Steven C. Johnson, MD

After completing medical school at Northwestern University, Dr. Johnson completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, and an Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. He was a staff physician in Infectious Diseases at Walter Reed from 1990-1994 and came to the University of Colorado in September 1994 to be Director of the Infectious Disease Group Practice and its HIV/AIDS Clinical Program.

Over the last 12 years, under his direction, the HIV/AIDS Clinical Program has grown from approximately 250 patients to over 1500 patients. This is a multi-disciplinary program which includes primary care, a pharmacy, a negative pressure area for inhalational treatments, a procedure area for acute care, and in-clinic consultants in Oncology, GYN, Endocrinology, Social Work, Mental Health, and Nutrition. An active quality improvement project has documented steadily improving outcomes in the program: the mortality rate of program patients has declined from 15% in 1994 to 1.5% in 2005, the hospitalization rate has declined from 3.3 inpatients days per patient per year in 1995 to 0.6 inpatient days in 2005. In addition to the Denver clinic, collaborative HIV clinics have been established in Grand Junction, Durango, and Pueblo. Dr. Johnson is one of two ID consultants for the Grand Junction clinic (monthly) and the sole consultant for the Durango (quarterly) and Pueblo (monthly) clinics. In addition to HIV care, the IDGP runs the International Travelers Health Service, the Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) Program, and the Blood/Body Fluid Exposure Program for the University of Colorado Hospital.

Dr. Johnson was Medical Director of the Colorado AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) from 1998-2004. He is currently Medical Director of the regional Mountain-Plains AIDS Education and Training Center. Through the AETCs, Dr. Johnson has conducted more than 100 educational events for HIV providers in 25 Colorado cities. He has given over 250 lectures over the last 12 years, including presentations at the Infectious Disease Society of America Meetings. He has lectured around the country and recently taught at an antiretroviral certification course for providers in India. He received the University of Colorado Infectious Disease Fellowship teaching award in 2000.

In addition to his clinical and teaching activities, Dr. Johnson is a sub-investigator in the Colorado AIDS Clinical Trial Unit. He has authored or co-authored 10 book chapters and has co-authored a number of educational products through the AIDS Education and Training Centers. Dr. Johnson has also been very active in the community chairing the Governor's AIDS council, and sitting on a number of state and city committees pertaining to HIV care and Ryan White funding. He is a Fellow in the IDSA, a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, a member of the HIV Medical Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the International AIDS Society. He was named Outstanding Physician of the Year by the University of Colorado Hospital Medical Staff in 2005.