Why I Give: Access to Health Care Bridges Gaps in Allison Caulfield’s Community
Through her volunteer service in Somerset County, Allison Caulfield discovered how crucial access to medical services is for her neighbors in need to build stable, healthy lives. “For decades, I have been deeply involved with food and clothing distribution and literacy instruction. Through my relationships with those I helped, I learned that many people were forgoing essential medical care,” Caulfield explains. In response, Caulfield began referring and accompanying many of the people...
Two longtime advocates join Zufall Board of Directors
In July, Martita Roman and Peg Zufall were appointed to Zufall Health’s Board of Directors. Though new to this important leadership role, both are already deeply connected to our health center and mission. We are thrilled to welcome their unique perspectives and shared commitment to our community. Martita Roman, who has been a patient at Zufall – Morristown for many years, credits her providers with saving her life on two occasions....
Closing the Gap in Preterm Labor Education: Isabella Sesay’s Impact as a Zufall Public Health AmeriCorps Member
Isabella Sesay recently completed an 11-month service term with Public Health AmeriCorps, a volunteer program at Zufall Health dedicated to expanding the public health workforce, promoting health equity, and increasing access to services for underserved populations. Assigned to support the Prenatal Program at Zufall Health – West Orange under the guidance of Midge Clarke, RN, Sesay took on the critical task of preventing preterm labor among prenatal patients. Preterm labor,...
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...
Volunteer Spotlight: Howard Rappoport, DDS
Howard Rappoport, DDS, knew dentistry was his calling by the time he was eight years old. His family dentist, Dr. Eisenberg, made the career look like a wonderful way to work with and help people. Besides, it was an interesting application of Rappoport’s artistic inclination that included a love for drawing and model making. Little did he know that this childhood aspiration would one day lead him to a fulfilling...
What Health Care Should Be Like: Zufall in the New York Times, 1992
In a world in which going to the doctor can be difficult or scary, especially for people with limited resources, Zufall Health has long represented what health care should be like: compassionate, community-oriented, and available to everyone. Zufall started as a small, volunteer-powered clinic inside St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dover. Here, founders Robert Zufall, MD (“Dr. Bob”), and his wife, Kathryn (“Kay”) created a space where underserved people and families,...
Why and How to Support Access to Health Care in Northern and Central New Jersey
“Growing up in a poor household, [my family and I] were given many opportunities and assistance. So, I believe that the success that my family has had, the opportunities that we’ve had, everyone deserves those.” So says former Zufall Health president and chief executive officer Eva Turbiner, who retired in February 2023, in a recent episode of the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) podcast "Jersey Gives a Damn.” The daughter of...
The Power of Community Outreach: Laura Eirich’s Zufall Health AmeriCorps Story
Laura Eirich, MPH, oversees the Office of Community Health Workers at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH). Community health workers (CHWs) — nonclinical health care professionals who provide health education, resources, and connection to health services — are a critical part of the U.S. public health system, bridging gaps between health care providers and underserved communities. Eirich, who earned a dual bachelor’s degree in public health and psychology from Carroll...
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...
No Wrong Path to Public Health: Marina Pieretti’s Zufall AmeriCorps Story
When Marina Pieretti, MPH, completed her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Hispanic cultures with a minor in film at Barnard College, Columbia University in 2013, she had never considered working in public health. In fact, at that time, Pieretti was eager to begin a career in film. An aspiring dirctor, Pieretti’s first postgraduate job was as a production assistant with the TriBeCa Film Festival. She spent about a year in this...