Heritage Snapshot: Part 182

H. Roger Hadley, MD (LLUSM Class of 1973) has been President, Loma Linda University Health Care from 1995 to the present; and Dean, Loma Linda University School of Medicine from 2003 to the present. H. Roger Hadley, a native of Glendale, California, and 1973 graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, has a rich family heritage in the medical professions. His mother, Bonnie Lee Barnes, was a nurse. His father, Henry L. Hadley, two grandfathers, Henry G. Hadley and Roger W. Barnes, and Uncle, G. Gordon Hadley, were physicians—all graduates of the College of Medical Evangelists. Roger was named after his grandfather, Roger W. Barnes, one of the “Giants” of CME. Through the death of two uncles when he was 8 and 17, Roger had to think through the meaning of life and his commitment to a belief in God. Reconciling God’s grace through these two family tragedies became defining moments in his spiritual life. His two grandfathers had the greatest impact on his choice of career. With very different personalities they had extraordinary talents, an undying loyalty to the School of Medicine, and an enduring commitment to their patients and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Both men also impressed on Roger a sense of unselfishness that they demonstrated one must have in order to properly serve humanity. His grandfather Roger W. Barnes, M.D., a full professor of surgery, had the greatest impact on his choice of specialty. Barnes’ approach and attitude toward the discipline of urology, the education of students and residents, the advancement of science in urology, his work ethic, and his loyalty to patients, family, and former residents, had a profound affect. Also, during Roger’s residency at LLUMC he experienced an unforgettable incident. His chief of surgery, a 55-year-old man who had a number of heavy responsibilities, was called to the operating room after hours to attend an emergency patient, who had suffered a major gunshot wound as a result of his own criminal activity. Roger remembers looking at the chief, seeing how tired he was, and thinking to himself, “At age 55 how am I going to feel about having to get out of bed and come down and patch up somebody who is really, really acting irresponsibly?” Then he thought, “That’s what we do.” He remembers looking at the chief and saying to himself, “This is a commitment and this is the right thing to do. There’s no reason to be angry. This is what God intended you to do.” It was a memorable event. Hadley remembers as a teenager that his father, Dr. Henry Hadley, and his grandfather, Dr. Roger Barnes, were opposed to consolidating the School of Medicine in Loma Linda. “And I am sure I would have been in their camp. If I were their age back then and knew what I know about teaching, I would have been against the move. The teaching of medical students requires a large clinical practice in a large teaching hospital.” Compared to Los Angeles, the Inland Empire could in no way support the School of Medicine. “But,’ acknowledged Roger, “God provided, and it turned out to be a good decision.” Eventually, both his father and grandfather joined the faculty in Loma Linda. Dr. Barnes never spoke negatively about the move. He was just glad to be part of the School. He loved to teach. And teaching is what Roger Hadley enjoys most about his career. He not only has an opportunity to benefit from the positive aspects of being a medical doctor—to have an impact on transforming people’s lives through a healing ministry—but also he teaches students to do the same. Medical education is a profession that gives him a real sense of accomplishment and value. Furthermore, Hadley appreciates working in an institutional environment provided by a church that has a mission aligned with his own faith. ‘Very few people can have a career which has that many positive returns for their daily effort.”