Zufall Health awarded five-year Merck Foundation grant to advance cardiovascular care in New Jersey
DOVER, N.J. (Morris County) — Zufall Health has been selected as one of only 11 organizations nationwide to receive a five-year grant from the Merck Foundation’s Collaborative for Equity in Cardiac Care, a national initiative aimed at improving access to high-quality, person-centered cardiovascular care for patients in under-resourced communities.
Through this award, Zufall Health will develop and implement programs designed to close gaps in cardiac care for patients across northern and central New Jersey.
“Despite advances in cardiovascular care, many of our patients face barriers that prevent them from fully benefiting,” said Zufall President and CEO Fran Palm. “Thanks to the Merck Foundation, we are establishing the Center for Justice in Cardiovascular Health to make access to evidence-based heart health services more equitable. This comprehensive initiative will integrate personalized cardiovascular care with social support with the goal of improving heart health outcomes and reducing emergency room utilization for medically underserved people in our community.”
Most Zufall patients earn no more than twice the Federal Poverty Level and are either uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid. In 2024, approximately 30% of adult patients across Zufall’s seven-county service area were living with, or considered at risk for, cardiovascular disease, a broad category of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. These patients often face additional barriers to prevention and treatment, including low income, food insecurity, limited transportation, lack of insurance, trauma, and restricted access to specialists.
To address these challenges, the new Center will bring together Zufall’s previous cardiovascular initiatives into a single, system-wide effort. Using data from earlier projects, the center’s team will identify high-risk patients, deliver tailored treatment and case management, and work with community partners to address social determinants of health that contribute to disparities in care.
“While we modestly anticipate serving 1,000 patients in the five-year grant period, our goal is for the Center to become a permanent part of our primary care model and a blueprint for other health centers nationwide,” said Rina Ramirez, Chief Medical Officer.
Kalahn Taylor-Clark, vice president and head of Social Impact & Sustainability at Merck, said the Collaborative aims to make a meaningful difference nationwide. “Cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one cause of death for men and women living in the U.S., and its burden hits under-resourced communities the hardest,” she said. “By addressing the medical and social needs of people living with heart conditions, the Collaborative for Equity in Cardiac Care will have a significant, lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the country.”
In addition to Zufall, other program grantees include Capital Health System, La Clínica del Pueblo, Public Health Institute/Population Health Innovation Lab, University of Chicago, UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care, Providence Medical Foundation, The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, Georgia State University Research Foundation/Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement, MedNorth Health Center, and Gallup Community Health.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity will serve as the Collaborative’s National Program Office, providing technical assistance, facilitating peer-to-peer learning, and conducting a cross-site evaluation to help disseminate lessons learned from participating organizations.
Through the Collaborative, Zufall Health and its partners will work to bridge gaps in cardiac care and develop sustainable, scalable approaches to improve the lives of people living with heart disease across the United States.
