Jon Divine, MD, Named Medical Director of Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon

Announcement Comes Two Weeks Prior to the May 1st Race

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Jon Divine, MD, medical director of the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has accepted the position of medical director of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. His appointment as medical director of the Flying Pig came after Shawn McCarty, MD, stepped down.

"We certainly appreciate what Dr. McCarty contributed and what Mercy Health Partners continues to add to the marathon," says Iris Simpson Bush, executive director of the Flying Pig Marathon. "Children's Hospital has been involved with the marathon for years so having Dr. Divine made for a seamless transition. The fact that he has such an excellent background in sports and marathons was a perfect fit."

Dr. Divine accepted on April 14, just two weeks prior to the May 1 marathon. As medical director, he will be responsible for providing medical care to runners on the course and at the finish line and coordinating with the Cincinnati Fire Department and other municipalities on transporting runners in need of additional care to local hospitals. On race day, he will be joined by a team of volunteers to care for the runners, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, athletic trainers, physical therapists, nurses, additional doctors and students.

"I'm thrilled to represent Cincinnati Children's involvement with one of the largest sporting events in Cincinnati. Dr. McCarty has done a great job preparing for the event and I hope to continue to provide our runners the great care they deserve, before, during and after the race."

Dr. Divine came to Cincinnati from Houston, Texas, where he was a member of the medical team in-charge of providing medical care for the Houston Marathon for 6 years. Since moving to Cincinnati, Dr. Divine has been a member of the medical team providing care at the finish line of the American Heart Association Mini-marathon, for the past two years. As a part of the medical team for the Houston Marathon, Dr Divine was a co-author of one the first clinical research papers in the world describing the occurrence of hyponatremia, a potentially life-threatening process due to low blood sodium levels in marathoners who drink too much before and during a race.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Divine earned his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, followed by residency and chief residency in the department of Family Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at The Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center. He is board certified in family practice, with a certificate of added qualifications in sports medicine and has a Master's Degree in clinical exercise physiology. Dr. Divine is designated as a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine.

During his position as medical director of the Flying Pig Marathon, Dr. Divine will continue to see patients in the Sports Medicine Biodynamic Center on the Cincinnati Children's Winslow location, and will also see patients on the main campus and at Cincinnati Children's outpatient centers in Mason and Northern Kentucky.