Kaiser Permanente Selected as Official Medical Provider and Team Physicians for Portland Thorns and Portland Fire; Anchored by the teams’ newly named Kaiser Permanente Performance Center

PORTLAND, Ore. (February 5, 2026) – Kaiser Permanente and RAJ Sports, parent company of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire, today announced a transformative partnership designed to set a new standard in medical care for elite women athletes while reinforcing Portland’s role as the global epicenter of women’s sports and creating a lasting impact across the community.

“Our goal is to have the best care in women’s sports,” said Lisa Bhathal Merage, Governor of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire and Managing Partner of RAJ Sports. “Kaiser Permanente gives us the expertise to elevate performance, prevent injuries, and support long careers. With both teams training in our new performance center, we are building a model for the future of women’s sports and leading the way globally in how female athletes are supported.”

At a time when women athletes’ wellness, injury prevention, and long-term health are being recognized and prioritized at the professional level, the partnership brings together two organizations aligned in advancing care, innovation, and investment in women’s sports. The collaboration will deliver Kaiser Permanente’s world-class medical care for Thorns and Fire athletes and establishes the healthcare leader as the integrated health partner for the teams’shared, first-of-its-kind dual-sport performance center, opening in early 2026.

The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center will serve as the home for both the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire and represents a first-of-its-kind, dual purpose professional soccer and basketball complex intentionally designed around the needs of women athletes. Purpose-built with innovation at its core, the facility will integrate unique training environments, advanced sports medicine, recovery and rehabilitation stations and collaborative medical infrastructure under one roof.

Kaiser Permanente physicians will serve as team physicians and primary care providers for both teams, delivering an integrated approach to sports medicine, injury prevention, rehabilitation, mental health support, and long-term athlete health. This model reflects a growing understanding that women athletes require care that is informed by research, experience, and innovation specific to their needs across the full arc of their careers.

In the coming months, RAJ Sports will name a Chief Medical Officer from Kaiser Permanente to serve both the Thorns and the Fire, further elevating the role of medical leadership in shaping performance, availability, and longevity for women athletes.

“We are honored that the Thorns and Fire have selected Kaiser Permanente as their medical provider and team physicians. It’s a testament to the trust placed in our clinicians and our integrated care model, and we’re proud to support these women athletes at the first-of-its-kind Kaiser Permanente Performance Center,” said Wendy Watson, President Kaiser Permanente Northwest

“Our physicians deliver outstanding, state-of-the-art care every day to our members across the Northwest,” said Leong Koh, MD, Executive Medical Director, Northwest Permanente. “It’s an honor to extend that same level of expertise and innovation to the athletes of the Thorns and Fire – two teams that mean so much to this community.

Just as Kaiser Permanente has long been recognized as a leader in innovative, preventative, and data-informed health care, the Performance Center reflects a forward-looking approach to athlete wellness that prioritizes availability, longevity, and overall health alongside peak performance. Together, Kaiser Permanente and RAJ Sports are creating a blueprint for how women’s sports organizations can invest in care that evolves with the athlete.

COMMUNITY IMPACT
A cornerstone of the partnership between Kaiser Permanente and RAJ Sports is a shared commitment to creating meaningful, lasting impact across the Portland community. As a Community Game Changer Partner of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire, Kaiser Permanente will support a range of initiatives rooted in the organizations shared values, including expanding access to opportunity, strengthening community connection, and investing in the next generation.

Together, Kaiser Permanente and RAJ Sports will focus on programs that connect with those in need through unique and inspiring experiences, advance health equity, support youth development, and bolster initiatives that empower girls and women throughout the region. These efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to community care, extending beyond elite athletes to support the future of Portland and women’s sports.

EmpowHER Awards Presented by Kaiser Permanente
As part of this commitment, Kaiser Permanente will serve as the presenting partner of the EmpowHER Awards, RAJ Sports’ newly launched women’s empowerment initiative. Introduced on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the EmpowHER Awards are a shared RAJ Sports platform supported by the Portland Thorns, Portland Fire, and their official partners.

The annual celebration recognizes and uplifts girls and women who are leaders, innovators, and change makers in the Portland community, while creating greater access and visibility for young girls to see what is possible. Guided by the belief that “if you can see it, you can be it,” Kaiser Permanente will play a central role in championing this initiative and inspiring the next generation of female leaders.

INNOVATION AT THE EPICENTER OF WOMEN’S SPORTS
RAJ Sports is the only ownership group in the country that operates both an NWSL club and a WNBA franchise. Through this unique position, RAJ Sports and Kaiser Permanente are building a model for athlete care and community impact that every women’s sports organization can aspire to.

This partnership will lean into data-driven insights about the barriers girls face in sports. As examples, research shows significant dropout rates among girls by adolescence due to lack of access, safety, resources, and representation. The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center and its community programming are designed to address these challenges through long-term, measurable change.

ABOUT THE KAISER PERMANENTE PERFORMANCE CENTER
Facility Overview
The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center will include:

Training & Performance Spaces

A 90,000-square-foot main training facility
A 17,000-square-foot practice gym with two full-size basketball courts
Two full-size outdoor soccer pitches
An outdoor training zone
A 5,000-square-foot dynamic strength training facility featuring top-of-the-line equipment, an outdoor turf zone, and a yoga/pilates room
Integrated elite training core program combining strength and conditioning, sports science, and sports medicine

Medical, Sports Science & Wellness

Advanced performance labs and sports science technology
Dedicated Kaiser Permanente medical and treatment suites
Mental health and wellness spaces
Strength, conditioning, and recovery zones designed specifically for women athletes

Team, Athlete & Family Spaces

Dedicated dressing rooms for the WNBA and NWSL teams, each built with female athlete-specific amenities in a spa-like environment
Team meeting rooms
Social media content creation rooms
Dedicated rooms for players’ families
Private player parking and secure, private player entry

Nutrition & Daily Support

A full-service dining room with a full-time chef and nutritionist
Performance-focused meals and all-day refueling stations throughout the facility

Community Connection

Community spaces for clinics, classes, youth programming, and public health initiatives

The center is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2026

About RAJ Sports
RAJ Sports, led by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, focuses on investment opportunities in sports and sports-related properties, drawing on the Bhathal family’s multi-generational experience and relationships in the industry. The firm seeks to leverage the power of sports to affect broader social and economic change through a variety of business and philanthropic strategies. Its deep experience in professional sports operations and large-scale real estate developments that create thriving community centers, positions the firm to deliver valuable assets that will support further growth for the players, staff, and fans. In 2013, the Bhathal family became investors in the Sacramento Kings (NBA); subsequently building the platform to include the Sacramento RiverCats (MiLB), Stockton Kings (NBA G-League) and several sports anchored real estate developments. The 2024 acquisitions of Portland Thorns (NWSL) and the WNBA Portland expansion team represents a milestone for the city of Portland and places it at the epicenter of growth for women’s sports.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

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