Kaiser Permanente selected as official medical provider and team physicians for Portland Thorns and Portland Fire, anchored by the newly named Kaiser Permanente Performance Center.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Kaiser Permanente and RAJ Sports, parent company of the National Women's Soccer League’s Portland Thorns and the Women's National Basketball Association’s Portland Fire, have 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 2 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 health care leader as the integrated health partner for the teams’ shared, first-of-its-kind dual-sport performance center, scheduled to open in early 2026.
The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center will serve as the home for both the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire. It 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 doctors 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, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in the 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 of Northwest Permanente. “It’s an honor to extend that same level of expertise and innovation to the athletes of the Thorns and Fire — 2 teams that mean so much to this community.”
Just as Kaiser Permanente has long been recognized as a leader in innovative, preventive, and data-informed health care, the Kaiser Permanente 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.
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 people 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.
As part of this commitment to community, 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, February 4, 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 changemakers 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.
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.
Facility overview
The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center will include:
Training and performance spaces
Medical, sports science, and wellness
Team, athlete, and family spaces
Nutrition and daily support
Community connection
The center is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2026.
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.
