Gary Hartstein (born 17 May 1955), is an American sports physician who is

Clinical Professor Clinical professor, sometimes known as professor of practice, is an academic appointment made to a member of a profession who is associated with a university or other academic body, and engages in practical (clinical) instruction of students (e ...

Anesthesia Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...

and

Emergency Medicine Emergency medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the care of illnesses or injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency physicians (or "ER doctors") specialize in providing care for unscheduled and undifferentiated pa ...

University of Liège The University of Liège (), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium founded in 1817 and based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French (language), French. History The university was foun ...

Hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and former FIA Medical Delegate for the

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

World Championship.

Career

After finishing his undergraduate study at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

, Hartstein trained as a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

during the 1970s. In 1983 he returned to his native

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, spending six years at the

Albert Einstein College of Medicine The Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a Private university, private medical school in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein is an independent degree-granting institution within the Montefiore Einstein Health System. Einstein hosts Doc ...

, in the

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, specialising in

anaesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

. In 1989 Hartstein returned to

and began working at

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a Race track, motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa, Belgium, Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One ...

as part of the local medical team attending races. In 1990 Hartstein was assigned to the medical car containing Professor

Sid Watkins Eric Sidney Watkins (6 September 1928 – 12 September 2012), also known as Professor Sid or simply Prof, was an English neurosurgeon. From to , Watkins served as Safety and Medical Delegate in Formula One. Born and raised in Liverpool, Watki ...

and the two physicians immediately formed a firm friendship. Hartstein's work at the

Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix (; ; ) is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated ...

continued until 1997 when the FIA, realising the need for an anaesthetist to assist Watkins, recruited him. For the next seven years Hartstein and Watkins rode together in the medical car at the start of most races. In January 2005

announced that he was to retire as Formula One Medical Delegate and Hartstein was selected as his successor. Since that time, Hartstein has been key in developing some of the FIA's new approaches and policies in terms of medical safety. Hartstein was the chair of the FIA Institute's Medical Training Working Group, which aims to standardize training and practices of motorsport doctors, based on the most up-to-date trauma training techniques. He was also, with Prof Gerard Saillant, behind the creation of the "FIA Institute Faculty" (FIMF), which will seek to consolidate the expertise of motor sport doctors and medical staff around the world, on the model of professional associations. In December 2012 Hartstein did not have his contract renewed as Formula One Medical Delegate. His successor was Chief Medical Officer of the British Grand Prix, Doctor Ian Roberts. In April 2015 Hartstein moved to Abu Dhabi to work as a consultant anesthesiologist.

References

External links

Official Twitter

Personal Blog: ''A Former F1 Doc Writes''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartstein, Gary 1955 births Living people People from Staten Island University of Rochester alumni Albert Einstein College of Medicine alumni Belgian anaesthesiologists Academic staff of the University of Liège Formula One people American motorsport people American expatriates in Belgium Belgian sports physicians