Why I Came, Why I Stayed: Michael Johnson Enjoys Opportunity to Impact Health System Without Direct Patient Care

In “Why I Came, Why I Stayed,” you’ll get to know people who are making a difference every day at Methodist and how they contribute to providing The Meaning of Care.

Michael Johnson
Director of Warehouse and Transportation
Shared Service Systems

Tell us more about yourself and your background with Methodist.

I began my career at Methodist in May 2014 as a warehouse worker on the night shift. It didn’t take long for me to realize this was where I wanted to retire. After eight months, I moved into the warehouse lead position, where I spent about seven years. In 2021, I was promoted to day shift supervisor of the warehouse and spent a little over a year in that position. In 2022, I was promoted to distribution manager of the warehouse. In October, I became director of warehouse and transportation. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get as far as I have. 

I enjoy watching sports and going to sporting events. My wife, Christina, and I have been married for 6 ½ years now and have a 5-year-old son. My wife manages diabetes clinics at Nebraska Medicine. She was in oncology for 13 years. I think seeing both perspectives of health care, from a support side and from the nursing side, is an eye-opener on how much goes into taking care of patients.

Why Methodist? What attracted you to the organization?

I came to Methodist looking for a job. Never did I think I would make a career out of this. There are endless opportunities when you're in the health system, and you just have to find what you're good at. And hopefully you’ll find people who believe in you to help you achieve your goals.

I'm in a unique situation where I make decisions daily that can impact everyone in the health system, from staff to patients. And it excites me to know that I can help in some capacity. I know myself or my team physically aren't taking care of people, but we’re still a big part of their care.

I'm the type of person that considers the people I work with to be family. People fail to realize that, in some instances, you see the people who work with you more than your family at home. So I think it's always good to have the best relationship you can with coworkers to make the workday not feel like such a grind.

What is it about Methodist that keeps you coming back?

I've stayed at Shared Service Systems because of the opportunity I get to help people without being a doctor or nurse. The one thing I love about being at Shared is that everyone knows everyone. There’s only 115 people, and we all speak to each other and have different functions here. We all feel like we’re part of a family. I enjoy that part about it.

I think people should work here if they want to make a difference and feel like you're helping others without being a person who’s physically taking care of the patient.

What is a favorite memory of your time at Methodist?

I only have one memory that stands out because I'm making new memories daily. In 2019, my appendix had been busted for almost two weeks, and I didn't know it because I thought I was just sore from the gym. I finally went to a Methodist Physicians Clinic location. They did all they could there and sent me to the Methodist Women's Hospital emergency room, where I found out my appendix had ruptured. Before I got wheeled back to the room, they had an ambulance called to take me to Methodist Hospital for an emergency surgery. The doctors and nurses took amazing care of me for a few days I was there. That made me feel like I knew I was working for the right place.

Are there any particular coworkers who have stood out during your journey?

There are several people who have helped me tremendously in my time here. The first person is Donna Wellwood. We would have amazing talks when she worked down here, and she was one of the first people to ask me what my goals were while working for Methodist. She pushed me to do more and was the first person who made me feel like I really had something to offer Methodist. And for that, I'm forever grateful. She really cares about people and making sure Methodist is an amazing place to work. 

Christie Sisk is a colleague and good friend I work with here at Shared. I feel like we push each other and do everything in our power to give all we can to make sure everyone is getting what they need from us as a company.

Last, but not least, is Steve Rogers, president of Shared Service Systems. Since I started here, he has believed in me as an employee, given me different opportunities and noticed the work ethic I could bring to all the different roles I've been in. Your outlook on life changes when you actually have people who believe in you and know that you can succeed in the job you're given. Nothing has even been given to me in life, and it's nice that someone sees the work you put it, rewards you for hard work and anticipates that you'll only get better in the future.