General Trauma
HRRMC has three hospital-employed general/trauma surgeons located on the main campus.
Dr. Karen Johnson has provided surgical services at HRRMC since January 2012 through Surgical Specialis
ts of Colorado (SSOC). She will continue to see patients as an HRRMC-employed
physician rather than through the SSOC practice. Her office remains in
the same location in the hospital.
Prior to joining SSOC, Dr. Johnson worked for 17 years in private practice as a general surgeon. She was affiliated with Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Hospital of Saint Raphael and Temple Surgical Center.
Board-certified in general surgery, Dr. Johnson has a special interest in diseases of the breast. She earned her medical degree from Texas A&M University and completed her residency in general surgery at the Hospital of Saint Raphael. She also holds a master’s degree in nutrition.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Johnson.
Dr. Jian-zhe Cao joined the HRRMC General and Trauma Surgery practice in June 2019.
Dr. Cao is board certified in general surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and completed his residency in general surgery at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital. He also holds a master’s degree in medical sciences.
Prior to joining HRRMC, Dr. Cao worked for almost seven years as a general surgeon for Sioux Center Health and Floyd Valley Healthcare in Iowa.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Cao.
Dr. Jerry Smith provided surgical services at HRRMC through Surgical Specialists of Colorado
(SSOC) from October 2012 to December 2016. In May
2018, Dr. Smith joined the HRRMC General and Trauma Surgery practice as
a hospital-employed physician.
Between his time with SSOC and HRRMC, Dr. Smith provided locum tenens services at Prowers Medical Center in Lamar, Colo., and embarked on three surgical mission trips to Kenya, Dominican Republic and Iraq.
Dr. Smith is board-certified in general surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. He earned his osteopathic medical degree from Oklahoma State University and completed his medical training at Oklahoma State University Medical Center and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He also holds a doctorate in biology from the University of North Texas.
To make an appointment with HRRMC General and Trauma Surgery, call (719) 530-2000.
