Loma Linda University School of Medicine has selected Laren Tan, MD, as chair of the Department of Medicine.
Tan, who joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2015, is an associate professor of medicine, and currently serves as assistant dean for continuing medical education.
“Dr. Tan’s enthusiasm, passion and leadership will continue to grow the Department of Medicine to high achievements in clinical care, medical education, and research excellence,” said Tamara Thomas, MD, dean of Loma Linda University of School of Medicine. “This is a critical time in medicine as California faces numerous challenges, and we look forward to working with him on strategies to educate, recruit and train doctors to serve our communities.”
Tan also serves in numerous leadership roles including director of Loma Linda University Comprehensive Program for Obstructive Airway Diseases, associate director for LLUH Advance Lung Disease Center, associate chief for innovation and growth, and medical director of creative innovation communication and branding for Loma Linda University Faculty Medical Group.
Tan has been the principal investigator and author of multiple articles in scientific journals and has presented at sessions of the American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, California Thoracic Society, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American Lung Association.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Cytology at Loma Linda University School of Allied Health in 2003 and his Doctor of Medicine at Loma Linda University in 2009. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of California at Davis. He completed his MBA in healthcare management with an additional dual emphasis in strategic leadership and innovation from the Tom and Vi Zapara School of Business at La Sierra University.
Tan is board certified in pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine and internal medicine of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Tan will replace Douglas Hegstad, MD, who served as the chair of the department since 2009.
The position will go to the board in August 2022.
About Loma Linda University School of Medicine:
“Since opening in 1909, Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine has been training skilled medical professionals with a commitment to Christian service. The school has always endeavored to combine the best medical science with caring, Christian compassion. Loma Linda students are trained in a context emphasizing the patient’s needs and preventive care to offset future disease.
Medical students spend the first two years studying a heavy science curriculum balanced by class work in human behavior, religion, and ethics. As juniors, students spend time in clinical rotations and instruction in family medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, and surgery. Seniors rotate through advanced training in medicine and surgery and finish their degree with four months of electives.
Loma Linda medical students have the unique opportunity to utilize their skills in human betterment. Most medical students participate in two very popular University programs: Social Action Community Health System and Students for International Mission Service. In each they help deliver medical care to lower-income people and others who have no access to basic medical care.”
About Laren D. Tan, MD:
“Laren Tan is Associate Professor of Medicine at Loma Linda University Health. Chief, Department of Medicine, Center for Innovation and Promotions Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Director, Loma Linda University Comprehensive Program for Obstructive Airway Diseases
He earned a BS in Cytology at Loma Linda University School of Allied Health (2003) and an MD at Loma Linda University (2009) before completing a residency in Internal Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center (2012) and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Tan joined the Loma Linda University faculty as Assistant Professor of Medicine in 2015. He is the author of multiple articles in scientific journals including: Benralizumab: a unique IL-5 inhibitor for severe asthma; Bronchial Thermoplasty: Implementing Best Practice in the Common Era; Patient-Centered Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds in the Medical Intensive Care Unit; and additional articles in professional journals such as Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Decade of Experience: State of The Art.
In 2015, Dr. Tan became Medical Director of Loma Linda University’s Hyperbaric Medicine Program—the first and largest hyperbaric program in the region to achieve national and international accreditation by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (2017). After his 2015 appointment as Medical Director of Loma Linda University’s Hospital Wound Operation Services in 2015, his top priority was to enable the medical center to become one of the region’s leaders in wound care. In May 2017, for the first time ever, the hospital achieved over a year of below-benchmark-pressure ulcer prevalence.
The creator and director of the university’s Comprehensive Program for Obstructive Airway Diseases, Dr. Tan has led in the development of the most comprehensive and cutting-edge chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, non-tuberculous mycobacterium, and bronchiectasis program on the West Coast. During his tenure as Director, the university has become one of the premier West Coast sites providing bronchial thermoplasty care—and has achieved national recognition as a center of excellence for the provision of this therapy. The program has also become the regional referral center for advanced biologic therapy for severe asthmatics. As part of the interdisciplinary obstructive airway disease team, Dr. Tan provides comprehensive personalized conventional and advanced therapies for patients with the most severe obstructive airway diseases.”
Sources:
News: https://news.llu.edu/academics/laren-tan-selected-chair-of-department-of-medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine: https://medicine.llu.edu/about
Laren Tan, MD: https://home.llu.edu/academics/faculty/tan-laren