Champions for Health

What Champions for Health does

Champions for Health is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by San Diego County physicians and the San Diego County Medical Society to address the unmet healthcare needs of low-income and uninsured residents of San Diego County. Its flagship program, Project Access San Diego (launched 2008), operates a volunteer-physician model that connects uninsured patients to specialty care, surgeries, and diagnostics donated by 100+ specialty physicians and partner facilities including four Scripps Health hospitals. The organization reports a 10:1 program ROI — $10 in healthcare services delivered for every $1 of program expense — and applies over 90% of its ~$700k annual budget to direct programs.

The organization's technology layer is anchored by eConsultSD, a web-based, HIPAA-compliant messaging platform that enables primary care physicians at community health centers (Family Health Centers of San Diego, Neighborhood Healthcare, TrueCare, Vista Community Clinic, San Ysidro Health) to consult specialist physicians on a case-by-case basis, with attachments of EHR-derived images, labs, and photos and typical specialist response times within 48 hours. Beyond Project Access and eConsultSD, the portfolio includes The Alzheimer's Project (clinical guidelines and resources), Free Flu Vaccinations (27,000 doses administered across 1,523 clinics), Health Screenings, the Opioid Stewardship Project (CME webinars in partnership with The Doctors Company), the Retired Physicians Society, and the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind program.

Champions for Health generates no commercial revenue from patients — all services are provided free of charge to qualifying residents. Funding comes from a mix of foundation grants (Alliance Healthcare Foundation, Conrad Prebys Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, Grossmont Healthcare District), County of San Diego HHSA contracts, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and event-based fundraising (Wine Tasting Physician Social, United in Wellness Gala). The organization is led by Executive Director Adama Dyoniziak, MPH, CPH, and operates exclusively within San Diego County. It is an Official Partner of the County's Live Well San Diego initiative and holds GuideStar's Gold Seal of Transparency (2021).

Name

Champions for Health

Legal name

Champions for Health

Website

https://championsforhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Champions for Health is a San Diego County nonprofit that connects low-income and uninsured residents to free specialty medical care through a network of 100+ volunteer physicians, partner hospitals, and community health centers, supplemented by the eConsultSD physician consultation platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Community health programs
• Charitable healthcare access
• Specialty care referral
• Physician volunteer network
• Telemedicine consultation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Contracts: Champions for Health operates on approximately $700k annual budget funded primarily through grants from foundations and government contracts, particularly with the County of San Diego HHSA.
2. Fundraising and Donations: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising including galas and wine tasting events.
3. Physician Volunteer Services: In-kind donations of physician specialty care services valued at $10 for every $1 spent on program expenses, representing a 1000% return on investment in healthcare services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Champions for Health is a nonprofit that coordinates donated specialty medical care for low-income and uninsured San Diego County residents through a volunteer physician network and partner healthcare facilities. Its flagship program, Project Access San Diego (created in 2008), connects uninsured patients to specialty consultations, diagnostics, and surgeries at no cost, supported by eConsultSD, a HIPAA-compliant web-based electronic consultation platform used by community health center primary care providers.

Product overview

Champions for Health is a non-profit healthcare organization offering a portfolio of community health programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Project Access San Diego (a specialty care referral network connecting uninsured patients to volunteer physicians), eConsultSD (a web-based secure consultation tool enabling primary care providers to get specialist input), The Alzheimer's Project (clinical guidelines and resources), Health Screenings, Free Flu Vaccinations, The Opioid Stewardship Project (CME education), and the Retired Physicians Society (physician volunteer network). These programs collectively aim to improve healthcare access for low-income and uninsured San Diego County residents through volunteer physician engagement, care coordination, and preventive health services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Access San Diego: Flagship program connecting uninsured San Diego County residents to specialty healthcare services at no charge.
• eConsultSD

Products and services

• Project Access San Diego Flagship program connecting low-income and uninsured San Diego County residents to specialty healthcare services provided by volunteer physicians, including surgeries, diagnostics, and medical specialty care at no charge to patients. Achieves a 1000% return on investment, with $10 in healthcare services delivered for every $1 spent on program expenses.
• eConsultSD

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• San Diego County Medical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Founding partner organization that established Champions for Health in 2004 to improve community health through physician volunteerism. The Medical Society provides leadership and physician network connections.
• County of San Diego HHSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health services agency providing contracts and support for community health programs.
• Scripps Memorial EncinitasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospital partner providing facility space and services for Project Access patients requiring inpatient or surgical care.
• Scripps Memorial La JollamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospital partner providing facility space and services for Project Access patients requiring inpatient or surgical care.
• Scripps Mercy San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospital partner providing facility space and services for Project Access patients requiring inpatient or surgical care.
• Scripps Mercy Chula VistamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospital partner providing facility space and services for Project Access patients requiring inpatient or surgical care.
• Family Health Centers of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederally Qualified Health Center providing primary care services and referring patients to Champions for Health specialty care programs.
• Neighborhood HealthcaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center partner providing primary care services and referring patients to specialty care programs.
• TrueCaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center partner providing primary care and referring patients to specialty care programs.
• Vista Community ClinicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center partner providing primary care and referring patients to specialty care programs.
• San Ysidro HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center partner providing primary care and referring patients to specialty care programs.
• San Diego County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for health education and immunization outreach events.
• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth nonprofit partner for community wellness and heart health initiatives.
• The Doctors CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical malpractice insurer partner providing free CME on-demand webinars on opioid stewardship for healthcare professionals.
• Live Well San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner in the County of San Diego's Live Well San Diego initiative for community health and wellness.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Remote Area Medical: Provider of free mobile pop-up medical, dental, and vision clinics staffed largely by volunteer clinicians serving uninsured patients; comparable donor/volunteer-driven free-care model.
• Volunteers in Medicine: National nonprofit that supports a network of free clinics relying on volunteer clinicians to serve uninsured and underserved populations; comparable in volunteer-physician model and charitable-care delivery.
• Project Access NOW: Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit that coordinates donated specialty care for low-income uninsured patients through a volunteer physician network — structurally identical to Champions' Project Access San Diego program.
• Americares Free Clinics: Network of free clinics serving uninsured patients with donated care from volunteer providers and partners; directly comparable free-clinic delivery model for the same patient population.
• Access Health San Antonio (Project Access): San Antonio-area physician-led initiative organizing volunteer specialty care for uninsured residents; operates the same Project Access model that Champions for Health runs in San Diego County.
• Project Access of the Triad: North Carolina community-based program connecting uninsured patients to volunteer physicians for specialty care; directly comparable mission and physician-volunteer referral model.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics: National membership association representing 1,400+ free and charitable clinics; broader umbrella organization that supports and aggregates the same community-clinic and volunteer-clinician model Champions operates locally.

Others

• Family Health Centers of San Diego: Federally Qualified Health Center partner that refers patients into Champions' Project Access; comparable in serving the same low-income San Diego patient base but as a primary-care FQHC rather than specialty-care coordinator.
• Scripps Health: Major San Diego hospital system whose four facilities donate surgical and inpatient capacity to Project Access San Diego; an in-kind partner that enables Champions' specialty-care delivery rather than a direct competitor.
• San Diego County Medical Society: Founding partner of Champions for Health and convening body for San Diego physicians; relevant as the upstream organization that spun out and continues to support Champions' physician volunteer network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChampionsFH_SD
• Facebookfacebook.com/championsforhealthsd
• Instagraminstagram.com/champions4health
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/championsforhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Champions for Health