Meet the provider: Jeffrey Johnson, M.D.

Jeffrey Johnson, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, joined Wayne Health in January 2020. Dr. Johnson has special interest in fetal anomalies, invasive fetal therapy, prenatal diagnosis and labor and delivery.

Dr. Johnson joined Wayne Health because the population that is served here is similar to the population he served as a resident in Boston. It’s given him the opportunity to bring back the foundation of why he does what he does, and remains a reality check for him. He also enjoys the wide variety of patients in the Detroit area and loves learning about a completely different immigrant population than what he was exposed to in New England. Dr. Johnson enjoys the people he works with in Metro Detroit. It was a big change for him to experience Midwestern friendliness after serving and working with the stoic and solidified personalities of New England. He does miss being in New England a lot, since he was there for a significant portion of his life. But he is also very happy to be in Detroit, and is having a great time experiencing this new culture, learning his way around and getting to know the people.

Dr. Johnson did undergraduate and medical school at Boston University. He was shaped by the population of Boston, especially the immigrant and indigent population at Boston City Hospital (the original “Saint Elsewhere!”). It was personally satisfying for him to be able to help those most in need and to develop relationships over long periods of time with his patients. It helped to widen his horizons and to realize there are other societal issues that many do not know about, which provides a ‘reality check’ to those that say they know about some of these desperate social situations.

Dr. Johnson did his fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at The Ohio State University. It was a great program that provided him with excellent clinical experience. It further provided him with the opportunity to perform major research projects, as the program is affiliated through the NIH with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units research collaboration with many other hospitals across the country. He received a very well-rounded education with nationally recognized experts in his field, who became his friends that he keeps in touch with to this day. Dr. Johnson loves working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist because the specialty is like a puzzle. He’s always thinking about the interaction of mother and baby, and adds in special situations that mother, baby, or both may have. There is an interplay among these two individuals that impact each other, and it’s his job to make sure that he takes this interplay into account to get a good outcome for both. He really enjoys getting to know his patients during their pregnancy, supporting them, and in most cases, having a happy outcome. He has patients that he still gets Christmas cards from 20 years later.

Dr. Johnson tries to address each patient as an individual, getting to know them and their circumstance. He feels like he can provide the best care to someone by knowing not only their history and medical conditions, but the person behind all of it. Dr. Johnson had a patient, when he was a new MFM attending at a hospital in Boston, who had a tragic loss of a prior pregnancy at 24 weeks. He was taking care of her during her second pregnancy, and she went into labor again at 24 weeks, and he could not stop it. She begged him to not allow the delivery to occur on that day, but there was nothing he could do.  She delivered on the day that her last baby died and they all cried at this delivery, as it was so emotionally charged. Fortunately, this child survived, is doing great and is entering her freshman year of college this Fall. She is among the patients who still sends him Christmas cards every year. Dr. Johnson’s patients have taught him how to listen and that every person has something to offer.

There is no ‘typical day’ for Dr. Johnson. He covers labor and delivery, ultrasound, office sessions and can get called at any time for a procedure that needs to be done. Dr. Johnson has received three resident teaching awards during his career. He is particularly proud of those, as he regards teaching as a privilege and an honor to give back as a tribute to those that gave to him.

In his free-time, Dr. Johnson is an avid photographer, and has traveled the world on photography missions. He shoots mainly nature scenes, night skies, and enjoys the occasional architectural shoot. Some of the old abandoned buildings in Detroit have been fantastic subjects for his photography.

To set up an appointment with Dr. Johnson, visit our appointment page or call (877) 929-6342.