San Francisco 49ers Choose Sutter Health as Official Healthcare Partner, Connecting Millions to Prevention and Wellness
Building on a shared Northern California footprint, 49ers and Sutter Health will collaborate to bring year-round health programming to fans and communities
Santa Clara, Calif., April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The San Francisco 49ers and Sutter Health today announced a new long-term partnership to bring health resources, preventive care and wellness programming to communities across Northern California. The agreement brings together one of the region’s most iconic sports franchises and a leading not-for-profit health system to create new ways for people to engage with their health, both inside and beyond the stadium.
As the 49ers’ official healthcare partner, Sutter Health will work alongside the team to expand access to screenings, education and care navigation at Levi’s® Stadium and in communities across the region, reaching millions of fans and families through the 49ers’ broad platform. Together, the organizations will focus on making health support more visible, more accessible and more connected to everyday life.
More than a traditional sponsorship, the partnership is built around a shared goal: helping people take earlier, more proactive steps in their health journey.
“Improving health today requires us to think differently about how and where we engage,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “Sports bring people together in powerful ways. We’re proud to have been chosen by the 49ers for the excellent care our physicians and teams deliver every day, and for the trust we’ve built in the communities we serve. Together with the 49ers, we have an opportunity to extend that expertise beyond traditional care settings, connect with people earlier and make it easier to access the care they need.”
Powered by the combined reach of both organizations, the partnership will come to life through year-round community programming across Northern California. Each year, the 49ers and Sutter Health will develop a co-branded Community Fitness Zone in a new location, creating spaces for physical activity, wellness programming and youth engagement. A mobile activation unit will also travel throughout the entire region, delivering health screenings, education and connections to care directly into local communities.
“We are focused on meeting people where they are and making it easier to connect to care in ways that fit into their daily lives,” said Jennifer Bollinger, chief consumer and brand officer for Sutter Health. “This long-term collaboration allows us to engage communities in new ways, expand access to trusted resources and help people take a more active role in their health.”
“Partnering with Sutter Health reinforces our belief in providing the very best care and resources for 49ers fans,” said Brent Schoeb, chief operating officer at the San Francisco 49ers. “Sutter Health’s clinical expertise, comprehensive services and strong presence across Northern California make them a natural partner. The well-being of the Faithful drives us to innovate in every way we can, and we look forward to working together to better support the health of our fans and communities across the region. We are thrilled to work with Sutter Health to develop a partnership with a purpose, using the game of football for good beyond the playing field.”
Health and wellness will also be woven into gameday and season-long experiences, connecting millions of fans to prevention and early detection in new ways. Through a “Screen for Screens” initiative, Sutter Health will provide no-cost health screenings to community organizations for every screen pass completed during the season, linking on-field moments to real-world community benefit.
The partnership will further enhance the game-day experience at Levi’s® Stadium, including Sutter Health Plaza and Gate C, as well as improved wellness-focused spaces such as first aid stations, nursing pods and a dedicated sensory room designed to support fans and families. Caregivers will also be recognized throughout the season with pre-game, on-field moments at every home game highlighting the impact of Sutter physicians and the patients they serve. These moments will bring to life inspiring stories that reflect the full range of Sutter’s clinically excellent care, from cancer, orthopedics and sports medicine, heart and vascular, neurosciences and transplant to women’s and children’s health in front of the Faithful. The partnership will also be integrated into the team’s Wish Program, creating meaningful experiences for Sutter patients and their families that reflect compassion, resilience and the human impact of care.
Additional efforts will advance awareness and access to care through established 49ers platforms, including Crucial Catch, Women of the Niners and Movember, with a focus on cancer prevention, women’s and men’s health and mental well-being. Expanded programming will also support youth and families through flag football initiatives, community events and opportunities that promote physical activity, confidence and long-term health.
As part of the agreement, Sutter Health will be recognized as the exclusive healthcare partner across key specialties, including orthopedics and sports medicine, heart and vascular care, neurosciences and cancer. These areas of expertise will support future community programming, education and awareness efforts, helping connect people to specialized care and trusted health resources across the region.
For more information, video and visual assets, visit 49ers.com and sutterhealth.org.
HIGHTAIL LINK TO B-ROLL AND PHOTOS: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/f6hgLU8Bsw
About the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers, owned by the York family, currently play in the NFC West division and have won five Super Bowl trophies including Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX. The franchise also has eight conference championships and 22 divisional championships and was the first major league professional sports team to be based in San Francisco over 75 years ago. Please visit 49ers.com and follow the 49ers on Facebook and X @49ers.
About Sutter Health
Sutter Health is a not-for-profit health care system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to advancing innovative patient care, healthy outcomes and community partnerships, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent health care more connected and accessible. Currently serving more than 3.5 million patients, thanks to our dedicated team of more than 60,000 employees and clinicians, and 14,000+ affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients.
Sutter delivers exceptional and affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming health care, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.
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Angie Sheets Sutter Health 916-494-9547 angeline.sheets@sutterhealth.org Jacob Fill San Francisco 49ers Jacob.Fill@49ers.com
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