GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida Health will continue serving Team USA athletes with specialized medical care through both the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, following an extended agreement with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
This renewal builds on UF Health’s initial two years as part of the USOPC Medical Network, during which its specialists provided treatment to more than 70 Olympic and Paralympic athletes preparing for international competition.
UF Health is one of only four national medical centers chosen by the USOPC to deliver advanced sports medicine and performance care. The extended partnership ensures Team USA athletes will continue to benefit from UF Health’s diagnostics, specialized treatments, and rehabilitation services as they train and compete at the highest level.
Since joining the network in 2023, UF Health physicians from over 17 departments in Gainesville and Jacksonville have cared for athletes across 18 different sports. The health system also collaborates with the USOPC and other providers on professional programs, including a recent traumatic brain injury workshop hosted by the UF Health Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases.
“As a health care leader in the United States and home to many Team USA athletes over the years, we’re thrilled that UF Health will continue to be one of the premier medical providers who care for the unique needs of Team USA athletes,” said Jonathan Finnoff, D.O., FACSM, USOPC chief medical officer.
UF Health became the third national medical center in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network in 2023, and the first located in the Southeast, a region where many elite athletes live and train. This agreement builds on UF Health’s long tradition of caring for University of Florida athletes, many of whom have gone on to compete at the highest levels.
“When I think of a Team USA athlete competing on the world stage, the concept of greatness and excellence comes to mind immediately. And that’s so inspiring because those exact words — greatness, excellence — resonate with the care that is delivered through UF Health each and every day,” said Stephen J. Motew, M.D., M.H.A., FACS, UF Health president and system CEO. “Being a trusted medical center for Team USA sends a very clear message across not only the state of Florida, but throughout the world, that world-class care sits right here within UF Health, and is demonstrated every single day in what we do — delivering this same elite level of care to each and every one of the communities we serve.”
UF Health clinicians provide a wide range of services, from routine care to complex surgeries.
“I thank all the people from UF Health who invested in me on my journey through hip surgery. The care was top-notch,” said bobsledder Elliot Markuson. “Now competing as a member of Team USA post-hip surgery, I have recommended them to a lot of other athletes.”
Elite athletes face numerous challenges, including health and injury setbacks. While perseverance and dedication are essential, access to world-class medical care is equally critical.
“UF Health provides expert comprehensive, world-class, health care to all our patients, including our Team USA athletes, whether they are from down the street in Gainesville or from around the world,” said Jason L. Zaremski, M.D., CAQSM, FACSM, FACSM, professor and chief of the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Division of Sports Medicine, part of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. “We’re the experts next door. It’s also an indescribable feeling when you see a patient going for the gold who was treated at UF Health.”
About USOPC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is dedicated to protecting, supporting, and empowering American athletes, and oversees U.S. participation in the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American, and Parapan American Games. Learn more at TeamUSA.com. For details about the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, visit usopc.org/medical-network.
About UF Health
UF Health is a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee National Medical Center and the academic health system of the University of Florida, recognized globally for research and patient care. Its flagship, UF Health Shands Hospital, is consistently ranked among the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
With campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville, plus satellite sites in Central Florida, St. Johns County, and other regions, UF Health delivers care across Florida, the nation’s third-most populous state. The system includes six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, and 12 hospitals — among them two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals — along with physician practices and outpatient services. More information is available at UFHealth.org.
