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Saint Francis Hospital and Trinity Health link sports, medicine, and community
Trinity Health Of New England is the title sponsor of Hartford Athletic, the region’s first and only professional soccer franchise, as well as the official medical provider and team doctor for the players.
Hartford Athletic owner Bruce Mandell joins member of the Trinity Health Of New England team at a jersey reveal held at the hospital on March 1, 2019. From left to right: Bruce Mandell, Dr. John Rodis, Dr. Bob Krug, Stuart Rosenberg, Mayor Luke Bronin, State Representative Joshua Hall and City Councilor TJ Clarke.
When Hartford Athletic, Connecticut’s newest professional sports team, was seeking a title sponsor, they had certain criteria in mind. They wanted a partner who shared their vision for bringing soccer—the world’s game—to Hartford. They needed someone with the size and resources to make a multi-year commitment. But most importantly, they wanted an organization who shared their values.
“The values embodied by Trinity Health Of New England’s executives, doctors, and employees alike are the same pillars that Hartford Athletic plans to bring to the region,” said Jordan Charlupski, VP, Revenue and Strategic Initiatives. “We are a community focused organization, and so is Trinity Health. That shared commitment is what drives this partnership.”
While the Trinity Health Of New England logo is emblazoned on the front of Hartford Athletic jerseys, the relationship goes much deeper than just the team uniforms. Physicians affiliated with Saint Francis Hospital are the official team doctors for Hartford Athletic, providing top-notch medical care for the players on the field. Doctors attend every game, and provide services to the team whenever needed.
“This partnership has already provided us with great opportunities to showcase our medical expertise and promote our health and wellness message,” said Dr. John Rodis, president of Saint Francis Hospital. “We have some of the most talented and experienced sports medicine providers in the state, and these physicians were eager to work with the team from its inception.”
“When Hartford Athletic, Connecticut’s newest professional sports team, was seeking a title sponsor, they had certain criteria in mind. They wanted a partner who shared their vision for bringing soccer—the world’s game—to Hartford. They needed someone with the size and resources to make a multi-year commitment. But most importantly, they wanted an organization who shared their values."
“Whether we are diagnosing and treating an injured player on the field, or determining when a player can resume activity with the team without risking further injury,” said Jay Kimmel, M.D., co-director of the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute at Saint Francis, and one of the team physicians for Hartford Athletic, “working with athletes is a rewarding challenge which allows us the opportunity to manage the soccer athlete’s health and protect the player on and off the field.”
The services provided by Saint Francis encompass a full spectrum of care, including sports medicine primary care, The Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital.
“Our providers have been developing and enhancing these services for years,” said Dr. Rodis, “to the point where we now have attracted national attention for our quality and outcomes. It’s important that our community knows that these services aren’t just for professional athletes, but for everybody.” As an example, Rodis cites the fact that the CJRI has now completed more than 34,000 joint replacement surgeries and placed itself on many best-hospital lists. “We don’t just do a lot of them, we do them better than anyone else,” Rodis stated.
The partnership with Hartford Athletic has also created an opportunity to engage with patients in an innovative way. Staff from the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, whose charge is to provide rehabilitation for brain and spinal cord injury, amputees, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and the effects of major surgery, are developing ways to incorporate this soccer relationship to motivate patients in their recovery.
“Whether it is a visit from Hartford Athletic players, or using the dimensions of a soccer field as the measurement strategy to maximize the walking ability in people with a stroke, this relationship has provided an innovative new approach with our patients.” says Karen Prior Topalis, RN, MBA, CCM, Manager of Quality and Outcomes for Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital. “Using soccer as a model, we are developing engaging ways to incorporate our partnership with Hartford Athletic into our approaches to rehab.”
Providing services to individuals will always be at the core of Saint Francis’ mission, but Trinity Health’s commitment to Community Health and Well Being encourages the healthcare provider to look beyond the walls of the hospital.
According to Carlos Brown, Regional Vice President for Community Health and Well Being, Trinity is committed to addressing the social influencers of health, things like obesity and smoking cessation. “Finding new and innovative ways to engage our community and promote healthy lifestyles is an integral part of our mission and values of caring for the most vulnerable members of our community,” he said. “Partnering with organizations such as Hartford Athletic creates opportunities to reach people in a completely different setting.”
A recent example of this community-focused partnership is the Caring for Kids Cereal Drive. Initiated by Trinity Health and Connecticut Children’s, the goal of the drive was to collect cereal for local food pantries. “The real issue here is food insecurity, because breakfast doesn’t take a summer break,” according to Brown, “That is the underlying condition we are trying to address and alleviate.”
Hartford Athletic joined forces with Trinity Health and hosted a cereal drive at their June 16 home game, collecting hundreds of servings to be distributed locally. Future community initiatives will include a community picnic, health enhancement programs, a sock drive, and a Walk for Multiple Sclerosis in the fall. Hartford Athletic’s Charlupski says these community initiatives are of the “utmost importance to our club” and serve to strengthen the partnership with Trinity.
“It starts with a real commitment to the community, and a desire to participate and support the strengthening of the communities we serve.” “It starts with a real commitment to the community, and a desire to participate and support the strengthening of the communities we serve.”
While it might be the newest, the Hartford Athletic partnership is not Saint Francis’ or Trinity Health’s first foray into the wide world of sports. In fact, this year Saint Francis celebrated thirty years of partnership with the Travelers Tournament. As with the soccer franchise, the relationship with the Travelers is multi-faceted. Saint Francis provides all the on-course medical services for players and visitors to the multi-day event in Cromwell. Trinity Health also hosted (along with Bear’s Barbeque) the “Patriot’s Outpost,” which offers complimentary admission, food and beverages to military veterans. The Outpost is always packed with veterans and has become one of the most popular spots on the course. In the FanZone, Trinity Health hosted a “Family Rest and Recharge Zone” replete with changing stations and breastfeeding rooms for mothers and their children.
“There are several common threads between all of our sports partnerships,” said Dr. Rodis. “It starts with a real commitment to the community, and a desire to participate and support the strengthening of the communities we serve. From there we build on our medical services, which we believe are the best in the region. And finally there is the community outreach aspect, which allows us to move outside of the hospital and reach people in different settings. Whether it is Hartford Athletic, the Travelers, or the Yardgoats, we are there with a similar commitment to our mission, which is to be a transforming presence in our community.”
Healthcare is a rapidly changing industry, and progressive, perhaps unexpected approaches will become the new normal. Trinity Health believes it has found a winning formula by combining sports, health, and community outreach. The leaders of Hartford Athletic agree. “Our title partnership with Trinity Health Of New England has been the perfect start for our professional soccer club,” said Charlupski. “We could not be more thrilled to partner with a stalwart of this community.”
