FORT SMITH — Drs. Brad and Sandy Johnson, parishioners at Sts. Sabina and Mary Church in Jenny Lind and co-owners of Johnson Dermatology, see environmental stewardship as sound medicine.
They use a combination of geothermal and solar energy in their home. When they opened their first clinic in leased office space in 2006, they used an electronic health records system to save paper, used cloth gowns for patients, set up an in-house recycling system and bought a demolizer unit to neutralize hazardous waste before disposal.
On April 4, they opened the first medical clinic in Arkansas to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The clinic, situated at the entrance of Riley Farms subdivision in a rapidly growing section of Fort Smith, creates a beautiful impression within a small carbon footprint. A wall of windows takes advantage of natural light and southern exposure while screening out harmful ultraviolet rays. The indoor fluorescent lighting system is controlled by motion sensors. The clinic is heated and cooled with geothermal energy. A large cistern at the west end of the building collects rain water for non-potable water usage, such as toilet flushing. The landscaping employs drought-resistant plants and trees.
Brad Johnson, who studied physics as an undergraduate in Hendrix College in Conway, developed a passion for protecting the environment there. He met his wife, Sandy, when both were dermatology residents at University of Arkansas for Medical Science in Little Rock, and she soon caught his enthusiasm. When they decided to build their own clinic, they contacted Travis Beshears, a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church and owner of Beshears Construction, and MAHG Architecture. Both firms are LEED certified and were committed to using locally bought and manufactured materials whenever possible. During the construction process, the contractors recycled all construction waste, including drywall.
Building a “green” clinic is a costly undertaking, but the Johnsons felt they owed their community, their patients and their two children, ages 8 and 10, a workplace that was as environmentally friendly as possible.
“During the past few years, some physicians have left the greater Fort Smith region either to practice elsewhere or retire,” Sandy Johnson said. “We would like to demonstrate to our community that we are committed to serving this area for a very long time.”
As dermatologists, the Johnsons had seen firsthand how toxic environmental exposure can cause serious and sometimes fatal skin damage. Brad Johnson specializes in mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer.
“The incidence of skin cancer, most notably melanoma, has been on the rise,” Sandy Johnson said. “When I started in dermatology in 1996, the incidence of melanoma was 1 in every 200 people. It is now 1 in 32. We know this is due to increased solar and environmental exposure.”
The incidence of eczema has also increased dramatically in recent years.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, skin, the largest organ in the human body, “can be regarded as a ’signal organ’ for possible noxious environmental influences. Increased research efforts in this field are mandatory.”
The Johnsons also believe in creating a beautiful, relaxed clinic environment for their patients and staff, with spacious reception and break rooms filled with natural lighting, wood-beamed ceilings, comfortable furniture and sustainable materials.
In his address for the 2010 World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the need to protect creation. “No less troubling (than wars and terrorism) are the threats arising from the neglect — if not downright misuse — of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. … it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen ’that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God …”’
With their new clinic, Sandy Johnson hopes to fulfill that covenant.
“Our life and our surroundings are a gift from God,” she said. “What we do with them is our gift to God.”
