Dr. Amy Kotler Wins Population Health Hero Award

(June 7, 2017) Dr. Amy M. Kotler, a pediatrician practicing at Zufall Health in Dover, NJ since 2013, has received the New Jersey Department of Health’s Population Health Hero Award in the ‘Individual/Clinician’ category. The award acknowledged her work developing and providing leadership for Zufall’s Ándale program, a successful, innovative, hands-on initiative, addressing pediatric obesity prevention.

Obesity is a major threat to children’s health that cannot be addressed adequately in the clinical setting alone. Ándale (Spanish for “Let’s Get Moving!”) takes a population health approach to obesity reduction and prevention among northern NJ elementary school children from under-served Spanish-speaking families who are at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The eight-week course is offered multiple times annually for 10 to 20 children per course. In a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner, Ándale provides physical fitness training, nutritional counseling for parents and kids, peer support, mental health counseling and other ancillary services essential to obesity prevention and treatment. The program utilizes entertaining, creative activities to promote and sustain patient engagement. Congratulations, Dr. Kotler!