Orthopedic surgeon and longtime head team physician for the UCLA athletics department Gerald Finerman, MD, has died at the age of 86.
Dr. Finerman, who served as UCLA’s head team physician from 1971 to 2013, died May 3. During his time with UCLA, Dr. Finerman saw 85 athletic teams win NCAA championships, according to a May 6 press release.
He also served as chief medical officer for the Olympic Village during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.
During his time with UCLA, he also served as chair of the department of orthopedics for 20 years, overseeing the expansion, modernization and maturation of UCLA Orthopaedics. He grew the department from a six-member faculty to one with eight divisions, 25 surgeons and 10 research faculty.
He also partnered with Jim Luck, MD, to create an alliance with Orthopaedic Hospital and the Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center for the university.
