Tag: Bergen Regional Medical Center

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Bergen Regional Medical Center has a New Name, New Bridge Medical Center

Bergen Regional Medical Center has a New Name, New Bridge Medical Center

photo courtesy of Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco

October 3,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paraums NJ, On Monday Bergen County officials unveiled the new name of the former Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus.Bergen Regional Medical Center is now New Bridge Medical Center, a clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

Care Plus Bergen, Inc. was welcomed at a ceremony Monday morning . The new non-profit is an alliance between Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Integrity House, and Care Plus NJ Inc., and will manage the day to day operations of the hospital and its core services of behavioral health, addiction treatment, long-term care and acute care.

John Mitchell Former Chairman at Bergen County Freeholder said ,”New Bridge Medical Center is the new name for the former Bergen Regional Medical Center…
…A bridge to a bright new future is underway as the County of Bergen and Care Plus Bergen begin a new partnership at NJ’s largest public hospital…
…I very much look forward to serving on the Care Plus Bergen Board of Trustees and having the goal of connecting compassion with quality care…”

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said ,

Today, the County of Bergen officially began the new and exciting journey for New Jersey’s largest public hospital. Members from the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the new medical center management team of Care Plus Bergen with third party-operators- Care Plus NJ, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Integrity House, and I officially unveiled the name new name of the facility – New Bridge Medical Center – at a ceremony morning.

New Bridge is a name that reflects both Bergen County history and the vision for the future of this medical center.

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.

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.

This is truly another great day for Bergen County!

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911 Call Leads to Unconscious Male Found at South Maple in Ridgewood

ridgewood police Unconscious Male

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A 911 telephone caller that reported observing an adult male laying unconscious behind a group of bushes on South Maple Avenue near Walton Street, Ridgewood resulted in an immediate response from Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS personnel on Thursday afternoon, 03/30. The first arriving Ridgewood PD officers determined that the individual was conscious and breathing, but highly intoxicated. He was transported by ambulance to Bergen Regional Medical Center for treatment as per requirements of the NJ State Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Act.

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ACTING BERGEN PROSECUTOR GURBIR S. GREWAL ANNOUNCES THE ARRESTS OF 40 INDIVIDUALS AS A RESULT OF “OPERATION HELPING HAND”

Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S
September 1, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the arrests of 40 people from August 28, 2016 through Thursday, September 1, 2016, as the result of “Operation Helping Hand” – an innovative and collaborative law enforcement and public health initiative targeting the heroin and opioid crisis in Bergen County.

Ridgewood had two residents Christopher J. O’Brien and Lyndsay A. Paul, both 32, who were charged with possession of heroin.
This investigation was the result of a multi-jurisdictional task force consisting of local and county agencies coordinated by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Officer-in-Charge, Deputy Chief Robert ANZILOTTI. Assisting in this investigation were members of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael SAUDINO. These detectives and officers formed the backbone of the multiagency task force. The municipal police agencies participating in this investigation were: Bergenfield Police Department; Cliffside Park Police Department; Dumont Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Elmwood Park Police Department; Fort Lee Police Department; Lyndhurst Police Department; Mahwah Police Department; New Milford Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Tenafly Police Department; and Upper Saddle River Police Department. In addition, valuable assistance was provided by Bergen County officials, including Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco, III, and Bergen Regional Medical Center.In 2015, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Intel Unit and Narcotic Task Force analyzed overdose data as well as deployments of NARCAN, the overdose reversal drug, in
Bergen County. That analysis revealed the following with respect to 2015:
288 total reported overdoses, 231 of which were heroin/opioid-related;
87 overdose fatalities, 71 of which were heroin/opioid-related; and
187 NARCAN deployments by law enforcement officers, resulting in 170 lives saved.In 2015, the hardest hit municipalities were:
Garfield with 23 overdoses;
Lyndhurst with 20 overdoses;
Fort Lee with 15 overdoses;
Lodi with 15 overdoses; and
Cliffside Park with 14 overdoses.Similar analysis of available data for 2016 year-to-date, revealed the following:
202 reported overdoses, 158 of which were heroin/opioid overdoses; and 48 total overdose fatalities, 40 of which are believed heroin/opioid-related.

