The revamped cervical cancer screening program at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center that has saved $3.7 million in two years is an incredible achievement. One that is now earning the hospital international recognition.
On Tuesday, the Paramus-based medical center became the only U.S. recipient of this year’s UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Team of Distinction Award.
The UNIVANTS award — the name stands for “unity” and “avant-garde” — was created by Abbott along with other health care organizations to recognize teams solving unmet needs with measurable results.
At Bergen New Bridge, the multidisciplinary team that includes Ilham Atir, laboratory director; Katie Richardson, senior vice president of operations; Raquel Ortiz, vice president of ambulatory care; Diane Darmody, chief nursing officer; and Dr. Charlie Celestine, gynecology, were given the honor.
The team’s target was a familiar problem: traditional HPV testing often left patients and doctors without a clear answer, leading to anxiety and follow-up procedures that weren’t always necessary.
The fix had two parts.
The medical center adopted a high-risk extended HPV genotype assay, which can identify 14 high-risk HPV types, allowing doctors to fast-track patients who need immediate follow-up while sparing lower-risk patients from invasive scans they don’t need. It also introduced patient self-collection as an alternative to the traditional pap smear, which many patients find uncomfortable and invasive.
The results, according to the medical center: screening and follow-up visits are up 79.3%, patient satisfaction tied to women’s health visits is up 14%, appointments for women’s health services are up 13%, and no-show rates for follow-up visits are down 21%. Between 2024 and 2025, the changes saved the medical center $3.7 million.
Bergen New Bridge CEO Deb Visconi obviously is thrilled.
“This collaborative effort to innovate an essential screening test for women is a game changer for the Medical Center and, most importantly, our patients,” she said.
“We are dedicated to being a beacon of health, hope, and healing, and now by transforming our cervical cancer screening process we are expanding access to this essential women’s health service while providing greater patient satisfaction and improving health and wellness outcomes.”
