A major season for sports is underway across the United States. The FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 has brought the world’s game to our doorstep, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are already on the horizon, and communities everywhere are filling fields and stadiums for another summer of competition. For America’s hospitals and health systems, this season is a powerful reminder of what they do every day: show up, prepared and committed, to deliver quality care to every patient who walks through their doors.
When the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team took the pitch at the 2024 Copa America and Paris Olympics, one of the physicians keeping them healthy was Dr. Daryl Osbahr, Executive Medical Director of the AdventHealth Orthopedic Institute. A USMNT team physician for over a decade, Dr. Osbahr described the role simply: “To be able to be involved in U.S. sports and represent your country, there is no greater honor.” Sutter Health physician Dr. Richard Gayle served in a similar capacity as a Team USA Olympic physician, calling it “literally a dream come true.”
While these physicians care for athletes on some of the world’s biggest stages, hospitals and health systems provide that same expertise and commitment in communities across the country every day.
That same commitment shows up on the local stage. Across South Florida, Baptist Health partnered with the Miami Dolphins to reach more than 800 student-athletes and coaches during the 2025–2026 academic year through equipment donations, coaching clinics, and injury prevention education for youth football and girls flag football programs throughout the region.
Delivering this level of care requires strong, sustainable hospitals grounded in care, courage, and comebacks. Yet hospitals and health systems across the country continue to face significant financial and workforce pressures that can impact patients even as demand for care grows. Every day, hospitals stand ready to provide care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, serving their communities whenever and wherever they are needed, rising to each challenge with resilience and resolve.
As the sports season draws global attention and fills local fields with the next generation of athletes, hospitals and health systems remain a constant presence– the team behind the team at every level. From caring for elite competitors on the world stage to supporting young athletes in local communities, they help keep America healthy, active, and moving forward.