Romaine Fitzgerald Johnson, MD Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center
UTSW Physician Practicing at Children's Health
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Biography
Romaine F. Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., FACS is a pediatric otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat physician) who specializes in caring for patients with airway conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, vocal cord paralysis and subglottic stenosis (narrowing of the airway).
At Children’s Health℠, Dr. Johnson serves as the director of the Airway Management Program where he leads a multidisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pulmonologist, respiratory therapists, nurses and speech-language pathologists. He uses minimally invasive procedures to treat airway conditions that affect a child’s ability to breathe, speak and eat. Dr. Johnson also performs advanced airway reconstruction for the most complex conditions.
“Airway reconstruction remains the workhorse of the care of the children with subglottic and tracheal stenosis, which occur in children who are born prematurely and have a tracheostomy tube,” Dr. Johnson says. “Using advanced techniques, I treat the scarring of the airway and allow for safe removal of a child's tracheostomy tube.”
Dr. Johnson is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the director of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship program. He earned his medical degree at Drexel University School of Medicine (formerly MCP Hahnemann). He completed an otolaryngology residency at Baylor College of Medicine, as well as a pediatric fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Johnson also received a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Johnson is a Fellow of the American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society (The Triological Society); the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS); and the American College of Surgeons. He is an active member of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, and the National Medical Association.
Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on the treatment of pediatric airway disorders as well as public health initiatives. He has authored nearly 60 scientific articles and book chapters and has delivered numerous national presentations, lectures, and professional courses.
Dr. Johnson has won several awards for his outstanding research, including the Herbert Silverstein Otology/Neurotology Research Award from the AAO-HNS, the J. Charles Dickson Award for Outstanding Research from the Kelsey Research Foundation, and the Dallas Otology Foundation Award for Resident Research. He also serves as an Associate Editor of Pediatric Otolaryngology for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as well as a reviewer for The Laryngoscope.
Dr. Johnson’s excellence in the treatment of patients, research activities and his academic distinction has earned him recognition amongst his peers as a Best Doctor in D Magazine.
Education and Training
Medical School
Drexel University College of Medicine (1999)Internship
Baylor College of Medicine (2000), General SurgeryResidency
Baylor College of Medicine (2004), OtolaryngologyFellowship
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (2006), Pediatric OtolaryngologyGraduate School
Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health (2008)Conditions & Treatments
Conditions
Treatments
Research & Publications
Selected Publications
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Down Syndrome: Demographic, Clinical, and Polysomnographic Features. Chamseddin B, Johnson RF, Mitchell RB. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 2018. Accepted for publication.
- Nationwide Estimation of Tracheal Stenosis due Tracheostomies. Johnson RF, Saadeh C. The Laryngoscope, in submission, major revisions. 2018
- Validating Peritonsillar Abscess Drainage Rates using the Pediatric Hospital Information System Data. Ordemann AG, Little B, Johnson RF. The Laryngoscope, in submission, minor revisions. 2018
- Tracheostomy Demographics and Outcomes Among Pediatric Patients, Age 18 Years or Younger – United States 2012. Sakai M, Kou YF, Shah GB, Johnson RF. The Laryngoscope, accepted, in press, 2018
- Postoperative Respiratory Complications and Racial Disparities following Inpatient Tonsillectomy: A Cross-sectional Study. Kou YF, Sakai M, Shah GB, Mitchell RB, Johnson RF. The Laryngoscope, Accepted, in press 2018
- Laryngeal Stenosis Among Hospitalized Children: Results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey. Johnson RF, Isaiah A. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology. Accepted, in press 2018.
- Nationwide Readmissions after Tonsillectomy in Children - United States. Johnson RF, Chang A, Mitchell RB. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2018 Apr;107:10-13
- Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Readmission of Peritonsillar Abscess Patients in the United States. Johnson RF. Laryngoscope. 2017 Oct;127 Suppl 5:S1-S9. doi: 10.1002/lary.26777. Epub 2017 Aug 7.
- Prognostic Significance of Fetal MRI on Airway Outcomes Affected by Venolymphatic Malformations. Santiago-Munoz P, Johnson RF, Twickler D, Frost N, Walsh D, Shindel D. Journal of Surgical Research. 2017 September (2017) 187-190
- Severe OSA in Children. Isaiah A, Hamden H, Johnson RF, Navqi K, Mitchell RB. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 2017 Jul;157(1):128-134
Professional Activities
Professional Associations and Affiliations
- American Academy of Otolaryngology
- American College of Surgeons
- American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology
- The Triological Society
- Texas Medical Association
- Dallas County Medical Society
- National Medical Association
- American Broncho-Esophagological Association
Awards & Honors
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
- Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholar (1991)
- Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
- Outstanding Orator Award (1992)
- MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine
- Bridging the Gaps Fellowship for Community Service (1996)
- MC Hahnemann School of Medicine
- Mary H. Hartman Award for Community Service/Leadership (1996)
- Metropolitan Life Foundation National Scholar
- Scholar Award (1996)
- National Medical Association
- National Merit Scholar (1997)
- American Medical Student Association
- Recognition for Service (1999)
- Student National Medical Association
- President’s Service Award (1999)
- Bobby R. Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine
- J. Charles Dickson Award for Outstanding Clinical Research (2002, 2003)
- Dallas Otology Foundation
- Resident Research-1st Prize (2003)
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation and American Neurotology Society
- Herbert Silverstein Otology/Neurotology Research Award (2005)
- D Magazine – Dallas, Fort Worth
- Best Doctors List (2010-2014, 2016-2018)
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation
- AAO-HNSF Honor Award (2012)
- American College of Surgeons
- Fellow (2010)
- Best Doctors® – Boston, MA
- Best Doctors List (2010-2014, 2016-2018)
- Department of Otolaryngology, UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Mentor – Resident Research Award for Outstanding Clinical Research (2015, 2017)
- The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc. - The Triological Society
- Active Member (2017)
- Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Journal
- Star Reviewer (2017)
- The American College of Surgeons, Clinical Congress
- Poster of Exceptional Merit (2017)