Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic named first Champion in Action in Michigan
Charter One Bank and WXYZ-TV 7 provide $25,000 grant, volunteer and promotional support in recognition of community health care excellenceDETROIT (April 5, 2006) - Charter One Bank and WXYZ-TV 7 have named the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic as the first Champions in ActionSM winner in Michigan. As part of this award, the clinic will receive a $25,000 grant, public relations and volunteer support in recognition of its outstanding commitment to providing health care to communities of need.
The Champions in Action program was launched in November 2005 by Charter One and WXYZ-TV 7 to recognize and support unsung community heroes – non-profit organizations working to address the needs of southeast Michigan.
The Gary Burnstein Community Heath Clinic was chosen as the first Champion in Action in Michigan for its exemplary delivery of primary medical and dental care to the uninsured and under-insured in Oakland County and surrounding communities. The clinic was the vision of retired cardiologist Dr. Gary Burnstein, who began treating patients in 1997 in a small room at Grace Centers of Hope, the largest homeless shelter in Pontiac, Michigan.
Today, the Gary Burnstein Community Heath Clinic is a free-standing facility run by a corps of volunteer doctors, nurses and dentists under the guidance of Dr. Katherine Pitus, D.O., who volunteers as the clinic’s medical director.
“We are so fortunate to have such a visionary organization like the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic. It embodies the spirit of community through a team of volunteers who provide medical and dental services to those who need it most – the under-insured and uninsured,” said Sandra Pierce, President and CEO of Charter One Bank, Michigan. "We are pleased to recognize its work and we are delighted to help provide them the resources to advance its efforts and fulfill its mission.”
Pierce and Charter One's Leadership Team surprised Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic's board of directors and staff by delivering the news in-person along with a check for an unrestricted $25,000 grant.
"WXYZ-TV 7 is proud to partner with Charter One Bank to honor the extraordinary commitment of the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic," said Grace Gilchrist, Vice President and General Manager, WXYZ-TV. "We applaud its work and look forward to doing our part to help encourage more volunteer physicians, nurses and dentists so that they can touch even more lives."
As the second-quarter Champion in Action, the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic will receive:
- A $25,000 grant in unrestricted funds from the Charter One Foundation;
- Media coverage from WXYZ-TV 7, including public service announcements and news stories;
- Volunteer support from Charter One and WXYZ-TV 7 employees;
- Promotional support in all Charter One branches and on its ATMs throughout Michigan; andExposure on both Charter One’s and WXYZ-TV 7’s Web sites.
"We are overwhelmed and grateful for this generous recognition and financial support from Charter One," said Brian Harris, executive director of Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic. "The Champions in Action award will give us both critical financial resources as well as much-needed visibility. We are proud to have been selected and believe this will enable us to impact even more lives. I am grateful to the corps of volunteers who dedicate their time and heart to making a difference in our community.”
A group of community leaders and representatives of WXYZ-TV 7 and Charter One comprise a committee which will select a Champion in Action each quarter for its work on a particular social issue. The remaining categories for 2006 are hunger and homelessness.
For more information, non-profit organizations should visit their local Charter One branch or charterone.com/community. The Web site includes a program overview and detailed information on how to become a Champion.
About Charter One Bank, N.A.
Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $41 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has more than 490 branches and 820 ATMs. It has 123 branches and 138 ATMs in Michigan.Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $155 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,800 ATMs and more than 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
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