Drowning remains a leading cause of unintentional death for U.S. toddlers and a threat to all ages. Additionally many people are impacted by nonfatal drowning, potentially resulting in long-term neurological impairments. Despite these stark statistics, pediatric drowning prevention and treatment have historically faced a critical gap in dedicated research and standardized guidelines.
At Ascension’s Dell Children’s Medical Center, researcher Dr. Molly Johnson is working to close that gap.
Based at Dell Children’s Trauma and Injury Research Center, Dr. Johnson is leading research analyzing detailed hospital medical records to identify the root causes of drowning incidents and translates those findings into direct community prevention strategies. She was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Award. The competitive award recognizes clinical researchers and provides national recognition of Dr. Johnson’s work, helping position her for larger federal research funding opportunities.
While the NIH award recognizes individual research excellence, it also highlights Ascension’s broader Mission: investing in rigorous, community-focused clinical research that expands the definition of healthcare far beyond traditional care settings.
Translating data into life-saving information
While many national data sources lack granular details, hospital-based research allows Dr. Johnson’s team to analyze and identify risk factors behind each emergency.
Recent studies published by the Dell Children’s research team have uncovered insights that directly inform public safety and patient education:
- Bathtub safety: Research revealed that one of the most frequent scenarios in bathtub drownings, which mainly affect infants, involves a parent briefly stepping away to retrieve a towel or clothes. This finding directly informs clinical outreach, giving parents a simple, actionable message: bring the towel into the bathroom before running water for a bath.
- Transition points: The team coined the term “transition points” to describe risky moments during recreational water outings when a child is not supposed to be in the water, such as arriving at a pool, taking a lunch break, or using the restroom. The data showed that fatal and nonfatal drowning incidents can occur during these transition points, prompting new guidance for parents to maintain attentive, close, continuous supervision even when children are thought to be out of the water.
This research does not stay buried in medical journals. Working alongside Dell Children’s injury prevention coordinators, the team translates findings into community tip cards, educational events, and outreach that help families put research into practice. Additionally, evidence-based messaging is shared directly with water safety proponents through active involvement in the Texas Water Safety Coalition and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
Advancing care within clinical settings
Beyond community education, Dr. Johnson’s work addresses challenges within emergency and critical care medicine.
Currently, many hospitals lack clear, standardized protocols for treating nonfatal drowning patients. To address this, Dr. Johnson is partnering with Ascension clinicians to evaluate treatment decisions for severe drowning including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced form of mechanical life support used when clinically appropriate. By analyzing data from multiple hospitals, the research aims to help establish evidence-based guidelines that give emergency clinicians clearer treatment pathways and help improve survival rates and long-term outcomes.
The effort reflects a core strength of Ascension’s research culture: direct collaboration between bedside clinicians and scientific researchers. When clinical teams identify knowledge gaps while treating patients, research scientists work alongside them to design studies that help answer those questions.
Integrating science for informed care models
Dr. Johnson’s NIH recognition demonstrates how health systems can drive clinical innovation when research is integrated into the care model. By supporting investigators who focus on both bedside treatment and community prevention, Ascension is advancing an approach to healthcare that connects scientific discovery with practical solutions for patients, families, and communities.
"A lot of people assume we know everything about medical conditions and care, but there is so much we still need to learn," Dr. Johnson said. "Hospital-based research teams connected with clinicians are in a unique position to answer the exact questions that improve patient care."
Through continued investment in scientific inquiry, collaborative research centers, and direct community outreach, Ascension remains committed to advancing the science of medicine, protecting young lives today while building a safer, more informed future of care.
