Swedish to Become the’ Official Medical Provider of the Seattle Storm’

SEATTLE – The Seattle Storm has entered into an exclusive, multi-year marquee deal with Swedish Medical Center. The new agreement designates Swedish as the ‘Official Medical Provider of the Seattle Storm’ and includes Swedish branding on the Storm’s home and away jerseys.

Seattle holds the number one overall draft selection in Thursday’s WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. Televised on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. Pacific, the WNBA Draft telecast will be the first opportunity for fans to see the Swedish-branded Storm jerseys that the team will begin wearing in 2016.

“This partnership with Swedish marks a very special day for our franchise,” said Storm President & GM Alisha Valavanis. “Teaming up with this world-class medical provider will not only greatly benefit our athletes but also is designed to promote women’s health, youth wellness education and community engagement.”

With this partnership, Swedish has committed to supporting the franchise and, subsequently, the league as it embarks on its 20th season. The partnership includes health care for the Storm athletes as well as the two organizations partnering to impact the local Seattle community.

“Today is an extremely exciting day for our team,” said Storm head coach Jenny Boucek. “This is a valuable partnership for the Storm in many ways, including on-court performance. Our team looks forward to benefitting from the top-notch medical care that Swedish is known to provide.”

“This new partnership is an opportunity for Swedish to provide the highest quality health care to some of the most elite athletes in the world,” said Andrew J. Cole, MD, Executive Director, Rehabilitation & Performance Medicine Enterprise, Swedish Medical Center. “Words cannot express how excited we are to provide innovative approaches to proactive treatment and rehabilitation as the Official Medical Provider of the Storm. This partnership also represents a unique opportunity for Swedish to connect with the community and increase the awareness of our health care services, especially with women and children.”

The Storm and Swedish have jointly identified Garfield Community Center as one of the beneficiaries of the two organizations’ commitment to community involvement. Garfield will be the location for multiple basketball skills sessions and player appearances. Additionally, Swedish will host one session of the Storm Academy in partnership with the Storm Foundation each season. The Storm athletes will participate in a ‘Wellness Tour,’ visiting with and getting to know patients at Swedish throughout the season.

For the team’s Breast Health Awareness game on Aug. 26 vs. Los Angeles, the Storm’s pink jerseys will feature the Swedish Cancer Institute logo.

In addition to the marquee partnership, the Storm has also announced that the franchise has altered its color scheme. There is no longer any red in the branding, the yellow has changed to ‘Lightning Yellow,’ the green has been modified slightly, and the team has added ‘Thunder Grey’ to the palate. This year’s Swedish-branded jerseys, designed in primary and secondary colors, will replace the traditional white home and color road uniforms as part of the WNBA celebrating its landmark 20th season.

About the Seattle Storm

The Seattle Storm is a two-time WNBA championship team committed to bringing a premium professional basketball and entertainment experience to a fan base rich in tradition and support. The organization places high value on community and building platforms to positively impact the overall entertainment, attraction and economy of the Puget Sound region. In addition, the Storm is dedicated to local youth development in the areas of fitness and wellness; with a special emphasis on inspiring leadership, motivation and the empowerment of girls and women. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit StormBasketball.com.

About Swedish Medical Center

Founded in 1910, Swedish is the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group, a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. In 2014, Swedish provided more than $133 million in community benefit in Western Washington. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.