Indiana's Dr. Larry Rink on Big Ten's New Infectious Diseases Task Force

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Trying to tap into great medical minds around the conference, the Big Ten announced the formation of the first-of-its-kind Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday.

The group was put together at the request of Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, and the 14-member task force consists of a representative from each Conference institution appointed by the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors.

The Task Force was formed to provide counsel and sound medical advice to ensure the health, safety and wellness of the Big Ten’s students, coaches, administrators and fans. Indiana's representative on the task force is Dr. Larry Rink, a clinical professor of medicine and team physician who has been at IU for nearly 40 years.

Members of the Task Force represent a diverse set of disciplines across campus healthcare systems and schools of public health, and their input will serve as a resource for the Conference to make important decisions based on information received from local, state and federal health departments, along with the NCAA.

“These are unprecedented times in our world and the focus of any conversation taking place in college athletics right now is the health, safety and welfare of students and the public,” Warren said. “We are truly blessed to have a collection of world-class research institutions with the resources and talented medical experts on campus that allowed us to quickly assemble this task force to address a global pandemic. We are thankful to have the Task Force in place moving forward to allow the Big Ten Conference to position itself at the forefront of this issue and to share best practices for the management of and response to emerging infectious diseases now and in the future.”

The group is chaired by Dr. Chris Kratochvil, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), as well as the Executive Director of the Global Center for Health Security at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. The UNMC which played a key role in the treatment of the Ebola virus in 2014, is home to the National Quarantine Center, the nation’s only federal quarantine unit, and is also the location of the National Biocontainment Training Center.

“The Task Force leverages extraordinary expertise from across the Big Ten, tackling COVID-19 related issues important to student-athletes and athletic programs,” said Dr. Kratochvil. “Strong participation by all of the Big Ten universities has provided for a robust and synergistic team. The group serves as a resource to the entire Conference, addressing current infectious disease concerns, while preparing the Big Ten for the safe resumption of athletic activities in the future.”

The Task Force has been working via weekly conference calls to assist the Conference and its member institutions with best practices both currently, in light of the fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and long term.

The group has provided input during Conference discussions regarding the cancellation of winter and spring sports competition during the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year and will provide critical guidance around return-to-campus decisions at the appropriate time.

Task Force Committee Members

The membership of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases can be found below:

ILLINOIS: Dr. Robert Parker, Director of the McKinley Health Center
INDIANA: Dr. Larry Rink, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Team Physician
IOWA: Dr. Edith Parker, Dean, College of Public Health
MARYLAND: Dr. Boris Lushniak, Dean, School of Public Health
MICHIGAN: Dr. Preeti Malani, Chief Health Officer
MICHIGAN STATE: Dr. David Weismantel, University Physician
MINNESOTA: Dr. Brad Nelson, Medical Director and Team Physician
NEBRASKA: Dr. Chris Kratochvil, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research
NORTHWESTERN: Luke Figora, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
OHIO STATE: Dr. Susan Koletar, Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
PENN STATE: Dr. Roberta Millard, Assistant Profesor and Team Physician
PURDUE: Dr. Gail Walenga, Director, Student Health Center
RUTGERS: Dr. Vicente Gracias, Sr. Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs,
WISCONSIN: Dr. Ann Sheehy, Assoc. Professor & Clinician, School of Medicine & Public Health