My name is Dr. Johnson but most of my patients just call me Dr. Sal. Being a physician has taught me so much about the world around me and I owe it to my patients for helping me to become a better, more connected and grounded person.
As Portland residents for the past several years, my husband Chris and I have fallen in love with the heart and soul that drives this growing city. It was an easy decision to put down roots both personally and professionally here. After completing my undergraduate degree at Boston College, I moved to Maine to attend medical school at University of New England, where I quickly realized I wanted to care for people of all ages and all walks of life. Becoming a family doctor was an easy choice for me as I moved on to complete my residency training at Maine Dartmouth in Augusta. Currently, I am working as an attending hospitalist at Northern Light Mercy Hospital right here, in Portland!
Over the years, I have developed a passion for lifestyle and preventative medicine with a strong interest in nutrition, health optimization, and longevity. With the creation of Rhythmia, I hope to emphasize personalized care that centers around each patient's own individual story. Additionally, as an artist and performing musician, I feel strongly about the role that art, collaboration, and creativity has played in keeping me healthy and balanced. As a training physician, I couldn't help but notice how little we focus on creativity, adventure, music and the arts in healthcare. How can we leave something so critical out of the formula?
With Rhythmia, I hope to curate the accessible and relatable care that Portland creatives have been seeking. I hope that by stepping outside of the box myself, that I will help to inspire patients to see the beauty in stepping outside the box themselves.