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NCAA to hire chief medical officer

The NCAA plans to hire a chief medical officer within the national office to lead a new “Center of Excellence” that will serve as a national resource to provide expert safety, health and medical expertise.

The vision for the Center is to:

• Serve as the principal authority for all student-athlete health conditions, medical care and sports safety issues in support of the NCAA mission.
• Foster a national approach to research.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration across the NCAA and among key health and safety stakeholders.
• Develop national strategies, resources and tools to address identified gaps and challenges affecting student-athlete health and safety.

“This shift to a more active, thought-leader approach will significantly raise the profile of our health and safety efforts not only at the national office but with our membership,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “It’s truly a credit to the hard work and real progress that the health and safety team has made in recent years.”

The first step to implement the institute will be to recruit and hire a physician as chief medical officer. That individual will directly advise Emmert and NCAA leadership. More information on the position can be found on the national office personnel section of NCAA.org. The position also will be circulated within various medical associations.

This chief medical officer will be responsible for the establishment of the new Center, as well as oversight of all student-athlete health and safety initiatives. The individual also will coordinate with the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

The chief medical officer also will oversee the current national office health and safety staff. The vice president level position will report directly to NCAA Chief Operating Office Jim Isch.

The goal is for the chief medical officer to be on staff in fall 2012. At that time, the health and safety staff will move out of student-athlete affairs to accommodate the direct reporting line to Isch.