July 24, 2015
Dr. Robert “Warne” Fitch, a highly respected Vanderbilt University Medical Center sports medicine specialist who has been active in the care of Commodore student-athletes for nearly a decade, has been appointed Head Team Physician for Vanderbilt Athletics.
A native of Naperville, Ill., Dr. Fitch has served as a team physician for the Vanderbilt football squad since 2006, and has also cared for numerous additional Commodore student-athletes during that time. He has also worked with members of the Nashville Predators and Nashville Sounds, and athletes from numerous Middle Tennessee high schools.
In addition to his new role with Vanderbilt Athletics, Dr. Fitch will maintain his responsibilities with the VUMC Sports Medicine program.
“I am very pleased with the appointment of Dr. Warne Fitch as Vanderbilt Athletics’ Head Team Physician,” Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor David Williams II said. “Dr. Fitch’s appointment will continue to ensure that Vanderbilt student-athletes get the highest quality care from independent Vanderbilt University physicians. In this role, I look forward to Dr. Fitch’s continued leadership in our intercollegiate sports medicine program.”
Dr. Fitch is a graduate from Wake Forest University, earning his Bachelor’s degree in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001. He completed his Residency in Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt from 2001-04 and served as Chief Resident of Vanderbilt’s Emergency Medicine program in 2005. The following year, he also became the first Emergency Medicine-trained physician at Vanderbilt to complete a fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine.
Dr. Fitch’s unique training and skill set have allowed him to greatly impact the care of athletes both at Vanderbilt and in the greater Nashville community. He has played a key role in educating medical students, paramedics, athletic trainers and fellow physicians in sports medicine and sideline management of athletes. He has authored numerous publications and lectured both regionally and nationally to audiences on various sports medicine topics.
Since 2006, Dr. Fitch has served on the faculties of both the Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine/Orthopedics departments. He has been an active member of the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine. He has also served as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Athletic Commission, appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen, from 2009-12 and as its Vice-Chairman from 2012-13.
For his efforts, Dr. Fitch has received numerous faculty teaching awards from the university, including the Five Star Excellence Award in Clinical Practice in Orthopedics in 2014. He is a three-time winner of the Vanderbilt Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Teaching Award, earning the honor in 2008, 2012, and 2015.
The doctor and his wife, Jill, reside in Brentwood, with their four children: Sam, 11, twins Ty and Alli, 9, and Evan, 6.
Dr. Fitch’s active hobbies include running, camping and hiking. He also enjoys watching his kids participate in a variety of youth sports.
Dr. Fitch’s appointment comes as Vanderbilt Athletics is under construction with a $6 million expansion and renovation of its athletic training facilities in McGugin Center. The new complex is expected to be available to Vanderbilt’s student-athlete population this fall.
For more information on Dr. Fitch and the array of services provided by VUMC Orthopaedics, click here.
