County of Bergen Unveils New Name of New Jersey’s Largest Hospital, New Bridge Medical Center

On Oct 2, 2017

The County of Bergen unveiled the name of New Jersey’s largest hospital and the fourth-largest publicly owned hospital in the nation, New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, a clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, at a celebration this morning. New Bridge Medical Center is part of New Bridge Health, a health care system uniting services across the continuum of care. County officials also welcomed Care Plus Bergen, Inc. as the new not-for-profit operator of New Bridge Medical Center.  Care Plus Bergen Inc., an innovative alliance between three world-class partners – Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Integrity House, and Care Plus NJ Inc., will manage the day to day operations of New Bridge Medical Center, strengthening the hospital’s core services of behavioral health, addiction treatment, long-term care, and acute care, while ensuring greater access to primary care for all Bergen County residents, as New Bridge Medical Center continues to play a critical role in health care delivery for patients and families in Bergen County and across New Jersey.

“This is an exciting moment for the New Bridge Medical Center, its patients and staff, and the people of Bergen County,” said Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III. “New Bridge Medical Center has a deep and rich history, serving the people of this great county for over a century, and it is with respect for the past that we are eager to forge a new future. Our world-class partners – Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Integrity House, and Care Plus NJ Inc. – have formed a groundbreaking collaboration that will revitalize and strengthen the high-quality, patient-centered care we provide to patients and families across our communities. The future is bright for our nation’s fourth largest public hospital, and I am confident that New Bridge Medical Center will become the regional health care destination for northern New Jersey.

New Bridge Medical Center will enhance long-term care, acute care and behavioral health services while maintaining the hospital’s core mission of treating people with mental health and substance abuse issues.  New Bridge Medical Center will also increase access to much-needed services across 27 medical specialties in order to meet the needs of Bergen County residents and patients. Care Plus Bergen’s first-rate partners bring distinct areas of expertise and specialties to New Bridge Medical Center’s services, including:

• In-patient Behavioral Care & Aftercare Services – Care Plus NJ Inc. has experienced, dedicated behavioral health specialists who will integrate exemplary in-patient behavioral care seamlessly with connected community aftercare services.
• Enhancing & Increasing Access to Addiction & Substance Services – Integrity House, experts in addiction and substance abuse treatment and recovery support services, will enhance New Bridge Medical Center’s leadership in fighting addiction and substance abuse while expanding access to treatment to more residents.
• Adding 50 New, World-Class Physicians & Expanding Acute & Ambulatory Care – Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, a renowned teaching institution and operator of medical facilities, will add nearly 50 new physicians to New Bridge Medical Center’s medical staff over the next three years and greatly expand acute and ambulatory care.

In line with County Executive Tedesco’s vision, New Bridge Medical Center will pursue innovative ways to improve health care access for the nearly 40,000 veterans living in Bergen County and northern New Jersey. Furthermore, New Bridge Medical Center, which is recognized as a leading health care provider in substance abuse treatment, will continue to be at the forefront of combatting the opioid epidemic by increasing access to these specific services. The hospital is committed to working with each of its partners to deliver first-rate, compassionate and innovative care to support every patient through their recovery.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Bergen County Executive James Tedesco to form New Bridge Medical Center,” said Joseph Masciandaro, Care Plus Bergen Inc. Interim Board Chairman. “We are honored to serve the residents and families across Bergen County, advancing this institution into a first-class health care provider. We remain focused on enhancing services to veterans; integrating primary care with behavioral care; extending the continuum of care through collaborations with other local hospitals and community based organizations; confronting the opioid epidemic by improving access to care; and providing ongoing medical and social interventions.”

The County of Bergen has committed an initial investment of more than $50 million in immediate capital improvements to New Bridge Medical Center. These investments in cutting-edge technology include: renovating the hospital’s operating rooms and upgrading radiology equipment, as well as technology enhancements and structural improvements. The critical technology enhancements include upgrading the  Paragon electronic health record platform, a state-of-the-art online medical records system, which will improve communications between physicians and hospitals, increase efficiency, and encourage information sharing across providers to improve overall patient care.

“What a tremendous honor and privilege to be the first chief executive officer of New Bridge Medical Center,” said Deborah Visconi, President and Chief Executive Officer, New Bridge Medical Center. “I am eager to work with the County of Bergen and our partners at Care Plus Bergen to further enhance this historic medical center and transform it into an even more vibrant contributor to Bergen County communities.  New Bridge Medical Center will continue to serve as a critical safety net for those in need, but will further expand its services to better meet the needs of all Bergen County residents. Today marks the beginning of an incredible journey and together we will transform New Bridge Medical Center into a premier health care destination for patients and families across Bergen County and New Jersey.”

The formation of New Bridge Medical Center was the result of a thorough and deliberative process that began several years ago by Bergen County Executive James Tedesco. In October 2015, County Executive Tedesco established a Healthcare Advisory Committee to study different options for the future of the medical center. The committee’s efforts culminated in its April 2016 report, which outlined the qualities and experience that future hospital partners should possess. These attributes formed the basis for a Request for Qualifications and a Request for Proposals released in June and August 2016. The County established an evaluation committee to review and rank responses to the selection process for the next operator. After an intensive review, in concurrence with an evaluation committee, the County recommended that Care Plus Bergen become the next tenant-operator of the hospital, which the Board of Chosen Freeholders and the County Improvement Authority Commissioners unanimously approved.

“This is a historic moment for the residents of Bergen County,” said Freeholder Chairwoman Tracy Silna Zur. “New Bridge Medical Center will allow us to meet the needs of the communities we serve while continuing to lead the way in mental health and substance abuse treatment, which is so critical as we face a burgeoning opioid addiction crisis. I look forward to collaborating with New Bridge Medical Center’s leadership team in a smart and efficient way to ensure we are delivering top notch services to the people in our region who need it most.”

The Care Plus Bergen Inc. lease began on October 1, 2017, and focuses on collaboration, partnership, transparency and alignment of interests and includes, but is not limited to, the following provisions:

• Not-for-profit tenant operator;
• No related party transactions;
• BCIA/County control of all revenues after the payment of operational expenses;
• Oversight and approval of operational budget;
• Implementation of strict patient care standards including Oryx Performance Measurement Report, Hospital Based Inpatient Psychiatric Services (HBIPS) standards;
• Ability to take over not-for-profit operator and operations in event of breach;
• Requirement to maintain safety net status; and
• BCIA/County control of capital improvements to ensure that the facility is appropriately maintained.

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