Cardiac Surgery Group

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 representatives of private industries (he holds six U.S. patents) and as a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Johnston is an experienced cardiac and pulmonary surgeon who has performed over 2,000 open-heart 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 has also presented several scientific papers on statistical computer modeling of mortality risk in cardiac surgery patients. Presently, Dr. Johnston is the Medical Director for Cardiac Surgery @ Multicare Medical Center in Tacoma.

As the Cardiac Surgery Group's nurse manager, Pam is the general supervisor of clinical practice. Her previous experience includes 12 years in coronary care and cardiac surgical nursing as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN). She has now been serving the Cardiac Surgery Group since 1994. The practice demonstrates a firm committment to providing the highest quality medical care in a personalized "patient-comes-first" approach, Pam notes. The Cardiac Surgery Group's superior patient care will continue to positively affect the community as it expands patient services and activites (e.g. the Sound to Narrows Run/Walk), educational opportunities for patients and clinical personnel, and on-going technical research and improvements.