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Updated December 6th, 2007
VHH Doctor Starring in Hollywood
 Armand Dorian, MD, FACEP,
Emergency Room (ER) physician at
Verdugo Hills Hospital (VHH), has
provided exceptional emergency
care to the Foothills community for
more than five years. He is also the
medical technical advisor for
NBC’s Emmy Award-winning
drama series “ER.” Currently, he
serves as the medical advisor for
ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and
TLC’s “Diagnosis X.” He was also
featured in eight episodes of TLC’s
“Untold Stories of the ER.”
“Verdugo Hills provides a vital
service to its community,” Dorian
said. “When dealing with important
issues, such as life and death, you
want to be in a hospital that is in
tune with the community and its
needs. You don’t want to be just
another number in a place that is
cold when you are already overwhelmed
with difficult issues
regarding your health.”
A fellow of the American
College of Emergency Physicians,
Dr. Dorian praises the dedication of
the Verdugo Hills nurses and their
commitment to patient care. “The
nursing staff is excellent at
Verdugo,” he said. “What the nurses
provide isn’t just standard care;
instead, they bring a family and
mothering style of treatment that
allows for patients to heal in a comfortable
setting.”
Dorian believes that VHH’s
family-like atmosphere makes it a
unique healthcare facility where
personalized care becomes the forefront
of the healing process.
“Verdugo Hills Hospital is truly a
diamond in the rough,” he said. “It
is an excellent hospital with great
staff, nurses and physicians.”
Dorian is also very proud of VHH’s new around-the-clock Fast-
Track service in the ER, where nonlife-
threatening injuries and illnesses
can be cared for within minutes.
Dr. Dorian says that Verdugo’s ER
team ensures that minor cases are
seen quickly, efficiently, with the
highest quality of care and with special
attention given to patient waiting
times. “The Fast-Track is the
wave of the future, and we at
Verdugo are riding that wave.
Nobody wants to wait in the ER,” he
said. “We are proud of our Fast-
Track, and we have only had praises
from those who have used our
service.”
Dorian has also used his specialty
and talents on the big screen.
He was recently featured on The
Learning Channel’s (TLC)
“Diagnosis X,” the medical television
series that reveals true stories
of real doctors who follow a trail of
evidence in search of medical diagnosis
in an effort to save patients’
lives.
For Dr. Dorian, the everyday
realities in the ER, both on and offscreen,
make him appreciate life
and the joys of fatherhood and
family. “Anything can happen in
the ER. I can take care of anything
from birth to death,” Dorian said.
“There is a lot of pressure. We are
called specialists of resuscitation
because we’re here to save
patients’ lives. This isn’t
Disneyland.”
Television, however, is quite
different from real-life drama,
Dorian said. “Television is a lot of
work, and it can be stressful work,
but there is no pressure in the
sense that you don’t have anyone
who is going to die –- it’s not the
real thing,” he said.
Learning how to control emotions
is also an important part of
patient care. “Part of the art is that
you learn to control your emotions
in front of patients and their families,”
he said. “Sometimes we leave
the scene and then cry in private.
The worst thing is for a patient to
see a doctor who is scared.”
Dorian earned his medical
degree from the University of
Hawaii in 2003. He completed his
residency at ULCA-Olive View
Medical Center, where he is also a
clinical teaching physician of emergency
medicine.
Dorian is happily married and
has a 2-and-a-half-year-old son
named Avand and a 3-month-old
daughter, Hooys.
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