League implements industry-leading app and web system for concussion management
SASKATOON, SK (May 25, 2021) – The Canadian Junior Football League (‘CJFL’) today announced a new partnership with software company HeadCheck Health, Inc. (‘HeadCheck’) that will equip all 18 teams with the HeadCheck Pro app and web system for optimizing concussion management.
Placing a premium on player health and safety, the CJFL piloted HeadCheck for the past 2 seasons and experienced great results in the execution and management of their concussion protocol. By streamlining all concussion reporting, testing, management, and documentation through HeadCheck, the CJFL is advancing care provided to all players across the League.
“The CJFL is committed to providing the safest environment possible for our players,” said CJFL Commissioner, Jim Pankovich. “We take player health and safety very seriously and the adoption of HeadCheck shows we want to give our medical personnel the best tools in the industry to support our players.”
“We are very supportive of the implementation of HeadCheck in the CJFL,” said Alain Couture, Head Athletic Therapist for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. “It demonstrates the great steps the CJFL is taking to provide their personnel with the tools to protect their players as they pursue their football careers.”
“Athletes at all levels of sport deserve the best care possible,” said Harrison Brown, CEO, and Co-Founder of HeadCheck Health. “The CJFL’s adoption of HeadCheck shows a great commitment by the league to be on the forefront of player safety.”
Running the CJFL concussion protocol through HeadCheck’s digital system provides the league with unprecedented standardization and real-time oversight of the League’s protocol in action. The new program includes the addition of expert and League consultant, Dr. Michael Czarnota, a Clinical Neuropsychologist who can now interpret aggregate data and inform meaningful changes to policy and rules based on League-specific trends.
“Adopting HeadCheck league-wide helps keep everyone on the same page so the teams can provide the proper care to the players,” said Dr. Michael Czarnota, consulting Neuropsychologist for the CJFL. “It’s a very proactive step by the League in a very physically demanding sport.”
This digital setup keeps all individuals involved in concussion management informed and provides team staff, from team Athletic Therapists to Physicians and Neuropsychologists, with the ability to collaborate on care in a consistent fashion, in-line with the League protocol.
About HeadCheck Health, Inc.
At HeadCheck Health, our goal is simple: we want to prevent mismanaged head injuries. Our tools help all those involved in the identification, management, and care of a suspected concussion.
Whether at the amateur or professional level, HeadCheck’s end-to-end solutions enable organizations of all types and sizes to execute their current concussion protocols, support athlete recovery, and mitigate risk.
Join the wave of over 800 progressive organizations, from professional sports leagues like Major League Soccer and the Canadian Football League to your community’s sports teams and clinics, that HeadCheck Health empowers to make a difference in player safety: http://www.headcheckhealth.com
About CJFL
The Canadian Junior Football League provides the opportunity for young men aged 17 to 22 to participate in highly competitive post-high school football that is unique in Canada. The goal of the league is to foster community involvement and yield a positive environment by teaching discipline, perseverance and cooperation. The benefits of the league are strong camaraderie, national competition and life-long friends. https://www.cjfl.org/
About Dr. Michael Czarnota
Dr. Czarnota earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1993, completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in rehabilitation neuropsychology at the University of Michigan Medical Center and has been a consulting neuropsychologist for sports teams and leagues since 2001 as part of his overall Neuropsychology practice. He is a founding member of the Sports Neuropsychology Society (SNS) since its inception in 2012, assisted in the formation of the Canadian chapter of SNS (est. 2017) and currently serves on the SNS Executive Board as a Member-at-Large.
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