In 1990, Dr. Bob and Kay Zufall opened the doors to a modest evening clinic in Dover, New Jersey. Bob was a retired urologist, Kay a devoted community volunteer. With a little seed money, dedicated volunteers, borrowed supplies, and their own determination, the Zufall’s began providing medical care for low-income neighbors. What began as one night a week clinic housed in the Morris County Organization of Hispanic Affairs quickly grew, sustained by community interest and public and private support.
Over time, the grassroots Dover Community Clinic evolved, gaining designation as a federally qualified health venter in 2004 and renamed in honor of the Zufall’s two years later. Today it is a trusted community institution that provides comprehensive medical, dental, and behavioral health services to more than 50,000 patients each year across seven counties.
Zufall Health’s growth is a story of resilience and adaptation. As health needs in northern New Jersey evolved, Zufall expanded its reach with new sites, innovative programs, and partnerships across sectors. Yet the spirit of heart and persistence remains, echoing the very qualities that sustained Kay and Bob Zufall in the early days.
At its core, Zufall Health has always been about more than medicine. Zufall Health now delivers an array of integrated services: from primary care, dentistry, and behavioral health to supportive programs such as nutrition counseling, case management, and social services. Its teams care for newborns and seniors, individuals experiencing homelessness, farmworkers in the fields, and families working to make ends meet. Mobile medical and dental units extend care directly into underserved communities, carrying forward the founders’ commitment to meeting patients where they are. By offering consistent, affordable care, Zufall Health has helped community residents gain stability, security, and the chance to thrive.
At its 35th anniversary, Zufall Health’s maintains an enduring commitment to the values that motivated its very first clinic night: people believing that their neighbors deserved better and doing the hard work to make it possible. From that foundation, a regional health system grew — one that continues to embody the conviction that health care is for everyone, and that persistence, fueled by heart, can change entire communities.
This article was published in 2025.
