Federal grant to fund 'drug delivery' van, pharmacists for rural Sussex County

NEWTON — A new drug delivery van will provide driveway service to clients of Zufall Health Center through a federal grant which provides three years of assistance for a driver and two pharmacists staffing the new vehicle.

Announcement of the $314,000 grant was made in December by health center officials and Congressman Josh Gottheimer, D-5, at the clinic's Spring Street location.

Zufall, headquartered in Morris County, has seven clinics in northern New Jersey providing medical, dental and behavioral health services to underserved families and individuals in Northwestern New Jersey.

The van service began in November with a second-hand vehicle repurposed for drug deliveries. The new van will include refrigerated cases to deliver drugs, as well as hold vaccinations for the pop-up clinics which Zufall holds throughout the county.

In his remarks Gottheimer noted that there are more residents per health care provider in Sussex than in the state overall and the pharmacy delivery service has already served more than 100 patients in it's two months of existence.

Many of those served by Zufall do not have ready access or even transportation to get to a health care facility, he added.

The grant money comes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture which has several programs aimed at rural residents, ranging from health care to home purchases.

The new van will have help support the "Peds in the Park" program which helps keep children up-to-date with vaccines, as well as the various pop-up flu and COVID vaccine clinics, said Eva Turbiner, president/CEO of Zufall.

She said the Newton clinic, located on Spring Street in a storefront just west of Madison Street. The clinic, which takes walk-ins as well as appointments, offers medical and dental services for pediatrics, women and geriatric patients.

The two new pharmacy positions include a dispensing pharmacist who can prepare, process and get drugs quicker to the van for delivery. The second pharmacist will focus on clinical work to educate patients on the medicines they are taking and working at the pop-up vaccination clinics.

More:Opioid settlements with CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and others could give NJ $508 million

That person will also be available to talk directly with patients about their medications. The van is also equipped with a unit for those drugs which require refrigeration.

The van will also help support the clinic's “Peds in the Park” program to help parents get their kids up to date on vaccines, as well as the outdoor pop-up flu and COVID vaccine clinics.

“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," said Gottheimer. "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."

Turbiner said the Newton office serves about 5,000 client and 15,000 appointments a year. At the end of Gottheimer's presentation, she presented him with a 2022 Community Advocate award from the National Association of Community Health Centers.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Gottheimer announces federal grant for drug delivery service in Sussex