When Dr. Henry Bock, a pioneer in motorsports safety initiatives, retires as Indy Racing League medical director effective Jan. 1, 2007, the transition will be smooth. source: indycar.com Dr. Michael Olinger will assume the duties with the IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series sanctioning body, while Dr. Geoffrey Billows will begin his tenure as director of medical services for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bock will remain as an advisor. "As we continue to refine existing procedures and explore new avenues of motorsports safety and medicine, the role is better suited to two physicians," Indy Racing League president and COO Brian Barnhart said. "Dr. Billows and Dr. Olinger are the ideal doctors for this position since they both worked closely with Dr. Bock for a long time." Olinger is the director of the Division of Out of Hospital Care in the Department of Emergency Medicine and also serves as a professor of clinical emergency medicine, both for the Indiana University School of Medicine. He has 15 years of Level-1 trauma center experience, working on the Emergency Medicine staff at hospitals in San Antonio, Denver and Indianapolis. Olinger also has served as the medical director for the Indianapolis Fire Department and Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services since 1991, for Marion (Ind.) County's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force since its inception in 1993 and has been a gubernatorial appointee to the Indiana EMS Commission since 1993. He also has done medical work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a variety of disasters. He has written reports about emergency medicine in numerous journals and is a member of a variety of medical organizations. Olinger also brings extensive motorsports experience to his new role. He has been a deputy medical director at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1992. He has served as deputy medical director for the Indy Racing League since 1995, traveling to races as an on-track physician. He was recognized with the Safety Award from the Championship Drivers Association in 2003. "It's a really exciting time for the IRL, and I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead," Olinger said. "I'm glad Dr. Bock is staying around for guidance and help as we proceed forward. I really enjoy working with Dr. Billows and have great respect for his knowledge and skill, and we will work well together to further the goals of the IRL and IMS in motorsports safety and emergency medicine."
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