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Judean Johnson-Morgan, D.O., joins Oaklawn’s Beadle Lake office
While growing up in Queens, N.Y., Judean Johnson-Morgan discovered that she was deeply interested in science and how the human body worked.
“I’d initially wanted to be a pediatrician and, from my reading, I was interested in becoming a neonatologist — a specialty that focuses on the care of newborns.”
Today, Johnson-Morgan is a doctor of osteopathic medicine. In that capacity, she will be seeing patients at Oaklawn Medical Group — Beadle Lake. The office is at 14231 Beadle Lake Road, Battle Creek, and appointments there may be made by calling (269) 962-0441.
The young Judean seemed especially blessed by good fortune when her sixth-grade teacher guided her toward an unusual opportunity — one seemingly perfect for her.
The teacher told her about a new institution called the Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School. With her family’s encouragement, Judean enrolled and for the next six years received a grounding in a curriculum designed to prepare students for careers in the health industry. She graduated as a member the school’s first class to complete the program.
“The program was amazing,” she said. “Students could even take classes at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and I was able to study hematology and the history of HIV. It exposed me to many different aspects of medicine.”
After completing the program, Johnson-Morgan earned a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from Syracuse University in New York in 2004, and went on to obtain her degree as a doctor of osteopathic medicine from New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009.
After finishing an American Osteopathic Association-approved internship in New Jersey in 2010, she completed a residency in family medicine at Jersey City, N.J.-based Christ Hospital in 2012. Johnson-Morgan then worked for a time with Columbia University Medical Center’s student health service, determining eventually that she wanted to maximize the use of her skill set in medicine.
In response to a recruiter’s inquiry, in 2013 she weighed opportunities in Michigan and ultimately served in various capacities for medical organizations in Battle Creek, Lansing and Troy.
“I didn’t know much about Michigan at first,” she said. “However, I’ve been here ever since and I’ve decided to stay. It’s a beautiful state, I love the seasons and I love the family-centeredness.
Meanwhile, she developed a special interest in lifestyle medicine. The medical specialty focuses on preventive medicine and the health of individuals and communities by promoting health and well-being.
“I see it as a way to keep people healthy longer,” she said.
Johnson-Morgan also is an avid cook who regards home cooking as another of her specialties.
“I cook all types of things, and I recently had fun planning a full Thanksgiving meal,” she said.
Finding a new professional home at Oaklawn now appears to be an important part of Johnson-Morgan’s focus on creating a nurturing environment for those in her care.
“I don’t see people as medical problems,” she said. “They’re people and deserve to be treated as people, with respect and compassion. That’s one of Oaklawn’s core values, too, and it aligns with my personal values.”
