Dr. Gerald Kenneth Johnson opened Santee Cooper Urgent Care with his wife, Angie, in May 2010, expanding the practice to include Primary Care in 2014.
To his many patients and friends, he was simply "Dr. Ken."
"Ken Johnson was the best," said Physician's Assistant Todd Culclasure. "His skills as a physician and passion for medicine were matched only by his love and concern for others. He loved his family, he loved his staff, but most of all, he loved using his God-given gifts to care for others."
Johnson, 62, died Thursday, June 2, 2016, while at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he was undergoing treatment for leukemia. An honors graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina, Johnson specialized in emergency medicine and previously ran the emergency room at Clarendon Memorial Hospital before founding Urgent Care with his wife.
Nurse Renee Lecuyer was one of Johnson's fellow emergency room employees.
"I worked with him in the ER for many, many years and learned so much from him," she said. "He was a great doctor, an inspiring teacher and backed us up when we needed it!"
Culclasure said caring for others was Johnson's passion.
"This was his purpose, and this was his great joy," Culclasure said. "We, his colleagues, will miss his wise counsel and gregarious nature but, as best we can, will continue to care for the people and community he loved."
Robin Mooney Hussey was one of Johnson's many patients, and credits him with saving her life. Hussey had a headache in November 2011 that became progressively worse over a seven-day period.
"On day three, I went to my primary care doctor and he diagnosed a stress headache and prescribed pain pills," Hussey said. "On day five, I went back to that same doctor and he diagnosed a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics."
Day seven brought Hussey and her excruciating headache to Johnson's Urgent Care.
"Dr. Ken immediately performed a CT scan, which showed rivers of blood flowing through my brain; he loaded me with morphine and called an ambulance to take me to MUSC in Charleston," Hussey said. "(That's where) i underwent surgery immediately to repair the aneurysm. It was a slow-leak, but would have killed me in a matter of hours at that point if Dr. Ken had not diagnosed it correctly."
Ashley Ann Fry said she was a nervous wreck when her mother, Sandy, was suffering from pneumonia, but that "Dr. Ken" kept her calm and always took her calls.
"What an incredible person this man was," she said. "I can remember calling him as his home when (my mom) was in the hospital for pneumonia and I was a nervous wreck. I just needed his reassurance that all was well. He didn't hesitate to answer and talk until I felt better. He will truly be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him."
Johnson also used his medical skills in his role for more than 25 years the team physician for Laurence Manning Academy, where he also served as B-team football coach for 18 years. He was also a two-term member of the school's Board of Trustees.
"Dr. Johnson means the world to Laurence Manning," said Headmaster Spencer Jordan. "Not only was Dr. Johnson an outstanding coach, he was a great mentor for young men for more than two decades at Laurence Manning. Dr. Johnson taught his players to be tough and hard-nosed. He showed all of us in our close-knit community what true courage and love is really all about."
Johnson said that courage was never more clearly shown than it was through Johnson's fight against leukemia in the last year. Students at the school lined the parking lot in March to provide a happy send-off for Johnson before he returned to Texas. Driven through the parking lot by his wife, Johnson waved at and shook hands with students as they passed.
"How Dr. Johnson faced his illness over the past year serves as an example of his great character and loving spirit," he said. "His spirit will live on with everything we do this year at Laurence Manning. Our hearts and prayers go out to Miss Angie and his entire family."
Jane Benton was one of Johnson's patients after a golf cart wreck.
"We so hoped that he would recover and return to us," Benton said. "He saw me through a golf cart accident, and I saw how he treated all of his patients on my frequent visits through the weeks. Dr. Ken was simply the best. He was skilled in his profession (and) kind and compassionate beyond measure."
Sylvia Whorton agreed, calling Johnson "the best doctor in Manning."
"He will be missed by the community, and all his patients and friends," she said. "He fought a good fight and can rest now in his eternal home with Jesus. He was a wonderful man and deserves a great tribute."
