Biography

On the scenic route to becoming a pediatrician, Dr. Johnson-Beale’s first stop was a college degree in urban studies. Trying to make the world a better place, she considered careers in teaching (like her parents), journalism, and law—but none of these directions felt right. In search of a career that offered close relationships with people and measurable results, Dr. Johnson-Beale eventually stumbled onto a new path. Given her background, medicine seemed like a longshot, but an amazing opportunity to share interesting interactions with people every day!

Once she made it to medical school, Dr. Johnson-Beale thought about becoming a family medicine doctor, but noted that all her favorite patients were babies, children, and adolescents! She was also drawn to pediatricians during training as they were kind, patient teachers and generally a happy group of people. Between her second and third year of medical school, Dr. Johnson-Beale had her first child. She also earned a master’s degree in public health that year. Having a baby while learning about early determinants of health really drove home the importance of receiving preventive care early in life. Now, as a pediatrician, she is thrilled to deliver this impactful care to patients!

A firm believer that raising the next generation is society’s most important task, Dr. Johnson-Beale is invested in making sure patients are as healthy, happy, and resilient as they can possibly be! She sees every visit as an opportunity to improve the world, one kid at a time. Today she might heal an injury, diagnose and cure a sickness, or get to know someone better. In the years ahead, she’ll be there as patients conquer milestones and challenges in their lives, and proud when parents grow into their role as parents. Along each family’s journey, Dr. Johnson-Beale is honored to share laughs about toddler behavior, watch grade-school students master new skills, and listen as teens open up about their passions. Although becoming a pediatrician was a long, hard road, these shared moments were worth the trip!

When not tending to patients, Dr. Johnson-Beale recharges by spending time with her spouse, two daughters, and chocolate lab. She’s really into podcasts, listing true crime, relationship, economics, politics, and culture among her favorite genres. Like her work in pediatrics, podcasts feed her curiosity about other people—their life stories and what makes them tick—as well as her other interests. She also loves listening to music (pop, Latin, jazz, reggae, and dance), cooking, reading, and watching movies. To stretch her legs, she enjoys swimming, jogging, going for a walk, and shopping (shoes are her weakness!).

Born in Gresham, Dr. Johnson-Beale is excited to care for her hometown after practicing in Vancouver the past seven years. No stranger to showing up as the “new kid” (she attended six different schools before ninth grade!), she looks forward to settling in and making friends at Metropolitan Pediatrics!