A top Harbor-UCLA Medical Center official accused of protecting the hospital’s former Orthopedics Department chief from allegations of sexual misconduct involving unconscious patients as well as misogyny has resigned from one of his posts, citing apparent pressures from lawsuits filed by three physicians.
Dr. Darrell W. Harrington, who has served for nearly 20 years as Harbor-UCLA’s director of graduate medical education and designated institutional official, said in an email to staff last week that his Dec. 6 resignation was influenced by several “precipitant factors,” including health and legal issues.
“The ongoing litigation with LA County has had a significant impact on both me and my family,” he said in the email obtained by the Southern California News Group.
Dr. Carmen Mendez has assumed the role of interim designated institutional officer at the massive county hospital and will be responsible for ensuring programs comply with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Meanwhile, Harrington will retain his position as chief academic officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
Dr. Griselda Gutierrez, chief medical officer at Harbor-UCLA, expressed appreciation for Harrington’s service. “Throughout his tenure, Dr. Harrington was committed to the growth and success of our medical education programs, contributing significantly to our institutional history,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
Harbor-UCLA, a 570-bed public teaching hospital and Level 1 trauma center in the unincorporated West Carson area, is owned by Los Angeles County and operated by DHS. Its doctors are on the faculty at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and oversee medical residents trained at the facility.
Harrington figures prominently in two lawsuits targeting former Orthopedics Department Chair Dr. Louis Kwong — one by Drs. Haleh Badkoobehi and Jennifer Hsu, both orthopedic surgeons, and another by Dr. Madonna…
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