In an effort to escape the doldrums of winter in the northeast, Dr. Johnson came to Miami in 1987 and has worked at South Miami Hospital for the past twenty years. Her passions for the excitement of emergency medicine, the sand and sun of South Florida and the cultural diversity of Miami-Dade has led her to make this community her home.

A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Yvonne is a graduate of Harvard College and Howard University College of Medicine. She completed her residency at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Prior to joining the medical staff of South Miami Hospital, Dr. Johnson was in private practice with Dr. Robert Cava for several years before dedicating her professional life exclusively to the practice of Emergency Medicine and hospital administration.

Dr. Johnson currently serves as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Baptist Health’s South Miami Hospital. From 2012-2014 she was President of the Medical Staff. Prior to accepting the position of Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Johnson was the Co-Medical Director of the Emergency Department at South Miami Hospital. Dr. Johnson also served as the Medical Director of Quality for the Baptist Health Quality Network for two years and was one of the founding members of the Board of Managers. Dr. Johnson also has an appointment as Clinical Adjunct Professor of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She has given numerous lectures on the topic of Women and Heart Disease both locally and internationally.

Yvonne believes passionately in community service. Johnson-Phillips was installed as President and Chair of the Orange Bowl Committee in January 2023. She also sits on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Florida. Dr. Johnson co-chairs the Physician Philanthropy Advisory Council for the Baptist Health Foundation and sits on the Foundation Board. Yvonne is a proud member of the Boards of Directors of Our Pride Academy and Casa Familia, organizations that serve the educational and supported living needs of our intellectually differently-abled community. Dr. Johnson was a board member of the Miami-Dade/Monroe Early Learning Coalition from 2004 until 2013, serving three years as vice-chair. As the mother of a Special Olympics athlete, Yvonne is proud to have become a Special Olympics Unified Partner, and runs 5K races with Special Olympics athletes in the Miami Dade Special Olympics County Track and Field competitions. She and her Special Olympian partners have won a Gold Medals at the State Championship in Orlando. Dr. Johnson has been honored several times as the “Doctor of the Day”, manning the Florida Legislative Clinic in Tallahassee. She is also a member of the American College of Physicians and the National Medical Association. Yvonne is a member of the Greater Miami Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and a Lifetime Associate Member of the South Miami Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. She was also a member of the board of the Miami City Ballet School for several years and served as the “school doctor” for the ballet school’s International Summer Program.

Yvonne and her husband, Dr. Charles Phillips have six adult children.