Gottheimer announces new $300K federal investment clawed back to Zufall Health in Sussex County

NEWTON, NJ (Sussex County) — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Tuesday announced a new $314,500 federal investment clawed back from Washington to Sussex County for Zufall’s pharmaceutical delivery program and pop-up vaccination clinics for children and adults.

It will provide investments for a new pharmacy delivery van and driver, and two new pharmacists — covering their salaries for three years.

Since starting their pharmacy delivery service in November, Zufall has already served more than 100 patients — all while using a van meant for other purposes. The new van made possible with this federal investment is forthcoming.

In Sussex County, there is a huge unmet need for pharmaceutical delivery. Many families have trouble getting their critical prescription medications — especially seniors and underserved populations. Also, many in underserved communities do not have the ability to get to health care centers to receive care.

A recent North Jersey Health Collaborative report found that access to health care and easy and safe access to transportation — specifically to health care facilities — were areas of significant need in Sussex County. The report also found that there are more residents for every single health care provider in Sussex County than in the state overall. These challenges put at risk the health of many in our rural areas, especially for the greater Sussex County area.

The $314,500 federal investment clawed back for Zufall Health Center’s pharmaceutical delivery program and pop-up vaccination clinics for children and adults will:

• Help Zufall purchase a new van fitted with a vaccine fridge to deliver medicine across Sussex County and to hold pop-up, public vaccination clinics. It will support their “Peds in the Park” program to help parents get their kids up to date on vaccines, their outdoor pop-up flu and COVID vaccine clinics, and their pharmaceutical at-home delivery system to make sure our residents are always receiving the medicines they need.
• Help hire two new pharmacists and cover their salaries for three years — a dispensing pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist to serve Sussex County. Having an additional dispensing pharmacist means that medications can be prepared, processed, and out the door to families faster, boosting the quality and efficiency of care. The new clinical pharmacist is critical to educating patients on the medicines they are taking and working at pop-up vaccination clinics. Underserved families who may not be able to get to a pharmacy will now be able to have their medications delivered right to their door and be able to ask a clinical pharmacist any questions they have face-to-face.

“With this new federal investment, Zufall is bringing high quality, affordable health care directly to our seniors, veterans, and underserved populations. They are truly revolutionizing health care in so many ways,” Gottheimer said. “Think about a senior citizen who can’t drive anymore — especially far distances. Think about someone who may have trouble walking or getting up and down stairs. Or think of someone who relies on daily medication for their diabetes. Or even a parent who might be working long hours and can’t make it to the pharmacy to pick up meds for their kids. If people can’t get their medicine or vaccines, then it leads to more health crises and a strain on our health care system. That means longer lines at the few health centers available, and — more likely than not — a higher cost for families to get the treatment they need — if they can get to the point of care at all.”

Gottheimer was joined at Zufall Health in Newton by President and CEO of Zufall Health Centers Eva Turbiner and USDA Community Programs Specialist Vanessa Galante.

Gottheimer has also fought to protect access to telehealth services. He cosponsored and helped pass the Advancing Telehealth Beyond 2019 Act — an important extension of telehealth services included in this year’s government funding package. He also helped claw back broadband resources for Warren and Sussex Counties, including in the COVID CARES 2 package, which he helped negotiate at the end of the last Administration. It included resources for broadband programs nationwide, and established the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to help households access broadband and the COVID-19 Telehealth Program to help healthcare providers treat COVID patients through connected care technologies.

Gottheimer is helping lower taxes for North Jersey families by clawing back our federal tax dollars to Jersey from Washington to make life more affordable and safer, and to improve our communities. Gottheimer recently announced that New Jersey’s Fifth District has clawed 357% more federal tax dollars back from Washington and the Moocher States since he took office. For 2021 alone, the federal tax dollars clawed back amount to an average savings of more than $750 for each household in the Fifth District.

Through Gottheimer’s work with mayors, councils, first responders, and nonprofits, the Fifth District has realized a far better Return on Investment on the tax dollars North Jersey residents send to Washington every year.