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CloseUp360’s “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus in their respective cities. We’re excited to partner with them to spread the word about #GetUsPPE!

Where Basketball Meets Medicine

We’ve partnered with CloseUp360 to talk about medicine and PPE with professional basketball players and doctors in this special series,
“Hoopers Meet Heroes.” Check out CloseUp360.com or Instagram @CloseUp360 for more.

Basketball and medicine are one and the same. Both entail perfecting your craft, challenging yourself and overcome obstacles, and persevering with the dedication to achieve a common goal. For basketball, it’s winning World Championships, giving back to local communities, and bringing the sport to countries worldwide. For medicine, it’s winning the fight against COVID-19, getting PPE into the hands of providers whose safety depends on it, and most of all it’s treating and caring for patients with COVID-19.

Hoopers Meet Heroes: Cavaliers’ Darius Garland and Cleveland Clinic’s Chris Donovan

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA and WNBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland spoke with Chris Donovan, the executive director of enterprise information management and analytics at the Cleveland Clinic. Their conversation focused on predictive modeling for COVID-19 cases. So many healthcare professionals are facing an imminent shortage of PPE (personal protective...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum and Portland’s Dr. Esther Choo

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA and WNBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum chatted with Dr. Esther Choo, an emergency physician in Portland. Dr. Choo is also a founding partner of GetUsPPE, which delivers personal protective equipment to workers battling the pandemic. So many healthcare professionals are facing an imminent shortage...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: 76ers’ Josh Richardson and Philadelphia’s Nurse Kimberly Nowakowski

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA and WNBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson chatted with Kimberly Nowakowski. Kimberly is a hematology-oncology nurse at Penn Medicine, where the Sixers established a funding campaign for COVID-19 antibody testing of healthcare workers. Healthcare professionals like Kimberly need our help. So many of them are...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Magic’s D.J. Augustin and Orlando’s Dr. Sarah Barbour

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA and WNBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Magic guard D.J. Augustin chatted with Dr. Sarah Barbour, an infectious disease physician in Orlando. After treating gunshot victims from the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016—the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11—she's now helping COVID-19 patients. Healthcare professionals like Dr. Barbour...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Kings’ Harrison Barnes and Get Us PPE’s Dr. Megan Ranney

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes chatted with Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician who's a founding partner of GetUsPPE, which delivers essential medical equipment to workers battling the pandemic. Dr. Ranney discussed the importance of supporting the elderly, who are at higher risk of dying...
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National Basketball Association player Jalen Lecque of the Phoenix Suns gives a teammate a high five on the court

Hoopers Meet Heroes: Suns’ Jalen Lecque and Phoenix’s Dr. Rafael Fonseca

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Suns guard Jalen Lecque chatted with Dr. Rafael Fonseca, a hematologist, oncologist and interim director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Phoenix. They discussed the pandemic’s effects in Arizona, how Jalen’s family is coping in the epicenter of New York City, and how the...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Nuggets’ Monte Morris and Denver’s Dr. Richard Zane

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Nuggets guard Monte Morris chatted with Dr. Richard Zane, the chief innovation officer at UCHealth. Dr. Zane discussed how the coronavirus in Denver has reached its "plateau" and the city is at a "crucial juncture," where if social distancing practices don't continue, its residents may...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Bulls’ Wendell Carter Jr. and Chicago’s Nurse Katrina Tulas-Collins

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Bulls big man Wendell Carter Jr. chatted with Katrina Tulas-Collins, an emergency room nurse at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which is a Level I trauma center that focuses on critical injuries and emergencies. “It will get worse first before it actually gets better,” Katrina said...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Bucks’ Donte DiVincenzo and Milwaukee’s Mike Christman

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo chatted with Mike Christman, a respiratory therapy instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Mike recently spent time in New York City to help manage ventilator treatments while teaching his students online, offering insights into what it's like to be in the...
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Hoopers Meet Heroes: Wolves’ Jarrett Culver and His Special Fan Addie Meet Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse

By CloseUp360, Partners
The people on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic are healthcare professionals, everyday citizens risking their lives to save those of their patients. They are the heroes right now. In CloseUp360's “Hoopers Meet Heroes” series, which connects NBA players with healthcare professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus in their respective cities, Timberwolves guard Jarrett Culver and his special fan, Addie Zimmerman—whom he's supported through her battle with cystic fibrosis—chatted with Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Our special story with Jarrett and Addie, coming soon!...
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