When Deb Visconi first stepped into the emergency department at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in 2017, the need was obvious — the space was doing far more than it was ever designed to do.
A department built for 17 patients wasn’t just treating emergencies. It seemingly had become a community health care center, one where behavioral‑health crises, dementia‑related episodes, pediatric emergencies, chronic‑disease flare‑ups and uninsured walk‑ins all converged.
She quickly realized: This team is delivering extraordinary care inside an environment that simply doesn’t respect the work they do.
Fixing that became a mission.
What began as a necessary upgrade evolved into an eight‑year campaign — slowed by COVID, supply‑chain chaos and the complexities of health care construction — to build not just a bigger emergency department, but a smarter one.
One that acknowledged the realities of modern health care: Rising behavioral‑health needs, collapsing access to primary care and a growing number of patients who rely on the emergency room not because they choose to, but because they don’t have anywhere else to go.
Today, that vision is finally ready to open.
With 48 rooms — triple the original footprint — and a design that separates medical emergencies from behavioral‑health needs while still integrating them under one coordinated team, Bergen New Bridge’s new ED is a statement of purpose.
Hours before the official ribbon-cutting Tuesday, BINJE walked through the new emergency department, giving Visconi a chance to discuss why the expansion matters, how it was designed and how this new front door will reshape care for years to come.
Here’s a look at that walk-and-talk conversation, edited slightly for space and clarity.
BINJE: There were a lot of priorities in 2017. Quite frankly, the hospital appeared to be on the verge of closing. Why did the emergency department become one of your top priorities?
DEB VISCONI: When I arrived, it was clear the emergency department was the front door of the hospital. It’s where so many people in the community enter, often in a moment of crisis, and the space just didn’t reflect the level of care our team provides. I knew immediately they needed a larger, more appropriate environment — one that matched their expertise and the volume and complexity of the patients we see.
BINJE: For people who never saw the “before” version, what did the emergency department look like — and what does this new space change?
VISCONI: The old ED had 17 beds — or bays, really — and they handled everything: behavioral health, substance use, acute medical emergencies, dementia-related cases. And many of those bays were separated only by curtains.
Now we’re adding 29 additional private rooms, all fully enclosed. The current space will be dedicated to acute medical emergencies only, and the new side will focus on behavioral health, substance‑use disorders and dementia patients. Care will become more personal.
BINJE: Walk me through it. When someone comes who is having trouble breathing, or has a child with a broken leg, or a loved one with dementia, what happens after they check in?
VISCONI: They’re taken right to one of these rooms and treated there. If it’s a treat‑and‑release situation, like a fracture that can be casted, they go home. If someone needs to be admitted, they go upstairs to an inpatient unit, just like any other hospital. The goal is to make the experience efficient, respectful and private.
BINJE: Bergen New Bridge is one of the biggest facilities in the state. It sounds like, for a system your size, you were way under capacity before?
VISCONI: We absolutely were. And that’s not unique — EDs across the region are overwhelmed. People are waiting hours in emergency rooms everywhere, so adding this capacity meets a need far beyond our own walls. And with our model, we’re still able to see patients extremely quickly. From door to doctor is about seven minutes here.
BINJE: Seven minutes?
VISCONI: Yes, seven minutes — and that means an actual doctor, not just the triage nurse.
BINJE: When people hear that, they will come. Of course, they already are. We hear one of the main reasons so many emergency rooms are overwhelmed is because people are using them as primary care. Are you feeling that?
VISCONI: Yes, and we’re going to see even more of it. Changes in federal regulations around Medicaid mean more people are losing coverage and becoming uninsured. When that happens, people end up using the ED as their primary care provider because it’s the one place they know they can go. We’re very tuned into that reality — and this expansion helps us meet it.
BINJE: Behavioral health has long been a cornerstone of Bergen New Bridge. How does this new ED keep you ahead as demand continues to grow?
VISCONI: It’s all in the design and the philosophy. We’ve created an empathetic model of care — stigma‑free, holistic, and focused on dignity. Every patient gets a private room, which is crucial for behavioral‑health needs.
We also added three pediatric rooms with murals and kid‑friendly furniture, plus a dedicated geriatric area with softer floors and calming lighting. And we’re incorporating the EMPATH model, which is for patients who need behavioral‑health support but aren’t in acute crisis. It allows them to be treated by psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and counselors in a setting that feels very different from a traditional ED.
BINJE: You mentioned those three pediatric rooms — but with rising demand, is that enough?
VISCONI: Realistically, probably not — but the rooms are flexible. If we have five pediatric patients at once, we can easily adapt other rooms to accommodate them. And because we have strong outpatient programs, kids who don’t need to be admitted can be referred out quickly. The goal is always to get the right care without delay.
BINJE: You’re also a certified Autism Center. We salute you for addressing that special need. How does the new ED support those patients?
VISCONI: We have specially trained staff who understand how to identify neurodivergent individuals and support them appropriately. These patients don’t need psych evaluations — that’s not what’s going on with them — but in many EDs they get funneled there. Our staff knows how to create a respectful space, reduce overstimulation and get them to the right next step, whether that’s community support, outpatient care or safe discharge.
BINJE: You’ve done so much at Bergen New Bridge. Checking this box has to be satisfying. But we have to ask: What’s next?
VISCONI: We’re expanding our reach into the communities we serve, because not everyone can get to the hospital easily. We’re rolling out our new EPIC electronic medical record system, which is a major investment and will allow us to coordinate care far more efficiently. We’re also enhancing our cardiology program — including installing a cardiac CT, which lets us diagnose heart disease without sending patients to a cath lab. Chronic disease, especially cardiac issues, is a huge need in this area.
BINJE: And you’re opening that new front door. When will people actually get to use the new emergency department?
VISCONI: Within the next week to 10 days. We’re just waiting for the final approval from the Department of Health. Once that comes through, we’re ready to open — and ready to finally give this community the emergency department it deserves.
