Henry Ford Health Names Head Team Doctors for Two USFL Teams for the 2023 Season

DETROIT (April 27, 2023) – Henry Ford Health announced that Jong Lee, M.D. and Joseph Medellin, M.D., from the division of Sports Medicine, will serve as head team physicians for the Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars, respectively, of the United States Football League this season.

“Henry Ford Sports Medicine is proud take on the important role of providing expert medical care for these USFL teams with a medical staff that is experienced in providing professional football coverage,” said Vasilios (Bill) Moutzouros, M.D., Chief of Sports Medicine and an orthopedic surgeon at Henry Ford Health.

As the teams’ lead physicians, Drs. Lee and Medellin will provide sideline coverage with their respective teams at away games and coordinate game-day medical coverage at Ford Field home games with a highly qualified team of Henry Ford Sports Medicine specialists and athletic trainers. In addition, they will coordinate with Henry Ford Health physicians across other medical specialties to provide any needed specialty care including cardiology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, primary care and sleep medicine.

The Panthers and Stars will receive the high-quality medical care that Henry Ford Health has proudly provided for years as the official healthcare providers for the Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Motor City Cruise, Detroit Marathon and the PGA’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. Players will also have access to the same state-of-the-art athletic services Henry Ford Health is nationally known for and available to patients across the U.S., and to many Michigan colleges, universities and high schools.

Available resources for the two USFL teams will include the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine, Henry Ford Medical Center – Chelsea, and the Detroit Pistons Performance Center which will all serve as hubs for medical and sports performance needs for players.

The 2023 USFL game schedule kicked off April 15 and includes a 10-week regular season with Saturday and Sunday games, followed by a two-week playoff format and championship game scheduled to be played at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium located at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Panthers and Stars play their first home games at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, April 30. The 2-0 Panthers host the New Jersey Generals at 4 p.m. while the 1-1 Stars take on the Pittsburgh Maulers at noon. To learn more about Henry Ford Health Sports Medicine, visit henryford.com/services/sports-medicine.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Sal Giacona / sgiacon1@hfhs.org / 313-421-9108

ABOUT HENRY FORD HEALTH

Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.

It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.

With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.

The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, three behavioral health facilities, primary care and urgent care centers.

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES FOOTBALL LEAGUE (USFL):

Fun, fast, and physical, the USFL is a fan-first, stand-alone major professional spring football league. Run by experienced football leaders, the USFL’s successful first season finished July 3, 2022, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, with the Birmingham Stallions winning the championship by defeating the Philadelphia Stars, 33-30. FOX Sports and NBC Sports are official media partners, presenting all 43 regular- and postseason games for the eight-team league. Former NFL Dallas Cowboys player and current FOX NFL analyst Daryl Johnston is USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Former NFL Vice President of Officiating and current FOX NFL analyst Mike Pereira is USFL Head of Officiating. “United By Football” for fans of America’s favorite sport, USFL Season 2 kicks-off April 15, 2023. For scheduling and ticketing information, visit theUSFL.com and follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.