Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Celebrates Five Year Anniversary
Bergen New Bridge celebrated its continuing transformation & renaissance
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center celebrated its five-year anniversary event attended by elected officials, dignitaries, hospital leadership and staff, community partners, and many others.
In 2017, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center was renamed by the county as part of a plan to completely transform the hospital. An innovative alliance was formed between Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Integrity House and Care Plus NJ Inc. to create Care Plus Bergen, Inc. which manages the Medical Center. Bergen New Bridge has focused on strengthening its core services of behavioral health, addiction treatment, long-term care and acute care while dramatically expanding access to care for all Bergen County residents.
The program began with Willie Harris, the longest active employee of the hospital with 55 years of service who led the Pledge of Allegiance. Students from the Bergen County Technical Schools at Teterboro sang the national anthem and performed an inspirational song for attendees.
Featured guest speakers talked about the start of the renaissance of the Medical Center, the journey over the last five years and a look forward to the continued transformation and future of New Jersey’s largest hospital.
“On October 2, 2017, we first introduced this incredible group as the new leadership team of BERGEN NEW BRIDGE MEDICAL CENTER focused on the mission of bridging the gap between the residents of Northern New Jersey and vital, equitable healthcare,” said James J. Tedesco, III, Bergen County Executive. “The work we’ve done here has saved the lives of countless Bergen County residents, and we are just getting started. I couldn’t be prouder of Deb Visconi and her team for driving the incredible transformation over the last five years. Today is validation that the commitment I made eight years ago was the best decision for the County and more importantly for our residents.”
“These last five years are a testament to this Medical Center who helped find and hold into those who are struggling in our community, change their health outcomes and innovate how healthcare is provided to those who are most vulnerable,” said Tracy Zur, Chair, Bergen County Board of Commissioners. “The list of accolades and awards Bergen New Bridge has received are a result of the sea change that has taken place here which will allow us to continue to build and grow and thrive.”
“For the last 13 years this hospital has played a critical role in both my work and personal life as my brother lived in long-term care here for a decade,” said Julia Orlando, Chair, Care Plus Bergen Board & Director, Bergen County Housing, Health, and Human Services. “Now, I am transitioning another family member into the care of Bergen New Bridge. It is so hard to watch our loved ones unable to care for themselves, but there is comfort in having a trusted place that understands how vulnerable we become in our surrender, and how much we need them to do what we cannot. I am grateful for the power of passion, professionalism, and persistence of the doctors, the healthcare team and everyone who works here.”
“Over the next few months, we will double the size of our Emergency Department and create a unique ‘Living Room’ concept to better care for children, adolescents, and all those experiencing a mental health crisis. You will see technology enhancements that directly impact our ability to respond quickly and effectively to the health needs of our community,” said Deborah Visconi, President and CEO, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. “These include products like AI Chat, patient care pathways, digital health information sharing systems, online scheduling, and much more. It also means expanding our footprint directly into our communities with several new satellite locations, investing in partnerships to improve healthcare delivery, add diversity to data, and further access to technology and care to those who need it most. All these things continue our fight against healthcare disparities because as we have learned, as a society we are only as healthy and safe from future outbreaks and public health crises as our least healthy and protected neighbor.”
