When Jennifer Pishko opened Chagrin Falls CrossFit just outside Cleveland, Ohio in January 2015, her vision extended beyond barbells and WODs. She saw the gym as a place of transformation—not only physical, but personal and even medical. “We knew from the beginning that we could do more than coach movement. We could coach health,” Pishko shared.
That belief laid the foundation for what would eventually become the CrossFit Medical Society (CFMS)—a grassroots effort to bridge the chasm between community fitness and modern medicine. Now over a year into its official existence, CFMS is poised to redefine how we think about preventative care, health access, and the role of the affiliate in population wellness.
The Spark: From Gym Floor to Medical Practice
Pishko’s academic background in history and political science, followed by a master’s in nutrition education from American University, gave her a multidisciplinary lens that has shaped much of her approach. She began CrossFit in 2011 while living in Michigan and working in fitness and coaching. Before founding the Medical Society, she had already spent years building an inclusive affiliate in Chagrin Falls that served everyone from elite athletes to adults with disabilities.
One of Pishko’s proudest accomplishments is the development of her affiliate’s adaptive athlete program. “It started when one of our coaches asked if his sister with autism could try CrossFit,” she recalled. “She loved it. So we partnered with county-level disability boards and launched a 12-week adaptive program.”
The key, Pishko said, was making the program inclusive—not separate. “We didn’t want it to feel like a different class. It was CrossFit. Everyone was in the gym together. That meant more coaching and more awareness, but also more community.” Many adaptive athletes are now fully integrated into regular classes, with two even making it to the Adaptive CrossFit Games “Wheel WOD” in San Antonio.
In 2021, her path took a pivotal turn when she partnered with Dr. Tom McCoy, a physician and CrossFit coach. What began as in-person care rooted in community and relationship-building quickly grew into a unique healthcare model. By integrating lab testing, nutritional guidance, and telemedicine into the affiliate space, they bridged the gap between fitness and medicine. Today, McCoy Medical operates as a concierge primary care clinic serving patients across the country, including professional and CrossFit athletes seeking performance optimization.
“We wanted our community members to have real access to a physician, and we started seeing how what we were doing in the gym was actually transcending into better health outcomes outside the gym,” she explained. “It was medicine 3.0—this idea that health isn’t just reactive, it’s proactive.”
They called the model a “health home”—a central hub where health behaviors, community engagement, and clinical care intersect.
From One Affiliate to a National Movement
CFMS emerged from the existing CrossFit Health network but took things a step further. “CrossFit Health was great at sharing stories and showing that CrossFit could be a health intervention,” Pishko said. “But we wanted to create actual tools, real resources that affiliate owners could use to build those bridges to healthcare providers.”
That distinction—moving from storytelling to system-building—became the guiding force behind CFMS. The organization now provides monthly newsletters, case-based grand rounds webinars, a CME/CEU-accredited education platform, and a community directory of health-aligned providers. “It’s about equipping people—whether you’re a coach or a doctor—to understand how lifestyle interventions actually change lives,” she said.
Interestingly, it’s not just physicians signing up. “Our biggest membership group by far is affiliate owners and coaches,” she said. “We thought it would be mostly healthcare providers, but coaches are hungry for this kind of support.”
Building the Evidence
One of CFMS’s goals is to elevate the credibility of CrossFit within the research and medical communities. To do that, they’re looking to launch a pilot study that tracks new members over time—looking not just at physical improvements, but behavioral and social changes as well.
“What’s interesting isn’t just whether someone gets stronger or improves their VO2 max,” Pishko said. “We want to know if being in a CrossFit community helps them eat better, sleep more, feel more confident—just by osmosis, by being around others who prioritize health.”
The pilot will aim to include both quantitative (biomarkers, retention metrics) and qualitative data. “It’s not revolutionary to say that people improve their health in CrossFit. We know that. But we want to show how that happens in real time—and share those case studies back with affiliates so they can learn from each other.”
In a “dream state,” Pishko envisions a national, de-identified dataset of member health metrics that researchers can analyze across thousands of affiliates. “There’s a lot of work to do around consent, ethics, and logistics, but if we could do that? Game changer.”
A New Healthcare Alternative
CFMS isn’t just promoting theory—it’s also offering solutions. Through its partnership with CrowdHealth, it launched CommunityCare, a crowdfunded healthcare alternative that includes biomarker testing, unlimited telehealth, therapy, and wellness visits for just $55/month.
“It’s not insurance,” Pishko clarified. “It’s a way for people to take back ownership of their health. You get a blood panel every year, access to care, and you’re part of a health-focused community.”
CommunityCare also introduces a fascinating concept: members with better health biomarkers—like low fasting insulin or CRP—could potentially earn discounts. “It incentivizes being healthy, not just treating illness,” she said. “It’s about health autonomy.”
Educating the Next Generation
CFMS is also ramping up in-person education through summits, affiliate visits, and hospital-based CME events. “We’re going to Idaho and North Carolina this year to host events where CrossFit methodology meets research and real-world practice,” Pishko said. “We’re tailoring our education to everyone from aging specialists to cancer providers.”
The message is clear: CrossFit affiliates can—and should—be at the center of local health ecosystems.
“When you stand up in front of your community and say ‘We’re here to get you healthy,’ we want to make sure you have the tools to support that health journey no matter who walks through your doors,” she said. “Because that’s what affiliates have been doing quietly for years. It’s time the world caught up.”
Looking Ahead
In the next few years, Pishko hopes CFMS will continue expanding its impact. More resources. More research. More recognition that the affiliate is more than just a gym—it’s a public health solution.
“We’re still grassroots,” she said. “But grassroots is where real change begins.”
Want to learn more or get involved? Visit crossfitmedicalsociety.com to sign up for the newsletter, access educational resources, or find a provider near you.
