Veda Johnson, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Veda Johnson, MD, FAAP is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Marcus Professor in General Academics and Pediatrics. She is also the 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 advance health equity by increasing access to and improving the delivery of healthcare for children and adolescents living in at-risk communities throughout the state of Georgia. At PARTNERS, they envision a Georgia where all children have equitable opportunities and resources leading to optimal health, wellness, and academic achievement. The mission of PARTNERS is to enhance the health and well-being of Georgia's underserved children by:
Expanding the number of School-Based Health Centers in the State of Georgia Creating a family-centered model for comprehensive primary care services for at-risk children Developing innovative programs that link healthcare, education and community services Training future pediatricians to provide medical care that addresses the social determinants of health
Dr. Johnson received her Medical Degree from Emory University where she also completed a Residency in Pediatrics. 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 (Whitefoord Elementary and Sammye E. Coan Middle School-Based Health Centers) and two community-based health centers serving 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 school based health centers (SBHCs) in the state has risen from 2 to 70+ over the past 8 years. These centers have increased access to healthcare 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 youth through annual health check services. Student seat time has increased along with improved academic performance.
Dr. Johnson has served as Principal Investigator (PI) for numerous grants (i.e. HRSA, NIH, philanthropic, state and local) supporting the mission of Partners and the
evaluation of SBHCs in the state. Her research interests include school-based health centers and their impact on student health disparities, childhood obesity, and health equity. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has served on the Academy's Council on School
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.