Tech athletics tabs Rogers as new health care administrator

One of the Hokies' team physicians, Rogers will make sure the department is compliant with NCAA health legislation

May 30, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Tuesday that Dr. Mark Rogers, the football and wrestling team physician, has been appointed athletics health care administrator in accordance with NCAA requirements.

According to legislation passed at the 2016 NCAA Convention, each member institution must designate a health care administrator to oversee the school’s health care administration and delivery. Primary athletics care providers, such as team physicians and trainers, retain the authority to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions, while the health care administrator takes an administrative role, serving as the primary point of contact to assure schools are compliant with NCAA health and safety legislation and inter-association recommendations.

Rogers, who started working for the Tech athletics department in 2007, will remain in his role as a team physician, while assuming the duties of athletics health care administrator.

“I appreciate the opportunity and am honored take on this new role as health care administrator for the Department of Athletics here at Virginia Tech,” Rogers said. “I will be assuming this role following the leadership and mentoring of Dr. Gunnar Brolinson [Tech team physician and vice provost for research at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine] over the past decade.

“With a lot of changes in the past couple of years, I look forward to continuing to develop and advance our sports medicine program for the benefit of promoting student-athlete health, safety and well being, with the continued guidance of Mike Goforth [associate AD for sports medicine], along with the outstanding leadership of our administration.”

Dr. Rogers completed a sports medicine fellowship at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in 2007 and remained in the area. In addition to working as the team physician for Tech’s football and wrestling programs, he works in the same capacity for the Pulaski Yankees, a rookie league team for Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees. He also currently serves as an assistant professor of family medicine and sports medicine at VCOM with Brolinson, the vice provost for research at VCOM.

“The staff and athletes of Virginia Tech athletics have been blessed to be associated with VCOM sports medicine over the past 15 years under the direction and guidance of Dr. Brolinson,” Goforth said. “Dr. Brolinson has always taken great pride in stating his mission of training the next generation of team physicians. With that, we are extremely pleased that he has passed the torch on to Dr. Mark Rogers as our new health care administrator. Dr. Brolinson will continue to serve as one of our team physicians, and we look forward to many more years of our relationship under the leadership of Dr. Rogers.

“Dr. Rogers has the unique ability of making every organization, team and individual patient feel as if they are his No. 1 concern. It is that dedication to service that endures us all to Dr. Rogers, and we are excited to embark on this new direction, as we and our other partners in the medical community continue to strive to provide our athletes with the very best sports medicine services available.”

Dr. Rogers received his bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte and his master’s degree in health care ethics from Duquesne University. He earned doctoral degree in osteopathic medicine from Des Moines University in 2003 and went on to complete his residency at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine.

For updates on Virginia Tech Athletics, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @hokiesports