MemorialCare recently announced a five-year partnership with Long Beach State Athletics as its official health care sponsor through June 30, 2029.
According to MemorialCare, the nonprofit health care provider has over 800 current employees working in Los Angeles and Orange County that are Long Beach State (CSULB) alumni.
“Considering our rich history with California State University Long Beach, and as one of the largest health care providers in Long Beach, it seemed like a perfect fit,” said Blair Kent, CEO of MemorialCare’s Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, in a public statement. “Continuing to expand this private-public partnership and bringing health awareness and education to Athletics just makes sense.”
MemorialCare will be the game sponsor for several Long Beach State Athletics’ sports teams, including baseball, softball, and the men and women’s teams for basketball, volleyball and water polo. The sponsorship will also include health education messaging during games.
This partnership was jointly established with Learfield’s Beach Sports Properties. Learfield offers marketing services for collegiate sports programs, and through Beach Sports Properties, is the multimedia rights holder for Long Beach State Athletics.
“Healthy living is a core belief we share with MemorialCare, and this partnership will unite our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the Long Beach community in that shared mission,” said Bobby Smitheran, executive director of athletics at Long Beach State, in a public statement.
The health care provider will also provide the opportunity for select student athletes to shadow nurses at Long Beach Medical Center and take part in visits to pediatric patients at Miller Children’s & Women’s. MemorialCare hopes to expand students’ interest in the profession with first-hand experiences in a health care setting.
“MemorialCare is always looking for ways to give back to the community, and we are excited to use this partnership to encourage aspiring health care professionals to continue to pursue their studies,” said Kent.
Two years prior to the sponsorship, MemorialCare and CSULB announced the creation of a clinic on the school’s campus to combine clinical education with clinical practice. The goal of the clinic is to make a substantial impact on health care education and grow the amount of allied health practitioners entering the field from the local community. As of October 2022, the facility is on track to open in spring 2026.
It is very interesting that Memorialcare nonprofit health care provider has partnered with Cal State athletes. Why don’t they partner with the community and have a behavioral health department in Long Beach?