BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University (IU) Athletics is mourning the loss of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andy Hipskind. He died Saturday after battling cancer, Dr. Hipskind was 48.
IU said he joined the athletic department's medical team in 2003 as the Director of Sports Medicine and the football team’s physician. Since 2014, he served as the Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Sports Performance as well as IU Athletics’ first-ever Chief Medical Officer.
The university said his contributions over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic were paramount as he lead the department's response to the pandemic.
"Andy dedicated himself to serving our student-athletes and has been the absolute best in his profession,” IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said. “He helped our students grow, develop, recover, pursue and fulfill their dreams. But in addition to all that he did on behalf of our student-athletes, he’s also been a trusted colleague, a tremendous leader, and a wonderful friend to so many in our department, university, and Bloomington communities. He will be deeply and dearly missed.”
Earlier this fall he became just the 45th recipient of the IU Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of exceptional professional service to the IU Athletics department and the IU community.
Dr. Hipskind was a Bloomington native and a former student-athlete at IU on the cross country and track and field programs He graduated from IU in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and earned his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1999.
The university recently honored him for his enormous contributions by renaming the IU Athletics Chief Medical Officer Physician’s Office in his honor. The Dr. Andy S. Hipskind Chief Medical Officer Physician’s Office is located in the Dr. Lawrence D. Rink Center for Sports Medicine and Technology in the IU Athletics Excellence Academy.
He is survived by his wife, Angela, and two children, Charlize and Drew.
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