Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has named Cherry Hill Free Clinic a 2026 Champion in Action for Building AI Readiness and Capacity in New Jersey. The recognition includes $50,000 in funding, along with volunteer and promotional support from Citizens colleagues. The award honors organizations that are finding practical ways to strengthen operations, build internal capacity, and increase community impact through the responsible use of emerging technologies.
This round’s Champions in Action theme reflects a growing need across the nonprofit sector. As organizations face increasing demand for services and greater pressure to operate efficiently, many are exploring how artificial intelligence can support patient engagement, service delivery, administrative operations, and care coordination.
Recognized as the highest-volume free clinic in New Jersey by patients served, Cherry Hill Free Clinic provides free primary care services to uninsured and underinsured individuals while connecting patients to additional resources such as nutrition support, financial counseling, and social services.
As community needs continue to grow, the clinic is looking for new ways to improve how patients access care. In 2025 alone, Cherry Hill Free Clinic received more than 34,000 inbound calls from individuals seeking assistance. With demand often exceeding the capacity of a small front-office team, patients can experience delays, missed connections, and repeated attempts to reach the clinic.
Funding from the Champions in Action award will support the implementation of Clinic Connect, an AI-supported intake and call management initiative designed to strengthen the clinic’s front door to care. The system will help answer calls, triage patient needs, route inquiries appropriately, and reduce repetitive administrative work, allowing staff to spend more time focused on patient care and care coordination.
“Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations operate, but many nonprofits don’t have access to the training and resources needed to take advantage of these tools,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens’ Mid-Atlantic & Midwest Regions. “Cherry Hill Free Clinic is helping close that gap by using technology to improve patient access, strengthen operations, and ensure more individuals receive the care and support they need. That’s exactly the kind of innovation and community impact Champions in Action was created to support.”
As a Champion in Action, Cherry Hill Free Clinic will receive a $50,000 contribution from Citizens; volunteer support from Citizens colleagues; and public relations and promotional support.
“Our mission at Cherry Hill Free Clinic is to provide free primary care to the uninsured and underinsured,” said Dr. Jubril Oyeyemi, Founder & CEO, Cherry Hill Free Clinic. “That means our neighbors should not have to suffer quietly, delay care, or choose between seeing a doctor and protecting their family’s finances. This grant helps us strengthen the first step to that mission, making sure every need can be triaged, every caller can be heard, and every patient is treated with the dignity they deserve.”
Since launching 24 years ago, Citizens’ Champions in Action program has awarded more than $13 million in grants and promotional and volunteer support to more than 420 nonprofits across the bank’s footprint. In New Jersey, 7 nonprofits have been recognized, receiving $335,000 million in funding.
The Champions in Action program celebrates and supports high-impact nonprofits with annual budgets under $5 million that are driving measurable, lasting change in their communities. Twice a year, Citizens selects one nonprofit in each of its nine major markets to receive funding and resources aligned with the bank’s Sustainability and Impact focus areas – Fostering Strong Communities, Building the Workforce of the Future, and Supporting Positive Climate Impact.
