Utah Jazz Announce Exclusive Partnership with University of Utah Health Care

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Miller Sports Properties and the Utah Jazz announced today a five-year partnership agreement with University of Utah Health Care that will result in access to world-class sports medicine and clinical care expertise and the development of collaborative community relations outreach programs.

As the Official Health Care Partner, University of Utah Health Care becomes aligned with Miller Sports Properties and its Utah Jazz NBA franchise and its Salt Lake Bees Minor League Baseball Triple-A affiliate. The partnership also extends to the multiple Miller Sports facilities and media platforms. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

University of Utah Health Care is regarded as one of the country's top systems with four hospitals, 10 community clinics, and more than 1,200 physicians offering more than 200 medical specialties. Headquartered on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, it is the Intermountain West's only academic health care system, combining excellence in patient care, the latest in medical research and teaching leading-edge medicine. For the past five years, UUHC has been ranked among the top 10 academic medical centers in the United States.

"Our teams place tremendous value on this affiliation with University of Utah Health Care because of its nationally regarded system of physicians, services, hospitals and clinics," said Greg Miller, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. "We share a commitment to fitness, health and wellness. Together I believe we can make impactful and lasting contributions to the quality of life in our community."

"Miller Sports Properties is an important business leader in our community and the Jazz and the Bees are a key part of the sports entertainment offerings in the region," said David Entwistle, CEO, University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics.  "This partnership is a natural fit because of our experience in providing excellence in sports medicine for our PAC-12 collegiate teams and the athletes at every level we have always cared for. Now we can extend that same expertise and quality of care to our state's premier professional athletes."

The partnership between the Utah Jazz and UUHC links the professional basketball team with access to best-in-class physicians with high-performing specialties in areas such as orthopedics and cardiology. The university hospital setting also provides cutting-edge sports medicine science, research advancements and technological innovation.

"We are creating a model partnership that will provide our players with quality care and outstanding resources," said Randy Rigby, president of the Utah Jazz. "We foresee the capability to create and build Jazz-specific sports medicine areas and equipment in our facilities that will contribute to our effectiveness and efficiency."

Both UUHC and Miller Sports Properties are teaming up in community programming that includes participation in the signature "Jazz Fit" and "Bee Healthy" health and wellness programs, distribution of Jazz-branded blankets to newborn babies, and hospital appearances by players, Jazz Bear and Jazz dancers. A fitness initiative will also jointly promote walking programs at EnergySolutions Arena and Smith's Ballpark.

The Tour of Utah men's professional cycling race, which is organized by Miller Sports Properties, has already partnered with the University of Utah Health Care to produce an annual activity book titled "Mike and the Bike" that promotes childhood health and wellness. A total of 50,000 copies were distributed to elementary schools and other locations throughout the state in 2013 and 2014.

About University of Utah Health Care
University of Utah Health Care is the Intermountain West's only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate medicine for the people of Utah and a referral area encompassing five states and more than 10 percent of the continental United States. The health system includes ten community clinics and four hospitals – University of Utah Hospital; the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center; University Neuropsychiatric Institute; and Huntsman Cancer Hospital – with more than 1,200 physicians offering more than 200 medical specialties. For the past five years, University of Utah Health Care (UUHC) has ranked in the top 10 among all U.S. academic medical centers that participate in the rigorous University HealthSystem Consortium Quality and Accountability study. The University is also consistently ranked as among the country's best hospitals by U.S. News and World Report.

About the Utah Jazz
Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the third-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won eight division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 14 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. Away from the court, the Jazz are very active in the local community and have assisted a multitude of organizations and worthy causes by way of charitable donations, service and grants through Larry H. Miller Charities. The Utah Jazz also operates the Junior Jazz program, the largest and longest-running youth basketball league in the NBA, featuring more than 55,000 players and an additional 13,000 volunteers who take part annually across seven states. For more information on the Utah Jazz, visit www.utahjazz.com. 

The Jazz franchise is part of Miller Sports Properties, which includes the MiLB Triple-A Salt Lake Bees; Miller Performance, consisting of Miller Motorsports Park, the Ford Racing School and Oneiro; EnergySolutions Arena; KJZZ 14 Television; The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM, 1280 AM, 960 AM); Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah professional cycling race; and All-Star Catering.

--healthcare.utah.edu and utahjazz.com—

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SOURCE University of Utah Health Care