In an effort to address this issue in a novel way, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office collaborated with Bergen Regional Medical Center to set aside a number of 5-day detox beds for a one-week period for individuals arrested on drug charges, who were battling addiction. Thereafter, on August 28, 2016, members of the multiagency task force described above began enforcement actions in areas known for narcotics sales, namely heroin sales. As a result of those operations, the task force arrested the individuals reflected on the attached spreadsheet. In addition to arresting them, task force members presented the option of participating in a voluntary detox program at Bergen Regional Medical Center that was available to them. The detox program was not in lieu of criminal charges. Approximately 12 individuals have afforded themselves to the detox option, and task force officers then either transported or are presently in the process of transporting those individuals to Bergen Regional Medical Center to enter into the detox program.

Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Grewal states that the charges against the defendants identified on the attached spreadsheet are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and would also like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Bergen County Executive and Bergen Regional Medical Center, as well as all the municipal departments that participated for their assistance with this initiative.

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Ridgewood Police officers quell disturbance at the Woodlea Group Home

Ridgewood Police Department officers were summoned to quell a disturbance at the Woodlea Group Home

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

June 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, More than one half dozen uniformed and plain clothes Ridgewood Police Department officers were summoned to quell a disturbance at the Woodlea Group Home, 138 Prospect Street, Ridgewood late Tuesday afternoon, 06/07. One juvenile female was transported under police guard to Bergen Regional Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation after the situation was brought under control. Ridgewood EMS and Ridgewood FD first responders were dispatched to the location in connection with an individual who reportedly suffered human bite wounds during the disturbance. No victims were observed being transported from the scene by ambulance. Woodlea is a home for foster juvenile females operated by the Children’s Aid and Family Services organization of Paramus.

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Future’s on the line for Bergen Regional Medical Center

Bergen_regional_medical_center_theridgewoodblog

BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

With a year to go before the contract with the operators of Bergen Regional Medical Center expires, county officials are weighing several options for the institution. That decision will affect tens of thousands of patients, renew scrutiny of the for-profit company that runs the hospital, and affect regional health care for decades.

The 19-year contract between the company that runs the Paramus hospital, Bergen Regional Medical Center LP, and the Bergen County Improvement Authority, is set to expire in March 2017.

Lawmakers, several county officials and others say it’s time for a change.

Critics complain the agreement has shortchanged patients and taxpayers and allowed a for-profit company to skirt millions in repairs while reaping substantial profits from the county-owned hospital.

“This was never a good deal for the people of Bergen County,” said state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck.

There’s much more at stake than drafting a new agreement.

Experts say it’s essential to preserve Bergen Regional — a linchpin in New Jersey’s fragile mental health system as more psychiatric facilities close and other hospitals cut or eliminate unprofitable mental health units. The hospital’s services are needed more than ever for seniors, addicts and even children.

“Although it’s a county facility, Bergen Regional is crucial to the entire state mental health system,” said Phil Lubitz, associate director of the National Alliance on Mental Health of New Jersey.

In the next several months, county officials will consider fundamental questions: Should the hospital continue providing psychiatric, long-term and acute services? Is it wise to have a for-profit operator continue to manage the county’s facility? Are staffing and equipment adequate? Should Bergen County invest capital in a hospital that serves so many patients who don’t live in the county?

https://www.northjersey.com/news/future-s-on-the-line-for-bergen-regional-medical-center-1.1515470

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Bergen Regional Medical Center seeks N.J. approval to expand detox unit

Bergen_regional_medical_center_theridgewoodblog

SEPTEMBER 6, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The operators of Bergen Regional Medical Center have applied for state approval to add 10 beds to its drug- and alcohol-detoxification unit in the face of an epidemic of heroin-related cases in North Jersey.

News of the move came less than two weeks after three freeholders urged Bergen County Executive James Tedesco to “pursue a dialogue” with the private operator of the county-owned hospital in Paramus to expand its 54-bed detox unit.

Bergen Regional CEO Susan Mendelowitz responded in an Aug. 26 letter to Tedesco, noting that the hospital had already applied to add 10 more beds to the unit. She said the additional beds were in response to what she called “the intensity of the drug and alcohol epidemic we face.”

