Dr. Harold Johnson appointed Chief Executive for Providence Medical Group Alaska
(Text from memorandum of announcement by Bruce Lamoureux, former Chief Executive) –
Harold Johnston, MD, has been appointed to the role of chief executive for Providence Medical Group Alaska (PMGA), effective March 16, 2015. A long-time member of Alaska’s medical community and founder of Alaska Family Medicine Residency, Dr. Johnston offers PMGA nearly three decades of patient care experience and almost two decades of leadership within Providence Alaska. His passion and concern for improved access to care, especially to the underserved and disadvantaged, have steered his humanitarian interests.
A graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Dr. Johnston attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks to begin medical studies in the WAMI (now WWAMI) program, and went on to the University of Washington in Seattle to finish his medical degree. Upon completion of a family medicine residency at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Dr. Johnston began medical practice at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center in 1989. By 1996, Dr. Johnston had formed a vision to establish a family medicine residency to train medical students from Alaska and elsewhere for service in rural and underserved areas.
Dr. Johnston accepted appointment as the founding program director for the Alaska Family Medicine Residency at Providence in 1996, and today continues to serve as its designated institutional official. The residency program is one of the most distinguished in the United States. Among other accolades, Alaska has the highest rate of retention for residency graduates of any state in the country. Approximately 80 percent of residents remain in Alaska after graduation, and almost 60 percent serve in rural settings. Dr. Johnston’s legacy includes preparing physicians for the joys and challenges of medical practice in underserved areas and securing funding for the construction of a model Family Medicine Center, which is the home base of the residency.
Dr. Johnston is married to Sydney, his wife of 33 years, and father to Eric Johnston and Robin Tyson. Together with five granddaughters, his family serves as inspiration for the most important priorities in life. When a bit of free time presents, Dr. Johnston enjoys hiking and boating. Those who know Dr. Johnston will attest to his eclectic interests in life and a fabulous sense of humor.
Our congratulations to Dr. Johnston!
