Zufall Health’s Family Fun Day Events Serve Nearly 800 People, Highlight the Significance of Community Health Centers
Zufall Health celebrated National Health Center Week with two lively and family-friendly health events earlier this month: on Saturday, August 5, at its Hackettstown office, with 400 attendees, and on Thursday, August 17 at Franklin Middle School, the site of its school-based health center, with 375 attendees. Guests enjoyed a host of health services, resources, and activities during the celebrations that converged with the start of the back-to-school season, including: backpacks...
Pediatrician-Led Program Helps Kids Get Moving, Eat Healthier Foods
“It gives me so much joy to know how to eat better. I am happy and my son is happy. Thank you.” “I liked the topic about portions. I am very happy because I learned a lot. I am very grateful to the program.” “It helps me a lot because I can vary my kids’ meals.” “They are very productive and educational meetings.” [caption id="attachment_20604" align="alignnone" width="750"] An exercise session in Dover[/caption] These are just...
Meet Your Provider: Maria V. Menzel, MSW, LCSW
Zufall Health’s Maria Menzel, MSW, LCSW, will never forget the compassionate support that her family received from a hospital social worker during a family health crisis—the severely premature birth of her twin niece and nephew—12 years ago. The experience revealed to Menzel the importance of social workers in medical settings and paved the way for her current-day career in social work. Menzel was in the hospital with her sister, Tanya, the...
What We Can Learn from Dr. Bob’s 1991 Letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association
In 1991, Zufall Health—then known as the Dover Community Clinic—was a new organization with limited resources. Urologist Robert Zufall, M.D. (“Dr. Bob”), and his wife and medical business assistant, Kathryn (“Kay”), founded the small, one-night-a-week clinic after retiring from their nearby private practice. The same year, Dr. Bob wrote about the Dover Community Clinic in a letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Medication Association (JAMA), a highly...
HFNJ Grant Expands Team-Based Care for Essex County Seniors at Zufall Health
Zufall Health has expanded care for vulnerable Essex County seniors, courtesy of a generous award from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ). The $120,000 grant from HFNJ supports our expansion of team-based medical, dental, behavioral, and supportive services to people 65-plus in and around our West Orange office. Seniors have an increased risk of chronic and communicable diseases, are more susceptible to social isolation, and are more likely to have...
Legal Issues Are Health Issues: How One Zufall Health Case Manager is Paying Forward the Help His Family Received
When he was 10 years old, Zufall Health case manager Erik Moran, his sister, and their mother faced wrongful eviction from their rented house in Morris County. The family was given one month to vacate their home—a violation of their lease—and suffered constant harassment from their landlord. The landlord spoke only English, and Moran’s mother, an immigrant from Ecuador, only Spanish. Moran took on the distressing responsibility of translating their heated...
Contract with Morris County Expands Dental Care Access for Seniors at Zufall Health
A new contract between Zufall Health and the Morris County Department of Human Services is expanding access to dental care for local seniors. The County recently awarded our health center $169,000 to provide comprehensive, no-cost oral health services to Morris County residents ages 60 and above who do not have dental insurance. The free services began in May and will continue as long as funds are available. Jade Duncan, DDS, M.Ed., director...
Zufall Health Introduces New Chief Operating Officer, Annette Gonzalez, DHA, MPA
Annette Gonzalez, DHA, MPA, a health care executive with more than 30 years of experience, joined Zufall Health as chief operating officer (COO) on May 8. Gonzalez replaced former COO Frances L. Palm, MPA, who became president and chief executive officer in February. Gonzalez’s career includes significant experience serving vulnerable communities’ health needs. Most recently, she was director of ambulatory care for NYC Health + Hospitals Lincoln in the Bronx, where,...
“Esperanza Para Las Madres” Supports New Spanish-Speaking Moms
Zufall Health is providing mental health support to Spanish-speaking moms in Esperanza Para Las Madres (Hope for Mothers), a new, virtual support group. Facilitated by licensed professional counselor Nereida (Nettie) Mendez, LPC, NCC, of Zufall’s behavioral health department, Esperanza is a free, 10-week program for people who are pregnant or have a baby up to one year old. Participants engage with other new mothers and learn about the importance of emotional...
Meet Your Provider: Antonella Maietta, DMD
Zufall Health providers perform many roles beyond their primary job functions, and dentist Antonella Maietta, DMD, is one shining example. For the past 11 years, she has been a full-time dental provider while assuming additional responsibilities that alleviate patients’ barriers to oral health care. Maietta is first and foremost a general dentist who cares for children and adults. She provides care wherever she is needed – in any of our dental...