Q&A with Eugene Hardin, M.D., FACEP, FAAEM


By: EMQuiz

September 09, 2003

Dr. Eugene Hardin is the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Director of Residency Training at Martin Luther King/Charles R. Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Dr. Hardin has recently been appointed to the position of State Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services, adding to his long list of responsibilities and accomplishments in the field of Emergency Medicine. As one of the state commissioners his job will be to help improve statewide responses to disasters and to generally improve emergency medical services.

King/Drew Medical Center is located in one of the most heavily populated communities in Los Angeles County, where Dr. Hardin heads one of the largest and well established Emergency Medicine Programs in the country. Under his direction, the residents at the King/Drew Medical Center have had superior in-training scores over the past five years, a truly remarkable accomplishment. The once fledgling residency training program has become one of the elite training programs in the USA.

The EMquiz Editorial Board has elected Dr. Eugene Hardin to be the featured guest of the Month of September, 2003.

Dr. Hardin, tell us a bit about yourself. Where were you born? How did you become the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine?

I was born in the sunny state of Florida in the city of Jacksonville. Twenty-two years later, I moved to another sunshine state, California.

I became the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine in 1996 after holding the position of Vice-Chairman and Interim Chairman for several years. In 1991 I was asked by the Dean of Charles R. Drew University to consider taking a more leadership role in the department after spending many years as an Emergency Medicine Department Faculty. I was also asked by the Chief of the Department to assist him in the management of the department. I reluctantly accepted and have actually enjoyed the tremendous challenges of managing a large emergency department in a public hospital.

What are some of the Positions that you presently hold?

Besides what has been mentioned, I am also the Medical Director of the Charles R. Drew University Physician Assistant Program. One of my most satisfying positions is that of the principal investigator for our school based health Clinic services for the children of the Compton Unified School District. I also serve on a host of Drew University and King-Drew Medical Center committees.

EMquiz: What are some of the challenges that you face at work?

Working a county health facility is very challenging. One must provide excellent care to emergency patients with very limited resources. The entire country has had a prolonged financial downturn which have left the coiffures of public funding very low. The demand for health services has not decreased. Regulatory agencies do not consider limited resources when accrediting public hospitals or residency training programs. All must meet minimal standards or suffer loss of accreditation. I suppose my biggest challenge is to keep faculty and residents motivated and challenged each day in order to maintain a competitive training program.

EMquiz: In recent years the residents in your program scored among the highest in the country. What did you do to achieve these impressive results?

Dr. Hardin: Our successes in recent years have been a joint effort involving, faculty, residents, consultants, friends and support staff. The first step was to set attainable goals and convince all of the staff to buy into those goals. Secondly, strategic plans were created by my office with the assistance of faculty. Thirdly, aggressive recruiting of qualified house staff who would accept the challenge. The remainder was not difficult as everyone bought the process and the results achieved became a self fulfilling prophecy.

EMquiz: How does the field of emergency medicine in today’s world compare when you first started out your career?

Dr. Hardin: When I first joined the profession in the early 1980’s, emergency medicine was in its infancy and we were all feeling our way trying to find a way to pool our resources and create something special and long lasting. What I see now is a very committed profession with dedicated leaders who have helped to build an excellent specialty. The specialty is still growing and evolving and I am certainly pleased with what I see.

EMquiz: Please share with us some of the things that you enjoy when not on duty?

Dr. Hardin: Besides spending quality time with my family, I enjoy playing golf, boating, fishing, reading, basketball, traveling, and running.

EMquiz: How do you see the field of Emergency Medicine in the future? What are some of the changes, if any, you would like to see occur in the specialty that could have a positive impact?

Dr. Hardin: The field of Emergency Medicine is a dynamic one. I see the evolution continuing as we begin the 21st century. I believe we will see more expansion of the field brought on by the results of managed care and a willingness by other professionals to scale back their individual office hours causing more patients to enter the emergency medical system, ultimately ending up at our door steps for emergency and urgent care. It is also apparent that emergency medicine has continued to accept and develop new subspecialties which I believe is the key for the continued development of our specialty.

EMquiz: Would you like to make a closing statement?

Dr. Hardin: Emergency Medicine is becoming a more exciting and challenging specialty. During my 25 years in the specialty I have witnessed the evolution of this grand specialty. We are probably considered by other older specialties as an upstart, but I believe we have shown what is possible with many dedicated physicians who have worked tirelessly to develop this profession. I look forward the to future, where I anticipate many more positive changes will occur.

Thanks.