She also noted that the hospital has two other longer-term units, including one for patients who also have mental-health disorders plus an outpatient treatment program for substance abuse.

“I believe we are all on the same page with our commitment to provide appropriate care and treatment options for this ever increasing epidemic,” she wrote.

Tedesco spokeswoman Alicia D’Alessandro called the hospital’s decision “a step in the right direction.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/hospital-seeks-ok-to-expand-detox-unit-1.1404681

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3 Bergen County freeholders ask Bergen Regional Medical Center to expand drug detox unit

Bergen_regional_medical_center_theridgewoodblog

AUGUST 24, 2015, 5:31 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, 7:40 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Three Bergen County freeholders want the private operator of the county-owned Bergen Regional Medical Center to expand its drug detoxification unit to help deal with the epidemic of heroin addiction in the county.

But hospital officials say they have already taken the first steps toward increasing the 54 beds currently available for short-term treatment of recovering drug and alcohol addicts.

The issue comes at a time when the heroin-related deaths in Bergen County have spiked. The New Jersey Medical Examiners office reported in June that there were 42 heroin-related deaths in 2014, a 61 percent increase over 2013 and the third largest increase of any county in the state.

Freeholders Thomas Sullivan, Joan Voss and Tracy Zur sent a letter Thursday to County Executive James Tedesco asking him to “pursue a dialog” with Bergen Regional officials about expanding services.

“We are all well aware of the heroin epidemic in our midst,” the freeholders wrote. “We have attended too many funerals for people who have lost their battles to addiction.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/3-bergen-county-freeholders-ask-bergen-regional-medical-center-to-expand-drug-detox-unit-1.1397674

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County Exec Tedesco appoints 15 to study future of Bergen Regional Medical Center

Bergen_regional_medical_center_theridgewoodblog

JUNE 12, 2015, 8:28 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015, 8:44 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco on Friday named 15 members to a task force that will study the future of Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Tedesco wants the panel to come up with recommendations on what should be done when the current 19-year lease with the private company running the county-owned hospital expires on March 1, 2017.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/county-exec-tedesco-appoints-15-to-study-future-of-bergen-regional-medical-center-1.1355257

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Panel to explore options on future of Bergen Regional Medical Center

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APRIL 13, 2015, 6:16 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015, 6:19 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco has created the framework for a 15-person panel to advise him on what could be one of the biggest decisions facing his administration: the future of Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Tedesco signed an executive order Friday creating a health advisory committee. He has not named the panel members except for one: County Administrator Dominic Novelli. But the order outlines where the other panel members will come from and the scope of what they will study. The panel will include:

A representative from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents blue collar and craft service employees at the hospital.
A representative of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, which represents nurses, social workers, substance abuse and addiction counselors and recreation therapists at the hospital.
A medical doctor with a practice in Bergen County.
Two members of the Freeholder board.
Six Bergen County community representatives.
A representative from the Bergen County Health Department.
A representative from the Bergen County mental health community.
A board member from the Bergen County Improvement Authority.

Tedesco said he expects to name the committee members within two weeks. He added that he will be flexible on a timeline for the committee to report back to him.

“I’ve not put a specific date in it, because I don’t want to hamstring the committee nor the professionals and have them not do a thorough job,” he said.

The county-owned hospital in Paramus is run by a private operator under a 19-year lease that expires in March 2017.

Tedesco has asked the advisory panel to explore the following options:

A third-party operator with a new lease and operating agreement.
Creation of a new joint operating company involving the Improvement Authority and/or the county, along with a third partner.
Creation by the county and/or the Improvement Authority of a not-for-profit corporation to operate the hospital.
Partnering with the Veteran’s Administration to expand veteran services offered by the hospital.
Any other options considered by the committee.

There is one option not open for study. Tedesco, a Democrat, made it clear during his campaign for county executive that he would not favor including the possible sale of the hospital.

On that point he differed with his opponent, former County Executive Kathleen Donovan, a Republican, who argued that all options should be studied, including a possible sale.

Tedesco’s committee replaces a seven-member panel that Donovan named in September. She was criticized at the time by Tedesco and two other freeholders for not having enough people on her panel.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/panel-to-explore-options-on-future-of-bergen-regional-medical-center-1.1308080