swabs for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A regional burn center's experience. Burns. 2017 Jun;43(4):771 – 779. PubMed PMID 28412131. DOI. 10.1016/j.burns.2017.01.009

Nosanov LB, McLawhorn MM, Hassan L, Travis TE, Tejiram S, Johnson LS, Moffatt LT, Shupp JW. Graft loss: Review of a single burn center's experience and proposal of a graft loss grading scale. J Surg Res. 2017 Aug;216:185 – 190. PubMed PMID 28807206; DOI 10.1016/j.jss.2017.05.004.

Kettyle SM, Chervu NL, Rao AS, Sadi S, Majure D, Sava JA, Johnson LS. Outcomes Following Noncardiac Surgery in Patients with Ventricular Assist Devices: A Single – Center Experience. Am Surg. 2017 Aug 1;83(8):842 – 846. PubMed PMID 28822388.

Luker JN, Vigiola Cruz M, Carney BC, Day A, Moffatt LT, Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx is quantitatively proportional to burn injury severity. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2018 Mar 31;31(1):17 – 22. 31(1):17 – 22. PubMed PMID30174566; PubMed Central PMCID PMC6116655.

Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Defining Adequate Quality and Safety Metrics for Burn Care. AMA J Ethics 2018 Jun 1; 20(6):567 – 574. PMID: 29905135 DOI: 10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.6.pfor1 – 1806

Johnson LS, Chaar M, Ball CG, Perez S, Nicholas JM, Wyrzykowski AD, Rozycki GS, Feliciano DV, Dente CJ. Management of Extremity Fasciotomy Sites: Prospective Randomized Evaluation of Two Techniques. Am J Surg 2018 Jul 25. 216(4):736 – 739 PubMed PMID 30064725; doi.10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.07.033.

Caso R, Barrak D, Travis TE, Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Survival from a 75% TBSA thermal injury complicated by bowel ischemia presenting with pneumatosis intestinalis. J Surg Case Rep 2018 Aug 30;2018(8):rjy235. eCollection 2018 Aug. PMID: 30181865 PMCID: PMC6115604 DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjy235

Chung KK, Coates EC, Hickerson WL, Arnold – Ross AL, Caruso DM, Albrecht M, Arnoldo BD, Howard C, Johnson LS, McLawhorn MM, Friedman B, Sprague AM, Mosier MJ, Conrad PF, Smith DJ Jr, Karlnoski RA, Aden JK, Mann – Salinas EA, Wolf SE; Randomized controlled Evaluation of high – volume hemofiltration in adult burn patients with Septic shoCk and acUte kidnEy injury (RESCUE) Investigators. Renal Replacement Therapy in Severe Burns: A Multicenter Observational Study 2018 Oct 23;39(6):1017 – 1021. PMID: 29931223 PMCID: PMC6198739 DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/iry036

Johnson LS, Jordan MH, Shupp JW. Contemplating a Career in Burn Surgery: Data from the 2016 Burn Physician Survey. J Burn Care Res. 2018 Oct 23;39(6):863 – 868. PMID: 30202971 DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/iry047

Johnson LS, Brenner DM, Sederstrom NO. Technical Considerations for Implementation of Tele – Ethics Consultation in the Intensive Care Unit. J Clin Ethics. 2018 Winter; 29(4):285 – 290. PMID: 30605438

Vigiola Cruz M, Carney BC, Luker JN, Monger KW, Vazquez JS, Moffatt LT, Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Plasma Ameliorates Endothelial Dysfunction in Burn Injury. J Surg Res. 2019 Jan;233:459 – 466. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.08.027. MID: 30502286.

Wang E, Humphries A, Johnson LS. Small bowel obstruction due to internal hernia through sigmoid epiploica. J Surg Case Rep. 2019 Jan 8;2019(1):rjy342. eCollection 2019 Jan. PMID: 30631421 PMCID: PMC6324651 DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjy342

O’Brian KF, Saardi K, Johnson LS, Shupp JW, Rodic N, Pasieka HB. Recommendations for Prevention of Drug Re – Exposure in Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. J Drugs Dermatol 2019;18(10):217 – 220. PMID: 31603634.

Nisar S, Roberson JL, Travis TE, Johnson LS, Shupp JW. Extensive hidradenitis suppurativa with dorsal foot involvement: a case report. J Surg Case Rep. 2019 Nov 29;2019(11):rjz349. PMID: 31803468 DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjz349.

Ball RL, Keyloun JW, Brummel – Ziedins K, Orfeo T, Palmieri TL, Johnson LS, Moffatt LT, Pusateri AE, Shupp JW. Burn – Induced Coagulopathies: A Comprehensive Review. Shock. 2019 Nov 19. PMID: 31804296 DOI: 10.1097/SHK.0000000000001484

Johnson LS, Travis TE, Shupp JW. What Is the Value of a Burn Surgery Rotation in Surgical Residency? Am Surg. 2019 Dec 1;85(12):1314 – 1317. PMID: 31908211

Dishman SE, Driggers KE, Johnson LS, et al. Perceptions of ICU Care Following Do – Not – Resuscitate Orders: A Military Perspective. Crit Care Explor. 2020;2(7):e0153. Published 2020 Jul 16. doi:10.1097/CCE.0000000000000153. PMID 32766553