Pirates continue relationship with AHN
Allegheny Health Network (AHN), a Highmark Health Company, and the Pittsburgh Pirates recently announced the extension of AHN’s role as the team’s official medical provider through 2025. The 2018 Major League Baseball season marks the 20th year in which the physicians of AHN’s Orthopaedic Institute are overseeing the comprehensive sports medicine and other health needs of the Pirates players and staff.
“Fundamentally, our success on the field begins with our ability to put our players in a position to perform at their optimal level and to maintain that level of performance over a very long season,” said Frank Coonelly, president of the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Elite performance starts with providing our players with the highest level of care in terms of their health, nutrition and physical fitness. The doctors and medical professionals of the Allegheny Health Network put our players in a position to excel in an incredibly demanding game where our athletes perform virtually every night over an eight-month season. We are thrilled that Drs. DeMeo, Snell, Frank and the entire team of highly talented medical professionals at AHN will continue to provide this industry-leading care to Pirates players and employees for many years to come.”
Patrick J. DeMeo, M.D., chair of the AHN Orthopaedic Institute and medical director of the Pittsburgh Pirates, said the long and successful relationship between AHN and the Pirates can be attributed to the shared values of the two organizations, and the highly specialized capabilities and expertise of the Network’s sports medicine team.
“As the official medical provider of the Pittsburgh Pirates, our goal is to help assure these elite athletes are able to consistently perform at their highest level. Preventing injuries through effective health and fitness training is critical to our success, and when injuries do occur, our physicians provide the most advanced and comprehensive care available to help get players back on the field as quickly and safely as possible,” said DeMeo. “It has been an honor to be part of the Pirates organization for the past 20 seasons, and we look forward to continuing this great partnership in the years ahead.”
AHN’s sports medicine role with the Pirates is a year-round responsibility. Beginning with spring training, the network’s physicians work alongside the team’s athletic training staff to conduct player health evaluations and develop individualized care and training paths, as needed, which extend throughout the season. At home games, an AHN physician is on-site to assess and treat injuries sustained by the Pirates’ and/or visiting teams’ players, coaches or staff.
For injuries or health issues which extend beyond orthopaedics and sports medicine, the Pirates also have access to the many other clinical specialties available within AHN.