Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is celebrating expanded capacity and upgrades at its recently updated Emergency Department.
The Paramus public hospital announced the milestone Feb. 11. The work more than doubled BNB’s footprint, increasing capacity from 19 to 47 treatment beds.
The space is purposefully designed to deliver faster, more equitable care for patients. As ED volume increases statewide, Bergen New Bridge said its expansion reinforces its position as a critical safety-net provider.
According to KFF data, New Jersey Emergency Department visits per 1,000 people hit 397 in 2024. The figure represents a steady increase since 2020, and near return to 2019’s pre-pandemic total of 409 visits.
A clinical affiliate of Rutgers University, BNB is the largest hospital (with 1,000-plus beds) and licensed nursing home in New Jersey. Nationwide, it holds distinction as the U.S.’s fourth-largest publicly owned hospital. BNB started work on the 10,000-square-foot, $10 million ED endeavor in May 2024.
“What we are celebrating today is far more than a ribbon cutting,” said Bergen New Bridge Medical Center President and CEO Deborah Visconi. “This is a modern, thoughtfully designed Emergency Department built for the realities of today and the needs of tomorrow.”
A bigger space to serve Bergen
The updates introduce the EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) model to Bergen New Bridge. Other recent adopters in New Jersey include Jefferson Health Cherry Hill.
The strategy introduces living-room style spaces designed specifically for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. According to BNB, these areas place patients in therapeutic environments promoting stabilization, healing and connection to ongoing care.
The new spaces and a dedicated staff of behavioral health experts are helping to directly address the state’s growing mental health crisis, BNB said.
The bigger ED underscores Bergen New Bridge’s underlying health equity strategy. The provider aims to improve access for communities disproportionately affected by chronic illness, substance use, mental health conditions and barriers to care.
The new Emergency Department also features specially designed areas for pediatric and geriatric patients, along with sensory-sensitive spaces for neurodivergent patients.
BNB says its 24/7 ED boasts an average wait time of five to 10 minutes. A Jan. 2 report from Becker’s Hospital Review puts the statewide average wait time at 183 minutes, or over three hours, higher than the national median of 161 minutes.
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