Bryant Nguyen
H. Bryant Nguyen, M.D. (or Nguyễn Quốc Hùng) was born in Saigon,Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Bryant was in the fourth grade when his family decided to leave their home amidst rumors of an impending communist takeover of Saigon. On the morning of April 21, 1975, a driver picked the family up and they flew south, to the island of Phú Quốc. On April 30, when they heard the tragic news that Saigon had indeed fallen, Bryant’s family knew they had to leave for good. Armed with very few personal belongings, they boarded the SS American Challenger, a cargo ship, bounded for Guam. On the ship, Bryant remembers that each family was confined to the space of a 10 foot x 10 foot blanket. The SS American Challenger arrived in Guam on May 5, 1975. Bryant and his family stayed in the barracks at Camp Asan for about one month. His mother remembers feeling welcomed by the people of Guam and the US military. Food, clothing, and shelter were all provided; they felt “in good hands.” Nonetheless, they also felt the acute pain of loss: of their home, their country, their community, and their belongings. Bryant’s mother lost her shoes while climbing a rope ladder to board the SS American Challenger.
In June 1975, Bryant’s family was transferred to “Tin City” at Andersen Air Force Base on the northern tip of the island. The family stayed there for a week awaiting transport to the continental United States. Finally, they flew to California. They were processed at Camp Pendleton before securing sponsorship with a church family and resettling in southern California, where Bryant grew up. Bryant graduated from high school in Santa Ana in 1983 and enrolled at University of California, Irvine. After just three years, he graduated with a degree in computer science in 1986. After working as a principal software engineer in the early era of image processing technology and earning a master’s of science in computer science and mathematics at California State University, Long Beach, Bryant decided to return to UC Irvine to study medicine. After graduating in 1998, he moved to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan for a five-year combined residency in internal medicine and emergency medicine. In collaboration with his mentor, Dr. Emanuel P. Rivers, he published a landmark research study on severe sepsis in the New England Journal of Medicine. He continues to be a leader in sepsis research.
In 2003, Bryant started as a faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Loma Linda University. He pursued further subspecialty training in critical care medicine at Loma Linda where he continues to teach, practice critical care and emergency medicine, and conduct research. Bryant was attracted to Loma Linda’s focus on faith-based community service and stewardship. Loma Linda also has a special relationship with Vietnam. On April 17, 1974, the first open-heart surgery in Vietnam was done by a Loma Linda team. In May 1975, Loma Linda housed Vietnamese refugees in its Gentry Gym.
Recently, Bryant’s story came full circle when he returned to Guam for the Hafa Adai Pacific Medical Conference in July 2024. During his trip to Guam, Bryant presented his research on sepsis and shared his family’s story as Vietnamese refugees who called Guam home in the spring of 1975. In this way, he was able to give back to the island that welcomed his family with open arms.
Dr. H. Bryant Nguyen is Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Basic Sciences at Loma Linda University in California. He is the Head of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, and Sleep Medicine, Director for the Medical Intensive Care Unit, Director of the Advanced Lung Disease Center, as well as the Executive Vice-Chair in Department of Medicine. Dr. Nguyen has championed sepsis education and guidelines within his own institution and beyond. His list of over 100 publications and dedication to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice has taken him across the country and around the globe. Dr. Nguyen was one of the first Vietnamese Americans to attend UC Irvine. Today, he remains connected with UC Irvine through his long-time college friends, the UCI Vietnamese American Alumni Chapter, and the UCI School of Medicine Alumni Chapter.
In June 1975, Bryant’s family was transferred to “Tin City” at Andersen Air Force Base on the northern tip of the island. The family stayed there for a week awaiting transport to the continental United States. Finally, they flew to California. They were processed at Camp Pendleton before securing sponsorship with a church family and resettling in southern California, where Bryant grew up. Bryant graduated from high school in Santa Ana in 1983 and enrolled at University of California, Irvine. After just three years, he graduated with a degree in computer science in 1986. After working as a principal software engineer in the early era of image processing technology and earning a master’s of science in computer science and mathematics at California State University, Long Beach, Bryant decided to return to UC Irvine to study medicine. After graduating in 1998, he moved to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan for a five-year combined residency in internal medicine and emergency medicine. In collaboration with his mentor, Dr. Emanuel P. Rivers, he published a landmark research study on severe sepsis in the New England Journal of Medicine. He continues to be a leader in sepsis research.
In 2003, Bryant started as a faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Loma Linda University. He pursued further subspecialty training in critical care medicine at Loma Linda where he continues to teach, practice critical care and emergency medicine, and conduct research. Bryant was attracted to Loma Linda’s focus on faith-based community service and stewardship. Loma Linda also has a special relationship with Vietnam. On April 17, 1974, the first open-heart surgery in Vietnam was done by a Loma Linda team. In May 1975, Loma Linda housed Vietnamese refugees in its Gentry Gym.
Recently, Bryant’s story came full circle when he returned to Guam for the Hafa Adai Pacific Medical Conference in July 2024. During his trip to Guam, Bryant presented his research on sepsis and shared his family’s story as Vietnamese refugees who called Guam home in the spring of 1975. In this way, he was able to give back to the island that welcomed his family with open arms.
Dr. H. Bryant Nguyen is Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Basic Sciences at Loma Linda University in California. He is the Head of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, and Sleep Medicine, Director for the Medical Intensive Care Unit, Director of the Advanced Lung Disease Center, as well as the Executive Vice-Chair in Department of Medicine. Dr. Nguyen has championed sepsis education and guidelines within his own institution and beyond. His list of over 100 publications and dedication to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice has taken him across the country and around the globe. Dr. Nguyen was one of the first Vietnamese Americans to attend UC Irvine. Today, he remains connected with UC Irvine through his long-time college friends, the UCI Vietnamese American Alumni Chapter, and the UCI School of Medicine Alumni Chapter.