Pro sports teams "know that health providers are willing to write six-zero checks for exclusive marketing rights," but as these types of deals have proliferated, "some have questioned whether turning the traditional team doctor model into a paid affiliation opportunity could create a conflict of interest between team doctors and their pro-athlete patients," according to Paul Sisson of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Others wonder whether the public is misled by marketing messages that "emphasize the connection between hospital and team, implying that the relationship is based purely on merit despite the fact that money is changing hands." But Sisson noted it is "clear that business is being conducted when health-care providers pay for the right to put their logos next to a professional sports team’s mark and have their doctors seen on television" treating players. Univ. of California-San Diego orthopedic surgeon Dr. Catherine Robertson, who works with the Padres, said that sponsorship deals "aren't on her radar." Robertson: "There is never a situation where we would keep a guy out on the field when we don't think he's fit to play or when he's at risk of significant injury." UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent said that the structure of her university’s deals with the Padres and Chargers "can help ensure that doctors are protected from any kind of undue pressure." She added that marketing activities are "controlled by a contract that’s separate from the one specifying medical services." Maysent: "There needs to be a firewall between the medical services provided and the sponsorship" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 5/15).
