Gift launches new sports medicine institute at Michigan Medicine

A generous gift from Nathan and Catherine Forbes, longtime supporters of the University of Michigan, will establish an interdisciplinary institute to advance sports medicine, orthopaedic, and physical medicine and rehabilitative care, research, and education across the state. Named in the couple’s honor, the Nathan and Catherine Forbes Sports Medicine Institute will be based in a new state-of-the-art facility in Ann Arbor, provided the Board of Regents approves construction of the facility. 

Building on a legacy of excellence in academic medicine, clinical care, and championship athletics, this institute will be at the center, a premier hub of the statewide sports medicine network the University of Michigan Health announced in February. The institute and the statewide network will be preeminent leaders and innovators in orthopaedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and sports medicine as well as a health care destination for all types of athletes — professionals and amateurs at all levels. 

“Michigan Medicine is expanding, and our sports medicine team is charting a clear path to the future,” says David C. Miller, M.D., M.P.H., U-M’s executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO, Michigan Medicine. “We are recognized as a top sports medicine provider, and with this institute, we will be uniquely positioned to advance the field for our patients, U-M’s elite collegiate athletes, and professional athletes who will seek our care. We appreciate the support and alignment with our partners across the university, including Michigan Athletics, and we are very grateful for Nate and Catherine Forbes’ dedication to ensuring our success.”

This funding will enable Michigan Medicine to begin planning for the new facility, which is envisioned to include clinical, surgical and performance space; advanced imaging equipment; and a rehabilitation center that will offer state-of-the-art therapies to prevent injury and maximize recovery and performance for athletes of all ages.

“Catherine and I are inspired by the vision of leadership this team has for sports medicine — an area of care that impacts so many people,” says Nate Forbes. “This institute marries our passion for advancing health care and our love of athletics at Michigan. This is a threshold moment that we hope will improve many people’s lives.”

Nate and Catherine Forbes are co-chairs of the University of Michigan’s Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $7 billion in the pursuit of excellence and service to the public good.

Philanthropic partnerships are critical to the University of Michigan’s ability to pursue excellence and advance health and well-being, says Domenico Grasso, president of the University of Michigan. “Catherine and Nate Forbes are stalwart supporters of our mission, and we are grateful that this interdisciplinary institute will create the ideal environment in which progress can thrive.”

“Catherine and I are inspired by the vision of leadership this team has for sports medicine — an area of care that impacts so many people.”

-Nathan Forbes

Musculoskeletal conditions are among the most common reasons patients seek medical care, accounting for over 160 million ambulatory visits annually across the United States, and demand is increasing. 

“I am pleased that our athletes and teams will have access to this revolutionary new facility, and that the attention they receive while competing will continue to be the best sports medicine care in the world,” says Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “We also appreciate Nate and Catherine’s continued support for helping us provide first-class programs for Michigan’s student-athletes.”

The institute will unite clinical services, including from the U-M departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopaedic surgery, radiology, and anesthesiology. This will be a place where patients — including those with the most daunting athletic injuries — will benefit greatly from dynamic, patient-centered care that spans prevention, wellness, care for injuries, rehabilitation, and acute and chronic disease management, according to department chairs Nitin B. Jain, M.D., M.S.P.H., the James W. Rae Collegiate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Michelle S. Caird, M.D., the Harold W. and Helen L. Gehring Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.

“There is no more exciting time in sports medicine than here and now at the University of Michigan,” says Asheesh Bedi, M.D., the executive director and chief of sports medicine at Michigan Medicine and the head orthopaedic team physician for U-M Athletics. “Faculty, staff, leadership, and other stakeholders have recognized our immense potential to impact the field and change people’s lives for the better. This institute will have an incredible impact for patients. The Nathan and Catherine Forbes Sports Medicine Institute will be among the top echelon of sports medicine programs in the country.” 

About the donors 

Nathan “Nate” Forbes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1985. He is the managing partner of the Forbes Company, a nationally recognized developer, owner, and manager of luxury shopping destinations. Nate and his wife, Catherine, have generously supported areas across the university over many years, including Michigan Medicine, the Museum of Art, and Michigan Athletics, where they contributed a lead gift to the Michigan Athletics campus project. They received U-M’s Hermelin Award, which recognizes the university’s most dedicated fundraising volunteers, in 2015 and served on the Leadership Committee for U-M’s Victors for Michigan campaign. In addition to Nate and Catherine co-chairing the Look to Michigan campaign, Nate represents the Forbes family’s dedication to high-impact cancer research on the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center’s National Advisory Board. 

About the Look to Michigan campaign

Made possible by U-M’s momentum and vast expertise to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, the Look to Michigan campaign is raising funds for health and wellness, a sustainable future, civic engagement, advanced technology, and quality education for all. Look to Michigan includes all three U-M campuses, Michigan Medicine, Athletics, and all university units. Partnering with our passionate donor community, we are committed to supporting all students, fostering inclusivity, and recognizing the arts as a creative catalyst for learning. With this foundation, we boldly move forward, dedicated to serving the public good and discovering what’s next for a better tomorrow. For more information, visit giving.umich.edu/um/look-to-michigan/the-campaign.

About Michigan Medicine

At Michigan Medicine, we advance health to serve Michigan and the world. We pursue excellence every day in our 11 hospitals and hundreds of clinics statewide, as well as educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists in our U-M Medical School. 

Michigan Medicine includes U-M Medical School and University of Michigan Health, which includes the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Health-West, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow and the Rogel Cancer Center. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research awards of more than $800 million.