Growing up in an underserved community, Deborah Visconi saw firsthand what not having access to healthcare does to families and communities. As president and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC), Visconi has been breaking down barriers to ensure everyone can access healthcare when and where they need it.
When she started her career as a phlebotomist and lab technician, Visconi did not envision one day leading the largest hospital in New Jersey. But she could see the flaws in the system and, driven to make it better, earned her master's in public health and health administration from the New School for Social Research.
"I just had this passion for helping communities, helping others, saving the world," Visconi told Northwest Bergen Lifestyles. "It's been my North Star to make sure we fix some of the issues in healthcare, especially related to serving vulnerable populations."
Since 2017, she's brought that passion to Bergen New Bridge. Formerly Bergen Pines, the 100-plus-year-old hospital has grown into a 1,070-bed, full-service hospital with satellite offices throughout the county.
"When I took the reins, this hospital didn't have the greatest reputation. It wasn't the beacon of health and hope for the communities I believed it could be," Visconi explains. "With that in mind, I took a genuine approach to understanding the healthcare needs of our communities and delivering on those needs."
A not-for-profit, safety-net facility, BNBMC now provides the same services as other local hospitals (except labor and delivery). Its 24/7 emergency department accepts everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, and is an in-network provider with most insurers in the state.
The main campus in Paramus, set on 62 pine-tree-lined acres, has a million square feet of facilities, with surgical suites, radiologic services, and more. The hospital and its offsite offices are clinical affiliates of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and offer more than 26 medical specialties including veteran services, and elder care.
"Behavioral health is certainly still one of our core service lines," Visconti notes. "It's becoming more and more important to have these services available given some of the mental health crises that we're seeing."
To meet that need, BNBMC ramped up behavioral health services for adults and youth, including inpatient and outpatient programs for acute mental health care, addiction, eating disorders, and dual diagnosis.
“There's been exacerbation of mental health issues among our children and adolescents," she says. "We know that our children are suffering. We see it in our community, so we've expanded our children's offerings to meet that need.”
New youth programs include the Hope & Resiliency Center for Youth, an outpatient program that takes a holistic approach to addressing the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families, and Teen T.H.R.I.V.E (Think. Health. Respect. Inspire. Value. Empowerment., which works with the local schools to identify and treat at-risk teens before they fall through the cracks.
This month, Bergen New Bridge will break ground on an expansion to the Behavioral Health Emergency Department, more than tripling the number of beds to 30. Instead of the stark, clinical setting common in ERs, the new facilities will offer a soothing, living-room model of care. A new Depression Center of Excellence with expanded treatment modalities, including TMS and ECT protocols, is also in the works.
To meet the community's general healthcare needs, BNBMC partnered with Inserra Supermarkets to open CareRite Now clinics inside ShopRite stores in Hillsdale, New Milford, and Wallington, with more set to open soon.
"Many times, families can't get out of the house to get healthcare, but you always need to go out to buy food," she says. "So, I thought, How cool would it be if you could take one trip to ShopRite, buy groceries, and get your child a wellness checkup, school physical, or vaccine? If you're not feeling well, you can see a doctor, get diagnostic tests, and have results within the hour."
One of her more significant achievements at BNBMC came during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was able to make inroads with the Ramapough Lenape Nation.
"Talk about a stigmatized, underserved community," Visconi notes. "We wanted to bring them vaccines. It took a while to penetrate their barrier."
Standing beside Ramapough Lenape Nation Chief Dwaine Perry was a career highlight.
She shares: "To hear his gratitude that, for the first time, his community had access to life-saving therapies at the same time as everybody else, thanks to Bergen New Bridge."
The vaccine outreach provided an opening with the tribe, and that relationship continues to grow. Bergen New Bridge's finance team entered the community and helped members enroll in Medicaid, granting many access to healthcare services for the first time.
"It's those types of things that set us apart from the others," she explains. "This is what we do: We reach out, touch people, and address their needs in a kind, compassionate, and equitable manner."
Donations help support the not-for-profit community hospital. The Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Foundation, a 501(c)3, raises financial resources to enhance the campus, support innovation, and fund programs. For information about its Sept. 30 Golf Outing or to donate, e-mail foundation@newbridgehealth.org.
To learn more about Bergen New Bridge's services, visit newbridgehealth.org. For behavioral health services, call the Access Center at 800-730-2762.
"I just had this passion for helping communities, helping others, saving the world."
