Gotham FC and RWJBarnabas Health to collaborate on community health outreach programs and initiatives
HARRISON / WEST ORANGE, NJ (February 29, 2024) – As NJ/NY Gotham FC maintains an unparalleled commitment to elevated player resources and player care, the reigning National Women’s Soccer League champions today announced RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey’s most comprehensive academic health care system, as the club’s official health care provider.
This multi-faceted partnership aligns with RWJBarnabas Health and Gotham FC’s joint mission to build healthier communities. Therefore, RWJBarnabas Health will deliver best-in-class sports medicine and overall health care services to Gotham FC, while offering a turnkey customizable solution and “one-stop-shop,” harnessing all the resources and centers of excellence throughout the system. RWJBarnabas Health also becomes the presenting partner of the Gotham FC Availability Report.
Jason Krystofiak, MD, CAQSM, Chief, Section of Sports Medicine, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, will serve as the Gotham FC Chief Medical Officer and Peter DeLuca, MD, Chief of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, will serve as the Gotham FC Head Team Orthopedic. Krystofiak is also the Medical Director of Sports Medicine and Medical Director of the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes at RWJBarnabas Health. He currently serves as one of the Team Physicians for Rutgers Athletics including the Team Physician for Rutgers Football. DeLuca is the former Head Team Physician for the Philadelphia Eagles, Head Team Orthopedic for the Philadelphia Flyers, and currently serves as a Team Physician for the New Jersey Devils. Both Dr. Krystofiak and Dr. DeLuca are part of a network of providers with RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
“Gotham FC is proud to welcome RWJBarnabas Health as the club’s official health care provider,” said Gotham FC General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West. “The partnership will provide exceptional care to our world-class roster of players, with services administered by renowned sports medical professionals, who will help keep players performing at their peak levels.”
As part of the partnership, RWJBarnabas Health is also responsible for the treatment of the club’s players including but not limited to: performing physicals and examinations, working with athletic trainers and players to communicate diagnosis, condition, rehabilitation plans, and preventative strategies to best support the fitness of the players, while keeping them on the field and performing at the highest level.
Through this partnership, RWJBarnabas Health and Gotham FC will develop a meaningful community outreach and education program to engage with our communities on the importance of proper nutrition, healthy habits and preventive measures, among other initiatives.
“RWJBarnabas Health is delighted to become the official health care provider of NJ/NY Gotham FC, aligning our outstanding sports medicine practice with the best women’s soccer players in the world,” said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “As women’s professional sports continues to grow, this partnership will further support our women’s health initiatives, and our joint mission of building healthier communities.”
Additional highlights of the partnership include hospital visits, player appearances and community-based programs and special events integrating dynamic patient experiences, on-site fan-engagement activations at Red Bull Arena, health and wellness education, and health screenings, among other initiatives. Further, the partnership will include integration within youth camps and family-focused programming in the region.
"With medical care at the forefront, we look forward to integrating our partnership far beyond the playing field,” said Gotham FC Senior Vice President of Partnerships Nan Vogel. “Through the development of new programming, together we will celebrate building healthy lifestyles, deliver great patient experiences, and collectively, our impact will reach far into the communities we serve."
The NWSL Champions from Gotham FC, led by Lynn Williams, Kelley O’Hara, Midge Purce, Jenna Nighswonger, Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle, and Emily Sonnett open the 2024 campaign against the San Diego Wave in the reimagined NWSL Challenge Cup on March 15 at Red Bull Arena.
For more information on Gotham FC visit www.GothamFC.com. For more information on RWJBarnabas Health, visit www.rwjbh.org.
ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children’s hospitals, Children’s Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers – with more than 38,000 employees and 9,000 physicians– and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers' education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.
ABOUT GOTHAM FC
Representing New Jersey and New York with top global players, Gotham FC is one of 14 teams in the National Women’s Soccer League. In 2023, Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship, clinching the club’s first NWSL title, after previously advancing to its first NWSL final appearance in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Final. Rebranded as Gotham FC in 2021, the club plays its home matches at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Founded in 2007, the club won the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer Championship in 2009 and has been a founding member of the NWSL since the league’s establishment in 2013.