Project Meducate receives grant from Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board to support their initiatives

Newark, NJ

Project Meducate today announced that it received a $4,000 grant from the Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board, to support its programs and events, which aim to combat healthcare disparities by providing free health clinics and educational resources to underserved communities.

“Too often, people fall through the cracks, only receiving care when it is too late,” explained Rahil Patel, one of the co-founders. “Our goal is to empower both the youth and adults through education, early screenings, and direct community outreach so they could take control of their own health. With the support of organizations such as Atlantic Health, we are able to bring care back into the hands of the community. We are incredibly grateful to the Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board for their generosity and belief in our mission, and we deeply appreciate their support in helping us expand our impact.”

Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center is committed to building healthier communities. This commitment extends beyond the exceptional health care delivered in our hospitals, physician offices and facilities. Understanding and supporting the needs of our local communities is a priority for Atlantic Health. The Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board, a group of individuals from throughout the communities served by the hospital, identified priority health needs within the community, using robust data analysis and a community stakeholder survey.

The Community Advisory Board awarded grants to 19 recipient organizations who proposed initiatives that address one or more priority health needs in this Spring 2026 period. 

Project Meducate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to combating healthcare disparities by providing free health clinics and educational resources to underserved communities. Founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, Project Meducate empowers individuals to take control of their health through early screenings, education, and direct community outreach, while also fostering the next generation of compassionate healthcare leaders.

“We are honored to help support Project Meducate’s programs,” said Frank Macioce , chair of the Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board. “By working together with organizations like Project Meducate, we can make a true impact for the better in the lives of our community members.”

Beyond health screenings and education, Project Meducate focuses on compassion and trust, recognizing that many underserved individuals lack fundamental health knowledge and face distrust with the healthcare system. “In serving individuals who sometimes could not remember the last doctor they visited, I internalized the importance of open-minded and compassionate healthcare,” shared Amogh Kudva, another co-founder. This reflects the organization’s commitment to addressing not only medical needs of the patients they serve but also the social determinants of health.

With the grant awarded by the Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board, Project Meducate hopes to deepen its impact by strengthening partnerships with trusted community organizations and connecting with patients in need. Improved volunteer training protocols will further elevate the quality and consistency of care we provide. As always, services such as blood pressure, BMI, and glucose screenings remain foundational to outreach efforts, and Project Meducate is currently developing follow-up pathways to help connect patients with long-term care resources. Through these collaborations and continued efforts, Project Meducate remains deeply committed to transforming both communities and the future of healthcare—one volunteer, one clinic, and one conversation at a time.

About Atlantic Health

Atlantic Health is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 25,000 team members and more than 5,667 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.

The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Atlantic Health Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Atlantic Health Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with almost 2,000 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 4,000

health care providers throughout northern and central NJ. 

Atlantic Health provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 26 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health. 

Founded by Atlantic Health, the Healthcare Transformation Consortium is a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability. Atlantic Health has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.