A Crafton Start, A Lifelong Career in Emergency Medicine

Publish Date: April 14, 2026

Dr. Enrique Enguidanos never expected that his path would lead him to medical school.

When he first began exploring emergency medicine, he was simply looking for a career where he could help people. What began as a summer job as a lifeguard eventually led him through the paramedic and fire training programs at Crafton Hills College, into the San Bernardino Fire Department, and ultimately into a career that would span more than 30 years in emergency medicine.

Looking back now, Dr. Enguidanos sees how each step along the way expanded on the last.

“Things built nicely onto each other,” he said. “I never thought about becoming a physician as a young man, but one thing led to another.”

Dr. Enguidanos attended Crafton Hills College in the early to mid-1980s, where he completed both the Fire Academy and the paramedic program. At the time, emergency medical services were still developing as a profession, and the programs at Crafton offered hands-on training for students interested in the field.

Before enrolling at Crafton, Dr. Enguidanos had already taken the first steps toward that career.

“I worked as a lifeguard for a couple of years and just enjoyed engaging with people,” he said. “Emergency medicine was a little bit in its infancy at the time, but the idea of having an opportunity to help people every day really struck me.”

After completing EMT training at Mt. San Antonio College, he began working on an ambulance. That experience made it clear that he had found the right path.

“The next step seemed to become a paramedic,” he said.

That step brought him to Crafton Hills College, where he completed both the paramedic and fire academy programs. The training he received there helped prepare him for immediate work in the field.

“The quality of the training was fantastic,” Dr. Enguidanos said. “I left those roles really feeling strong about what I could do with my skills.”

He was fortunate to already have a job lined up with the City of San Bernardino Fire Department while completing his training. Even so, he credits the programs at Crafton with helping him feel confident as he began his career.

“From day one out in the field, I felt really competent,” he said. “The depth of the clinical training we had during the paramedic program and the skills we learned in the fire academy really put me in a good position.”

Dr. Enguidanos also remembers the instructors who shaped his perspective on the profession, particularly Jim Holbrook, who ran the paramedic program.

“His words and his approach have always been at the forefront for me,” he said. “He was just a fantastic individual and a great role model.”

After five years working as a firefighter and paramedic with the San Bernardino Fire Department, Dr. Enguidanos began considering a new possibility. Encouraged by his brother, he decided to apply to medical school.

“My brother convinced me to consider medical school,” he said. “Emergency medicine was the logical pathway.”

As you can imagine, entering medical school in his 30s was not easy. Dr. Enguidanos said he had to relearn how to study and readjust to the demands of academic life. But the experience he gained as a paramedic and firefighter helped him succeed once he began practicing medicine.

“When it came to being a physician clinician, there was no problem at all because I had so much clinical exposure in the field,” he said.

Over the next three decades, Dr. Enguidanos built a long career in emergency medicine. Throughout that time, the most meaningful part of the job remained simple.

“Helping others,” he said.

What attracted Dr. Enguidanos to emergency medicine was the opportunity to help people in ways they would never forget.

“We really have a unique chance to affect someone’s life,” he said. “We’re there in that moment that oftentimes they’ll remember the rest of their life.”

At the same time, the field comes with significant pressures and a lot of stress. Dr. Enguidanos says it is important for those entering emergency services to recognize the emotional demands of the profession.

“It comes with stress and demands and burnout,” he said. “Take the time to do self-care even in the midst of your schooling.”

Today, Dr. Enguidanos has stepped away from clinical practice and focuses full-time on Community Based Coordination Solutions (CBCS), a company he co-founded about a decade ago. The organization works with hospitals, Medicaid agencies, and health systems to better support individuals who frequently rely on emergency departments.

The idea for CBCS began during his time as medical director of a large emergency department in Everett, Washington. His nurse director at the time approached him about a group of patients who were visiting the emergency room more than 100 times a year, often for challenges tied to social or economic issues rather than medical conditions.

Together, they began meeting with those patients outside the hospital to better understand their social needs and connect them with resources.

“We saw dramatic decreases in the crisis events and how often they had to come to the hospital,” Dr. Enguidanos said.

That early project eventually grew into CBCS, which now works across the country to help health systems better serve vulnerable populations. For Dr. Enguidanos, the most rewarding part of the work today is the team that carries it forward.

“Our staff is just so dedicated,” he said. “Making sure I create an organization that’s supportive for them is really my driver now.”

Although his career has taken him far beyond California, Dr. Enguidanos still sees Crafton as an important starting point.

For current students considering careers in emergency services, he offers both encouragement and perspective.

“First of all, congratulations,” he said. “You’ve chosen a field where you make a difference every day.”

He also encourages students to keep an open mind as they work with people from many different backgrounds.

“We all come from different walks of life,” he said. “If you keep an open mind and really listen to people, you can address their needs better.”

For Dr. Enguidanos, the opportunity to pursue education at a community college helped open doors he never expected.

“For a kid who was born in East LA and grew up in the Caribbean, having a chance to go to school is so precious,” he said. “Those experiences build on each other and help you realize what you’re capable of.”