SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today they have signed West Coast Sports Institute to serve as the club’s official doctors for the first team, second team, and academy squads. Based in Santa Clara, California, the practice’s physicians possess over 85 years of combined board-certified experience working individually with high-profile athletes as well as with professional and collegiate teams in the Bay Area. The quartet of doctors now working with the Earthquakes consists of Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni, Dr. Chris Chung, Dr. John Kao, and Dr. Ken Akizuki.
“We’re proud to partner with West Coast Sports Institute to provide world-class medical care to our players,” said Earthquakes Director of Health and Performance Ron Shinault. “To have such an illustrious group of physicians with a wealth of experience at the pro level is indicative of our standard as an organization.”
“West Coast Sports Institute is excited to partner with the San Jose Earthquakes as their medical provider,” said West Coast Sports Institute Managing Partner Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni. “We share the values of a unified team approach to healthcare and have a long history of caring for elite athletes in the community in San Jose and the greater Bay Area with devotion to wellness and performance. We look forward to our experiences with other professional Bay Area teams adding value to the Earthquakes’ medical staff and entire organization.”
Dr. Saglimbeni is a San Jose native with 20 years of experience in professional sports, namely as Head Team Physician for Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants and Head Team Internist for the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers. In 2023, he was appointed to the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) Board of Directors. Additionally, he works in the South Bay with Santa Clara University, Presentation High School and his alma mater, Bellarmine College Preparatory. The founder of West Coast Sports Institute, Dr. Saglimbeni specializes in primary care medicine, internal medicine, and sports concussions—the latter of which fueled his passion to start the California Concussion Institute with his partners in 2013.
Dr. Chung, a California native with 20 years of experience with various pro, college, and high school teams, will serve as Primary Care Physician. Board-certified in family medicine with an added Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in sports medicine, he specializes in primary care medicine and sports concussions.
Dr. Kao is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and Bay Area native with 25 years of experience, specializing in hip arthroscopy, shoulder and elbow disorders, and knee reconstruction. A longtime orthopedic surgeon in the South Bay, he has served on the medical staffs of the San Jose Giants, Santa Clara University, the University of California, West Valley College, and Bellarmine College Preparatory.
Dr. Akizuki is also a Bay Area native with 20 years of experience, specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, namely with the San Francisco Giants as Head Orthopedist Surgeon. He is an active member and past president of the Medical Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball. At the college level, Dr. Akizuki has been a member of the NCAA Health and Safety Committee while working with multiple Bay Area athletic programs, including Academy of Art University, Skyline University, Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University.
About West Coast Sports Institute
West Coast Sports Institute (formerly South Bay Sports and Preventive Medicine Associates) is a team of experienced, board-certified physicians, medical assistants, therapists, and administrative staff dedicated to
bringing optimal health care, sports medicine, preventative medicine, and primary medicine to our present and future patients. Founded in 2000 and possessing over 85 combined years of experience in both professional and amateur sports, West Coast Sports Institute is the place to go for both elite athletes and the active general population. Our doctors and staff strive every day to be an outstanding medical care practice and enjoyable workplace.
About San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes, one of Major League Soccer’s original teams, are the epicenter for soccer in Northern California, playing at the highest professional level in the United States. The club won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 and took home Supporters’ Shields in 2005 and 2012. The club is based out of PayPal Park, an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 2015. The organization was originally founded in 1974 in the North American Soccer League and is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary of positively impacting communities around Northern California in 2024. The club’s nonprofit arm, the Quakes Foundation, focuses on health and fitness initiatives for local underserved youth and fighting food insecurity. For more information about the Earthquakes, visit www.sjearthquakes.com.
