Jennifer Edwards-Johnson Named Associate Dean for Community Academic Programs
October 10, 2024
As a new school year begins, one veteran College of Human Medicine administrator has taken on the task of providing leadership for all eight community campuses across the state including all certificate programs for the College of Human Medicine.
Jennifer Edwards-Johnson, DO, recently was appointed associate dean for community academic programs and will continue serving as community assistant dean for the Flint Campus.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to do work that’s both meaningful and impactful,” she said, adding that the college’s partnership with hospitals and clinics around the state “is really essential” to training new doctors.
“We have to continue to nurture and develop our relationships and partnerships across the state to ensure that we support our students,” she said.
Edwards-Johnson graduated from the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and earned a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Michigan. She is the course director for the “Caring for Underserved Patients” intersession and co-developed a racism and health disparities course. She previously was the assistant clerkship director for family medicine, where she also chaired the retention, promotion, and tenure committee.
Edwards-Johnson is nationally recognized and funded for her research examining health disparities and creating an educational environment that supports a diverse workforce. She is an associate professor of family medicine and cares for patients in Flint, where she is based.
“The Flint community is really amazing,” she said. “I love working in and caring for patients in Flint. It is important that patients have an opportunity to see themselves reflected in their providers.”
That goal aligns with the mission of the college to educate physicians who reflect the communities they serve.