Andrew LaFree, MD

Andrew Lafree, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who treats the entire spectrum of patients who present with urgent to emergent conditions. These include a variety of cardiac, neurologic, traumatic, infectious, metabolic, orthopedic and other emergent medical conditions.

He has played a central role in building the emergency medicine and resident training program at El Centro Regional Medical Center where he serves as medical director of the emergency department. Dr. Lafree has found it extremely rewarding to help establish the program there and improve medical care, medical training and access to care in Imperial County.

As an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency of Medicine, he trains medical students, residents and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. His interests include rural emergency medicine, reducing inequity in healthcare, and improving access to healthcare for underserved populations.

Dr. Lafree completed his residency in emergency medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.

In his free time, Dr. Lafree enjoys running, snowboarding, meditation, travel, reading, video games, music and playing guitar. He speaks Spanish fluently.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Emergency Services.