CHICAGO - Nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon, Douglas R. Johnston, MD, has been named surgical director of Northwestern Medicine’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and chief of the division of cardiac surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“Dr. Johnston has a strong vision for growth, innovation, sustainability and teamwork. We are confident that his leadership, combined with Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute’s world-class team, will elevate our cardiac surgery program to another level of national prominence,” said Patrick M. McCarthy, MD, who is stepping down as chief of Cardiac Surgery after 18 years in that role. Dr. McCarthy will continue to serve as executive director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and vice president of clinical integration for Northwestern Medical Group.

Dr. Johnston joins Northwestern Medicine from the Cleveland Clinic where he served as vice chair of the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, program director of the thoracic surgery residency and advanced cardiothoracic fellowships, and surgical director of the Aortic Valve Center. Dr. Johnston specializes in minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve surgery, aortic and endovascular surgery, complex reoperations, pericardial disease and radiation associated cardiac disease.
“I'm very lucky to join an organization that is already a center of excellence in so many ways and is also on a very steep upward trajectory,” said Dr. Johnston. “The vision is to differentiate ourselves as a place where patients can get the best quality care, not just locally but nationally, for both common and uncommon, complex cardiac conditions. I look forward to continuing Bluhm’s legacy of success by working with a very talented team of surgeons to innovate, creatively improve care and continue to grow the program and its reputation.”

Dr. Johnston’s clinical interests and expertise is matched by his innovation portfolio. The accomplished inventor has contributed to 12 submitted or issued patents for inventions that have improved different aspects of patient care, data collection and workflow, and employee well-being. He also has extensive research experience, which started when he was an undergraduate at Dartmouth College and was awarded the Claire Garber Goodman Fund Scholarship. This scholarship gave him the opportunity to be the principal investigator for a study of tuberculosis treatment and prevention in a community with strong indigenous health systems in northern India.

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