Orlando, Florida, Oct. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Orlando Magic and Florida Hospital announced today a renewed and expanded partnership with a large focus on innovation in the sports medicine realm. As a Magic partner for the past 28 years, Florida Hospital will continue its “Champions of the Community” (COTC) status with the team.
“The Magic and Florida Hospital have been great partners for more than a quarter century,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. “As the leaders in sports medicine and health innovation, we are so honored to have Florida Hospital continue with us as one of our Champions of the Community partners. Together we share in the vision of building healthier, more active and engaged communities all across Central Florida.”
This distinctive partnership will include a collaborative and specialized body of research. Through this partnership Florida Hospital and the Magic will work together to develop a world-class sports performance and medical model with the focus on reducing athlete injury, creating the best course of action, optimizing performance and translating those learnings to the broader community. The expanded partnership brings Florida Hospital’s focus on caring for the whole athlete — mind, body and spirit — by incorporating elements such as nutrition, sleep, and injury prevention and recovery. The Florida Hospital team will work closely with the Magic’s high-performance director to extend the life of its athletes on and off the court.
“Our partnership is a unique opportunity to bring together medicine, research, and our philosophy of whole-person health to the Orlando Magic,” said Daryl Tol, president and CEO of Florida Hospital and Central Florida Division - Adventist Health System. “It is our hope that in the future, learnings from these elite athletes will shape medicine and how we care for all patients — from the little league pitcher to the senior water-aerobic enthusiast.”
Florida Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeff Kuhlman will serve as an advisor to the Orlando Magic as part of the new partnership. Prior to joining Florida Hospital, Kuhlman was in the U.S. Navy for 30 years and served as White House Physician from 1997-2013 for President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Kuhlman began medical school at Loma Linda University at the age of 19. He went on to become a designated naval flight surgeon at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute before eventually completing a master’s degree in public health and post-doctoral fellowships at John Hopkins University. Kuhlman is quadruple-board certified in aerospace, family, occupational medicine and medical management.
Florida Hospital is a leader in medical research, with 500 clinical trials in progress at any given time in areas such as cancer, cardiac, neuroscience and diabetes. Through its Translational Research Institute (TRI) for Metabolism and Diabetes, Florida Hospital is bridging the gap between the research bench and the patient's bedside in an effort to tackle obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More than a dozen research studies are underway at TRI, focusing on topics such as: body shape and metabolism; age-related muscle loss; and rare, genetic causes of obesity.
With the partnership extension, Florida Hospital becomes the naming rights entitlement partner of the Magic training facility at Amway Center, gaining stronger visibility in the training facility and the Magic’s practice court to showcase its innovation in medical services. In addition, Florida Hospital is the Magic’s season tip-off partner which encompassed training camp, open practice and is the presenting partner of all preseason games and opening night.
As one of the Magic’s six COTC sponsors, the Magic and Florida Hospital will continue to work together to positively impact and make a difference in the Central Florida community through support of the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, the Magic’s charitable arm. Florida Hospital will also remain the official hospital of the Orlando Magic and Orlando Solar Bears (partners since 2011) and extending to the team’s other entity, the Lakeland Magic. Florida Hospital will be one of the four inaugural cornerstone partners of the Lakeland Magic.
ABOUT FLORIDA HOSPITAL
Opened in 1908, Florida Hospital is a faith-based institution focused on providing whole person care. It is one of the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country, caring for more than two million patient visits per year – more than any other hospital in the country. It is a member of Adventist Health System, which operates 45 hospitals in nine states, making it one of the largest faith-based health care systems in the United States. Florida Hospital stretches across the state with 26 hospitals, more than 4,600 patient beds, and more than 32,000 employees. The Central Florida division includes the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children, and dozens of outpatient facilities and Centra Care urgent care locations. Florida Hospital provides a wide range of health services, including many nationally and internationally recognized programs in cardiology, cancer, women’s medicine, neurosciences, diabetes, orthopedics, pediatrics, transplant and advanced surgical programs. Florida Hospital is a designated statutory teaching hospital and also trains physicians from around the world on the newest technologies.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $22 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 27 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s newly acquired NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, which begins play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL; and will compete in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K esports league in 2018. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2017-18 season in the award-winning Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...89e39c6aba
Trish Wingerson Orlando Magic 407.916.2635 twingerson@orlandomagic.com Amy Pavuk-Gentry Florida Hospital 407.303.1333 amy.pavuk-gentry@flhosp.org
