CareMessage releases new report on “Patient Engagement Innovation at Free Clinics”
New CareMessage Report, Powered by AI, Reveals Free Clinics Are Vital Hubs for Food Access and Preventive Health
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 2, 2025 - CareMessage, a leading non-profit technology company, today released "Patient Engagement Innovation at Free Clinics," a new report offering insights into the role of these vital healthcare organizations. The report analyzes over 5 million patient messages across more than 150 Free and Charitable Clinics. The report was created leveraging CareMessage’s proprietary AI categorization to reveal how these clinics are leveraging patient engagement to tackle our most pressing health challenges.
The findings demonstrate free clinics operate far beyond the scope of traditional healthcare. They have become essential community hubs addressing both clinical needs and critical social drivers of health (SDOH). For instance, the report reveals that food access was the single largest SDOH topic, with clinics facilitating over 350,000 messages on the subject. These messages connected patients with food pantries, meal giveaways, and SNAP application support.
Furthermore, the data highlights a deep focus on proactive wellness. Exercise and nutrition were the two most common clinical topics, with over 550,000 messages exchanged. This shows free clinics are prioritizing preventive health and lifestyle management to improve long-term outcomes for their communities.
“This report provides powerful data that validates what we at NAFC have always known: Free and Charitable Clinics are pillars of their communities. They show incredible resourcefulness in addressing everything from chronic disease to food insecurity. We are thrilled to see CareMessage shine a light on their innovative, compassionate work.”
- Ariana Gordillo, National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics
The report breaks down patient engagement across three key areas:
- Access to Care: Over 2.2 million messages focused on connecting patients to care, with appointment-related reminders comprising the largest category at over 1 million messages.
- Clinical Outcomes: Clinics sent over 1.3 million messages related to improving health, including significant outreach for cancer screenings, diabetes management, and immunizations.
- Social Drivers of Health: Beyond food access, clinics facilitated over 800,000 messages connecting patients with resources for financial inclusion, case management, and benefit application support.
“We believe technology's greatest purpose is to improve healthcare and scale what works. By using AI to understand millions of interactions, we can finally quantify the heroic efforts of free clinics,” said Cecilia Corral, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at CareMessage. “This report isn't just about data; it’s a story of innovation and resilience. Our goal is to equip our partners and the entire healthcare ecosystem with these insights to build healthier, more equitable communities together.”
CareMessage will host a webinar today to discuss the report's findings. The full report is now available for download.
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About CareMessage
CareMessage is a non-profit technology organization building the largest patient engagement platform for low-income populations in the United States. CareMessage delivers personalized health education and care coordination support via text messaging. Founded in 2012, the CareMessage platform has reached more than 20 million people across 45 U.S. states and territories, with a focus on addressing health disparities, improving health outcomes and increasing access to care for low-income communities. The CareMessage team, many with lived experiences in these communities, leverages a nonprofit model to reinvest revenue into impact. For more information, visit www.caremessage.org.
Media Contact:
Kristen Hinton, Communications
CareMessage
khinton@caremessage.org