Centura Health, the Colorado, Utah and western Kansas region's leading health care provider, is excited to announce the addition of Dr. Jay Johannigman, a nationally renowned trauma surgeon, as Trauma Medical Director at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, CO, effective October 24, 2022.
Dr. Johannigman has a 35-year background in trauma and critical care and will lead St. Anthony’s Level I Trauma and Emergency General Surgery program, which is accredited by the American College of Surgeons and designated by the State of Colorado.
Dr. Johannigman is joining Centura from his position as a trauma/critical care and acute care surgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas. Prior to this, he served as Trauma Medical Director and Chief of the Institute of Military Medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and liaison to the United States Air Force C-STARS training program. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Knight Aerospace, a leading innovator in advanced aeromedical transportation.
“I am thrilled to join St. Anthony Hospital, Colorado’s first Level I trauma center and home to the first rotary wing evacuation system in the United States. It is a particular privilege to work at the program developed by the legendary Dr. Henry (Hank) Cleveland. Dr. Cleveland was a legend in the world of trauma, military medicine, and pre-hospital care. I was incredibly lucky to get to know Dr. Cleveland almost twenty years ago and little did I know then that I would be able to follow in his footsteps to Colorado’s premier trauma facility,” said Dr. Johannigman.
“I look forward to joining the incredible team at St. Anthony and continuing the legacy as well as forging innovative and cutting-edge practices to the care of the injured patient. The call to service and patient care are woven into the fabric of the St. Anthony community, and this is an incredible opportunity for me.”
Dr. Johannigman has served for over 40 years in the military medical corps. He currently holds the rank of COL in the US Army Reserve. He has completed eight combat deployments spanning from 2003 to 2021 including duties as CCAT flight surgeon, Trauma “Czar”, Deputy Commander, and Director of Clinical Service for combat hospitals. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal as well as other decorations.
In the civilian sector, Dr. Johannigman has served as State Trauma Chair as well as Region Chief for the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and is a member of the American Association for Trauma and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
He holds an academic appointment as a Professor of Surgery at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at Uniformed Services University (Bethesda, MD). Dr. Johannigman gravitated to a career in trauma medicine after serving as both a volunteer and professional firefighter in the Ohio valley earlier in his career.
