Deb Visconi, president and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, on Thursday was installed as the 2026 board chair of the New Jersey Hospital Association.
Visconi’s role was one of four board positions celebrated during the NJHA annual meeting in Princeton, including:
- Vice chair: Dr. Rob Brenner, CEO of Valley Health System;
- Treasurer: Patricia O’Keefe, president of Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center and senior vice president and chief nursing executive, Atlantic Health;
- Secretary: Eric Carney, CEO, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, RWJBarnabas Health.
NJHA, founded in 1918, has 400 members spanning New Jersey’s health care community including hospitals, health systems and post-acute care providers. Together, they pursue the NJHA mission of improving the health of New Jerseyans.
As the leader of a safety net facility serving vulnerable communities, Visconi underscored the turbulent times confronting the health care system, including billions in federal Medicaid cuts and the loss of health insurance for an estimated 350,000 residents.
Despite this, Visconi said New Jersey hospitals remain steadfast in their commitment, caring for 15 million patients annually with their 162,000 skilled and compassionate employees and investing $7 billion in healthy communities, including free and discounted care for those with limited means.
“These incredible impacts are the product of our collective values, which are unshakeable – quality, affordable, accessible, equitable care for all New Jerseyans,” she said. “We are the backbone, a constant in our communities. Now more than ever, we need to be that safe harbor.”
Visconi succeeds 2025 Chair Mark Stauder, who recently retired as chief operating officer of Hackensack Meridian Health.
In her remarks to members, NJHA CEO Cathy Bennett said the health care system persists in its caring mission despite “relentless disruption.”
“In every hospital, every facility, on every shift, the winds around us are swirling — reimbursement pressures, workforce strain, new technology reshaping how we work, political flashpoints and visible unrest in our communities,” she said. “Yet for our field, a few fundamental truths do not change: We care for all who come through our doors, and we create opportunities for all who choose to serve. That is who we are as New Jersey’s system of healthcare, and that is not negotiable.”
Bennett outlined key priorities for NJHA and its members to serve their patients, team members and communities in these urgent times including:
- Keeping essential services open in every community
- Strengthening the healthcare workforce
- Stabilizing healthcare financing so hospitals can keep their doors open and invest in the future
- Closing the equity gap to ensure culturally responsive care
- Preserving public trust.
