Casey G. Batten, MD, Named Chief Medical Officer for LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games | Newswise
LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2025) — Cedars-Sinai sports medicine specialist Casey G. Batten, MD, has been named chief medical officer for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
Batten’s appointment follows Cedars-Sinai’s announcement last fall that it will be the Official Medical Provider for the LA28 Games, serving as a critical resource and medical adviser to LA28 in establishing medical services in the Olympic and Paralympic Village and at sporting venues for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Cedars-Sinai also is a supporter of Team USA and one of eight medical institutions in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, providing medical treatment for Team USA athletes as they prepare to compete in national and international competitions leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28. Cedars-Sinai, the exclusive Team USA and LA28 Medical Network provider in Los Angeles and surrounding areas of Southern California, started treating Team USA athletes in 2024.
In his chief medical officer role, Batten will be responsible for all aspects of medical services planning and delivery as the senior medical services official within the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He also will be a primary link with the International Olympic Committee’s Medical and Scientific Commission on all medical services issues and will be a member of the commission. Additionally, he will work directly with the International Paralympic Committee’s chief medical officer.
“I am thrilled to serve as chief medical officer and contribute to the health and success of Team USA athletes and the LA28 Games,” Batten said. “Cedars-Sinai and I are fully committed to the highest-quality care for athletes, coaches, team personnel and visitors who will come from around the world to Los Angeles for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Batten has extensive experience treating elite athletes. He is co-director of Nonoperative Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in the Department of Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai. In his clinical practice, he specializes in primary care sports medicine with a focus on nonsurgical treatment of athletic-related injury and illness, as well as diagnostic and interventional ultrasound.
Batten is head team physician for the Los Angeles Rams, participates in numerous NFL committees and is a member of the NFL Physicians Society. He also is an active member and has served on the board of directors of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Batten served as director of Primary Care Sports Medicine and fellowship director of the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Before Kerlan-Jobe, he was head team physician for the University of California, Berkeley.
“Dr. Batten’s experience will be a major asset to LA28 as we build a world-class support team for the Games and all who attend, including the exceptional athletes visiting Los Angeles in 2028,” said LA28 chief athlete officer, Janet Evans. “His proven track record of clinical expertise and medical leadership in sports medicine are invaluable as we prepare to meet the extensive medical needs of the entire Olympic and Paralympic community.”
Batten and Cedars-Sinai will build on their critical role in supporting Team USA athletes on the journey to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 through the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, expanding their scope and responsibilities to ensure the wellbeing of athletes, coaches, support staff and fans at the LA28 Games.
“Dr. Batten and Cedars-Sinai bring great expertise, care and professionalism to the global Olympic and Paralympic community as Los Angeles welcomes Team USA athletes and international competitors in 2028,” said Jonathan Finnoff, chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. “Collaboration is vital to our shared mission of ensuring the health and safety of everyone attending the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and I look forward to strengthening this partnership as we approach LA28.”
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Batten earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga. He completed his sports medicine fellowship at the University of California, Davis, and at UC Berkeley. A highly respected educator within the sports medicine community, Batten is a peer reviewer for sports medicine journals and is an invited guest lecturer at events nationwide.
“Dr. Batten is the perfect physician leader to serve as chief medical officer for the LA28 Games,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai. “The entire Cedars-Sinai team stands with Dr. Batten in dedicating ourselves to serve our community and country as we prepare for the Games.”
About Cedars-Sinai
Cedars-Sinai is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing primary care, specialized medicine and research. Since 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, setting standards in quality and innovative patient care, research, teaching and community service. Today, Cedars-Sinai is known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients and in developing new approaches to treatment and educating tomorrow’s health professionals. Cedars-Sinai serves as the official health partner for the Los Angeles Rams and the Angel City Football Club and treats professional and elite athletes throughout the world to ensure they perform at the highest levels. Additionally, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a commitment to the community through programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.
About LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The LA28 Games will mark Los Angeles’ third time hosting the Olympic Games, previously hosted in 1984 and 1932, and first time to host the Paralympic Games. Los Angeles will host the world’s most elite athletes in 2028 as it welcomes Paralympians and Olympians from around the world to compete on the biggest stage in sports. The LA28 Games are independently operated by a privately funded, nonprofit organization, with revenue from corporate partners, licensing agreements, hospitality and ticketing programs and a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee. For more information, visit LA28.org.
About Team USA
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.com.
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