Unify.Health Partners with CFLPA to Revolutionize Athlete Health Management and Safety

Athlete-controlled platform solves persistent problems around transparent, portable and accessible health data

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Unify.Health, which has created the first medical record platform controlled by athletes, is proud to announce a groundbreaking 20-year partnership with the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA). The goal is to deliver the data insights needed to elevate athlete health and safety and improve health outcomes for the athletes of today and tomorrow – providing a care continuum that extends beyond retirement.

The collaboration marks a major step in addressing the inadequate ad-hoc manner by which professional athletes receive care over the long term. Through Unify.Health's Advanced Record Continuum (ARC), and based on our market research, Unify.Health is the first in sport to offer every player control and access to their own health data within their own platform. Unify's ARC serves as a care continuum beyond retirement, allowing care providers to see the full picture of an athlete's health, to make better informed decisions, and deliver connected, comprehensive care.

"In pro sports leagues around the world, players have long faced fragmented care because of disjointed and incomplete health data as they switch teams, travel internationally and transition between medical providers," says Unify.Health founder Cameron Fietz, who himself was forced to map his own recovery after a career-ending brain injury and concussion suffered in 2021 while aspiring to play professional football.  

"After my own experience, and in speaking with athletes in diverse sports around the world, it was clear a solution was needed so that players can receive informed care both within their teams and at health-care institutions in any province, state or country."

Solving fragmented care

The ARC offers a secure medical record solution that enables the player to harness the quality of care that comes from having medical records that are transparent, portable and accessible. It is the first platform that is union-managed and enables athletes to collect and manage their medical data effectively and efficiently– all while enabling players' associations to unearth insights necessary to underpin their commitment to player health, safety and well-being. 

"Without comprehensive, easily accessible medical records, athletes face a fragmented healthcare experience that leads to inefficiencies, unnecessary testing, and delays in care," said Peter Dyakowski, CFLPA Interim Executive Director. "Partnering with Unify.Health marks an exciting step forward for the CFLPA and our commitment to the health and well-being of our players. We're proud to work with Unify.Health to bring a solution that supports our athletes both on and off the field."

Meanwhile, Unify.Health's DataLabs harnesses the power of AI and machine learning technology to analyze all anonymized player insights so that player associations can visualize patterns and issues that impact health and safety. Equipped with reliable, up-to-date information, administrators can implement player safety measures and proactive well-being initiatives.

"Our solution extends beyond an athlete's playing career – it's a long-term investment in athlete well-being that extends past one's retirement," says Fietz.  "Each athletes' health data will be accessible throughout their lives, no matter where they live or what they do next."

The platform is HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant to maintain individual privacy, and the system is overseen by professionals in every field of sport medicine and law, as well as an advisory board of over 20 world-class pro-league and Olympic calibre physicians stretching over five countries.

"We are thrilled to launch our platform for players in the CFL, and look ahead to expanding our solutions to industries even beyond sports where tactical professionals need precision data in managing their near- and long-term health," Fietz says.

Statements from Unify.Health medical advisors

Adam Bennett, M.D., Team Physician, Chicago Cubs; Team Physician, Chicago Bears (2004-2024); and Medical Director, Northwestern Medicine Sports Medicine

"Working as an NFL team physician, I performed hundreds of physicals on players that might be signed on to our team. It was so frustrating not having their complete records when evaluating the medical history. Because we couldn't access records, we often had to repeat tests that other teams had recently performed. It happened dozens of times throughout the season and offseason which is not ideal for the player and is an unnecessary expense for the team. Unify.Health is a great solution, enabling teams to sign players more efficiently and with less expense."

James Ting, M.D., Team Physician, Los Angeles Chargers (2017-2024)

"As an NFL team physician, I am passionate about player health and wellness.  I believe in Unify's mission to elevate record accessibility, and I see the value of insights for research that could benefit both the players union and the league. For the athlete, care is often disjointed and dispersed among various institutions and locales as players transition from college to the professional level, and then further as players move between teams, and yet again when players retire. This fragmentation of care makes it difficult to quickly and efficiently access a player's comprehensive medical record at the point-of-care, with the potential result being delays in care, as well as unnecessary repetitive testing."

"Once players leave the protective safety net and structure of the team environment, many are unaware of where their health records reside due to the sheer number of practitioners and specialists they see throughout their time as a pro athlete. Centralizing all of that data in a single repository will be a huge help for both the players themselves when it comes to navigating the healthcare system, as well as for the physicians and other healthcare professionals that care for them."

Alex Auerbach Ph.D., MBA, Performance Psychologist

"There's a real need to help athletes better understand how to take control over their health. Athletes have short, intense careers that require a lot of long-term follow up. Not losing data is critical. Unify has built a world-class team of experts to solve this problem, people at the top of their game."

Laura Anderson MS, RD, CSSD Health & Performance Dietitian

"Something has been missing from sports medicine – and that is collaboration between all practitioners involved in athletes' care and training. Unify.Health enables better decision-making through shared data, ensuring that everyone in medicine, training or mental performance work from the same information. All practitioners can, with access to comprehensive data, provide accurate and timely interventions in supporting every player.

"This is a holistic approach toward high performance, giving interdisciplinary team members the coordinated ability to create tailored intervention plans to enhance the athlete's overall performance and recovery."

About Unify.Health

Unify.Health is the first medical record platform built for sport unions and controlled by athletes. By providing secure, portable, and accessible health data management, Unify.Health empowers athletes to take control of their medical history and make informed decisions about their care. The platform enables transparency, streamlines care, and generates valuable insights to improve player safety and wellness. For more information, visit https://unify.health.

SOURCE Unify Health Inc.

For more information please contact: Unify.Health, Tory Crowder, Jumpstart Communications, [email protected], 416 998-9702