Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., has broken ground on a major emergency department expansion that will add 19 beds and create separate spaces for patients in need of mental health services.
"We are going to break walls down to make an emergency department that will allow people to get acute care, the emergency care they critically need in a way that is dignified," James Edesco, III, a Bergen County executive, said in a May 13 news release.
The expansion will nearly triple the existing emergency department's capacity, and is estimated to cost up to $10 million, officials told northjersey.com. Once complete, the ED will have 49 beds, up from 19, 30 of which will be dedicated to behavioral health and substance use disorder patients. More than half of those coming into the hospital seen at the hospital's ED are in need of mental health services.
"We're not a hospital that can go on a mental health divert and send patients elsewhere," Darian Eletto, MD, chief clinical officer of behavioral health at Bergen New Bridge, told the news outlet. "This is what we're known for."
The project involves a living room concept meant to foster a calming environment through lower lighting, weighted blankets and other features for neurodivergent patients and those experiencing a mental health crisis. It is expected to be completed early next year.
Bergen New Bridge is a not-for-profit safety net facility. It is a clinical affiliate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.