Christopher John Rich Mba M.D.

Christopher John Rich, MD, MBA

Alexandria - Services for Christopher John Rich, MD, MBA will be held at 1 PM, Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Calvary Baptist Church with Dr. David Brooks and Bro. Anthony Mangun officiating. Interment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Park, Pineville, LA under the direction of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10 AM until the time of service at Calvary Baptist Church.

Dr. Chris Rich, 62, of Alexandria, passed away at his residence, Saturday, January 19, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Jean Rich and his brother, David Rich.

A native of San Antonio, Dr. Rich was a three-year varsity athlete in football as an offensive lineman at LSU from 1976-78. He earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors in 1977 and 1978. Dr. Rich completed his undergraduate degree at LSU in Baton Rouge, followed by a Doctor of Medicine degree from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, and his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at LSU in 1988. In 2006, Dr. Rich completed his MBA at the University of Tennessee- School of Business.

From 1988 through 2011, Dr. Rich was managing partner of Mid State Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center in Alexandria, LA, retiring from clinical practice in 2010. During his tenure as managing partner, Mid State received the honor of #1 in Orthopaedics for the State of Louisiana in 2004 and 2007 by HEALTHGRADES, "The Healthcare Quality Experts".

As an integral part of the NSU sports medicine program, he served as the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Team Physician for the Northwestern State Demons from 1990 until 2010. He has served in a voluntary consulting role with the NSU team physicians, sports medicine staff, and athletic administration in monitoring and addressing various medical and health-related issues that have become prominent in intercollegiate athletics. Dr. Rich also played a role in promoting best practices and evidence based medicine, as well as stewardship of financial resources related to medical care for the NSU Athletic Department. Dr. Rich was named and honored with induction for the "Distinguished Service Award" at Northwestern State University.

During his tenure at NSU, over 500 athletes sustained an injury that required a surgery. The Mid State Team had an incredible rate of return to full sports competition of 99%. Dr. Rich's practice specialized in sports medicine, arthroscopy of the shoulder and knee, and knee reconstruction. Mid-State Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine renamed the yearly physical day in his honor as, "Chris Rich High School Physical Day".

Dr. Rich is recognized by his peers with induction into the Louisiana Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2013, Dr. Rich received the Outstanding Leadership Award in from the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association. He was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association for his service with this organization.

Dr. Rich served on the University Academic Medical Board with board oversight of business operations and management of the new 1.6 billion-dollar LSU Medical Center in New Orleans. He served as the Medical Director for the State of Louisiana - Office of Worker's Compensation Administration from 2011 - 2015.

He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, with a successful Recertification in 2012. Dr. Rich is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Past President of the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association in 2010, a member of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, and a charter / founding member of the Louisiana Sports Medicine Society.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 35 years, Vickie Rainey Rich; his three children, Jeffrey Rich, and his wife Kim Rich, and three children, Jack, Jesse and Sadie; his daughter, Margaret Rich and her fiancé, Will Burton, and his daughter, Stacie Keller and her husband, David Keller and their son, Wade Keller; and his brother, Tony Rich and his wife, Fran Rich.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Christopher Rich Scholar Athlete Foundation, In care of: Red River Bank, Attention: Ann B. Silver, 1412 Centre Court Dr., Suite 101, Alexandria, LA 71301.

To extend online notes of condolence to the Rich family, please visit, www.KramerFunerals.com