Dr. George Gilbert Johnston, MD

Dr. Gilbert Johnston is a cardiac and pulmonary surgeon who has been in active practice in Western Washington since 1981. He received his general and vascular surgery training at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). While at UCSD, he worked on several research projects (including mechanical devices to assist the failing heart) that involved bioengineering and computer modeling. His training in cardiac and pulmonary surgery was completed at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center in 1981, after which he moved to Tacoma and began private practice. He continued many of his research projects, working with colleagues at the University of Washington School of Medicine and representatives of private industry (he holds six U.S. patents).. Dr. Johnston is an experienced cardiac and thoracic surgeon who has performed over 3,000 open-heart and thoracic procedures. One of Dr. Johnston's primary interests has always been measuring and reducing the risk of cardiac surgery. He …served on the Ad Hoc Committee of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons to establish a national database for analysis of outcomes. He is also a member of the American Statistical Association and the American Medical Informatics Association. He has presented several scientific papers on statistical computer modeling of mortality risk in cardiac surgery patients. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a diplomat of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Johnston has also served as past director for the Professional Review Organization of Washington, Alaska, and Idaho (PROWest). He is presently a member of the management committee for the Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program for Washington State. He also served on various data and informatics advisory committees for the Washington State Medical Association and Washington State Department of Health. Dr. Johnston is married; he and his wife (also a physician) have two daughters. He is a strong proponent of physical exercise (running, biking, climbing, etc.), and likes to sail when time permits.