Clinical Spotlight
James A. Johns, M.D.
Dr. James (Jim) Johns is a pediatric cardiologist. He was 1980 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and completed his residency in Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin. In 1984 he returned to Vanderbilt as a pediatric cardiology fellow.
As a pediatric cardiologist he forms long term relationships with children and families of those with congenital heart disease. Often children he helped when they were just born continue to come to him until they are adults. In this time he not only follows the progress of their hearts but also watches them grow up.
However, seeing patients is only part of Dr. James Johns work. Another interest of his is the most efficient use and cost of drugs. He has served on a pharmacy and therapeutics committee for Vanderbilt since 1992, and has chaired a related committee for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt since it opened in 2004. These committees are tasked with deciding which drugs will be available in the hospitals, and how to use them appropriately.
Dr. Johns has also has been heavily involved in training the next generation of physicians. Starting in 2002 until late 2016 he directed the fellowship program in pediatric cardiology. Although he is no longer the director of this program, he stays involved in training both medical students and graduate students alike.
Interested in learning more about Dr. Johns? Click here to read more about his many accomplishments.
What does a typical check up look like?
As discussed previously here, those with congenital heart disease have to follow up with clinicians for the rest of their lives. A typical follow up has the patient receiving an echocardiogram. During an echo test, ultrasound from a hand-held wand allows for the assessment of the overall function of the heart, and evaluation of the progression of treatments or disease. During this test other aspects of the heart, such as blood flow and heart rhythm can be observed.
Although a technician performs the echo test, Dr. Johns, or the physician in charge of the patient, looks at the read outs from this test and interprets the well being of the patient’s heart. After determining the status of the patient he will update them on their progress and listen to any concerns that may have arisen since their last check up.
