The San Antonio Spurs today announced a multi-year partnership with UT Health San Antonio in a joint effort to pursue innovations in human performance and improve the health of the greater San Antonio community. With this agreement, the Spurs have named UT Health San Antonio as their official sports medicine partner with Guy Nicolette, MD as the new lead sports medicine physician. This thoughtfully designed partnership is built on the principles of research, medical and public health education, and will feature community health programming across the city.
“We’re excited to advance this unique opportunity to partner and collaborate with a world-class organization like the San Antonio Spurs,” said William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, president of The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio. “This is a powerful partnership because of our shared mission and strong commitment to serve and positively impact our community. Our respective institutions are committed to unparalleled quality, expertise and excellent outcomes.”
“Through the power of premiere brands and expansive community engagement, UT Health San Antonio and Spurs Sports & Entertainment are committed to work together empowering local and regional communities to make sustainable health progress, reduce the scale of health struggles impacting our population, and improve health inequities that have far reaching effects of the lives of the people in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond. Our partnership demonstrates a shared commitment and will be a powerful tool for making a difference in the community’s health by providing opportunities and services that promote healthy development, healthier lifestyles and overall well-being for all phases of life,” continued Henrich.
Nicolette is an associate clinical professor at UT Health San Antonio and brings over 30-years’ experience to the team. He previously served as assistant vice chancellor of University Health Services at University of California-Berkeley. Nicolette will work as the team’s lead sports medicine physician in the new, dedicated UT Health San Antonio sports medicine treatment room at the Victory Capital Performance Center set to open in September.
“UT Health San Antonio is pleased to be the official sports medicine partner of the San Antonio Spurs,” Nicolette said. “We’ve put together a winning team of specialists who are trained and ready to respond to the medical needs of each San Antonio Spurs player with high-quality care to help them succeed on and off the court.”
For the past three decades, David Schmidt, MD and Paul Saenz, DO have provided outstanding service to over 250 Spurs players. They will continue to assist the Silver and Black and collaborate with Nicolette, MD to transition to a new chapter in the organization’s history of excellence in player care.
“SS&E and UT Health San Antonio are both deeply committed to improving the community and to the pursuit of knowledge to inform better health programming. This collaboration is the embodiment of those shared values,” said RC Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “UT Health San Antonio is a proven leader and innovator. Through this multifaceted partnership, we share the privilege of empowering local and regional communities to make sustainable health progress, reduce health inequities and unlock the science behind human performance.”
Community Health Programming
The alliance between these two well-respected brands also symbolizes a shared desire to focus on the complex issue of health and injury prevention in our community. The partnership amplifies community efforts led by the Spurs and the public health programming offered by UT Health San Antonio.
One of the first community initiatives resulting from this unique sports medicine partnership is a collaborative health education and preventative care program called “Know Your Numbers,” which will be launched in the coming months. Given that sports-related injuries make up nearly one-third of all childhood injuries, this program aims to promote health awareness among participants and encourages them to engage in healthy behaviors and lifestyle. This public education is tailored to the diverse needs of the region’s population, particularly those who are disproportionately impacted by certain health conditions and the injuries that cause time away from an active, healthy lifestyle and activities like organized sports.
