Meet Your Provider: Philip Goncalves, PA, MHS
Philip Goncalves, PA, MHS, chose the physician assistant (PA) path to combine his passion for helping others with the flexibility to explore various medical specialties. Unlike physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses, PAs receive a versatile medical education that allows them to transition between specialties without extensive additional training. Despite his initial openness to exploring different fields, Goncalves has dedicated his seven-year career as a PA at Zufall Health to primary care....
How “Cover All Kids” Provided Access to Essential Specialty Care for a Zufall Patient
For 10th grade student Asumi, being a patient at Zufall Health - Dover has meant more than receiving routine pediatric care. With the dedicated support of Pediatrician Christine Pagano, MD, Registered Nurse Maribel Ali, RN, and other providers, Asumi has experienced significant improvements in her self-esteem and quality of life over the past year. In August 2023, Asumi underwent surgery at University Hospital in Newark that fundamentally changed her life, a...
WISEWOMAN Drives Healthier Hearts and Lives
For more than 100 years, the nation’s leading cause of death has been heart disease – a range of chronic conditions that includes coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and valvular heart disease. Heart disease claims nearly 700,000 lives each year in the U.S. At the local level, heart disease remains a high priority clinical issue for hospitals and health departments, who look to safety net organizations like Zufall for...
Why Public Health AmeriCorps Member Geralda Francois Is Committed to Her Community’s Health
When Zufall AmeriCorps member Geralda Francois was 15 years old, her life was upended by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Considered one of the biggest natural disasters in recorded history, the 2010 earthquake claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Francois remembers that for the millions of survivors, the public health impact was devastating. “Before the earthquake, most people couldn’t get adequate health care, unless they were very wealthy or left...
Meet Your Provider: Katheryn Grajales, PA-C
Katheryn Grajales, PA-C, thrives on teamwork at Zufall Health - Morristown. As a physician assistant (PA), Grajales collaborates closely with colleagues, patients, and families to deliver comprehensive care for vulnerable individuals and families. Grajales particularly enjoys engaging in dynamic discussions with her colleagues. Together, they explore ideas, theories, and diagnoses to develop effective treatment plans and facilitate access to resources for their patients. Partnering with patients and their loved ones is equally...
Universal Developmental Screenings Will Put Kids on Track for Healthier Futures
With 11,000 pediatric patients under its care annually, Zufall Health is dedicated to the healthy development of all children, regardless of their circumstances. To that end, the health center is preparing to add a standardized approach to childhood development in its Dover and West Orange locations. What Are Developmental Delays? In the U.S., one in six children experiences developmental delays in their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Relative to their peers,...
Navigating New Beginnings: Compassionate, Comprehensive Care for Refugee Patients
In the busy halls of Zufall Health – Plainsboro, a diverse array of patients receives health care services. Among them is Hassan*, a father of four and refugee from Afghanistan. Since his first visit to the health center in September 2023, Hassan has been addressing a number of health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and hypertension, under the care of nurse practitioner Nancy Patel, DNP, FNP-BC, and colleagues....
Historic Goodale Pharmacy in Dover Is Now Part of Zufall Health
Earlier in the year, Zufall Health took ownership of Goodale Pharmacy, the 150-year-old community pharmacy conveniently located two blocks from its Dover headquarters. The pharmacy is open to the community for use by both Zufall patients and non-patients. This significant acquisition adds a retail pharmacy – a store that dispenses prescription and over-the-counter medications – to Zufall’s service offerings for the first time. Now, Zufall medical providers and pharmacists can seamlessly...
Meet Your Provider: Angela Otto-Ryan, DNP, APN
Providers at Zufall Health are committed to delivering affordable, high-quality care to everyone, no matter their circumstances. Pediatric nurse practitioner Angela Otto-Ryan, DNP, APN, CPNP-PC, CBC, finds motivation not only in Zufall's mission but also in the meaningful relationships she has built with her patients and their families during her two years at the health center. “I cannot imagine life without caring for my patients,” says Otto-Ryan, who sees patients ages...
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...