Having overcome childhood adversity thanks to support from her high school teacher, Dr. Lara Johnson treats each day as an opportunity to pay it forward to every one of her patients at Dallas-based Parkland Hospital.
Dr. Lara Johnson is no stranger to adversity. As a child, she was faced with relentless familial challenges that nearly prevented her from applying to college. With the moral and financial support of her high school teacher, Dr. Johnson was able to alter the course of her life. One of the conditions of this support was that she must pay it forward. Today Dr. Johnson works at Parkland Hospital as a primary care physician for the Transgender Clinic. She is also the medical director for Homeless Outreach Medical Services, serving the most vulnerable of Dallas’s population. In this role, she strives to connect with patients through stories, understand what has happened in their lives to get them where they are, and ensure that humanity remains at the center of health care.