Bergen New Bridge Medical Center cut the ribbon on its Center for Comprehensive Addiction Treatment, which provides patients with individualized, evidence-based and stigma-free care. CCAT offers programs and services for all the stages and phases of a patient’s journey to address their substance use disorder and establish a supportive recovery plan.
“We have been a leader in addiction treatment for years, and CCAT is the future of compassionate and total person care. The CCAT philosophy is simple yet game-changing — offering full-service comprehensive treatments, individualized for each person, assuring we treat the disease, and care for the patient,” Deborah Visconi, CEO and president, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, said. “Our goal is to assure all those who seek care from our Medical Center are offered a comprehensive screening, in a caring and stigma free environment, which links them to the most appropriate level of patient-centered care. That there is no wrong door for those that need care. Most importantly, we need everyone to understand that opioid use disorder is a treatable medical condition; we focus on recovery, not abstinence.”
“Substance use disorders affect all communities and people from all walks of life and all age groups,” James Tedesco, Bergen County executive, said. “We are here because, in Bergen County, we encourage individuals in need of treatment and recovery to seek services, and that help starts at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, already a state leader in providing compassionate addiction and recovery services.”
“Today, as we cut this ribbon for CCAT, we are launching forward into a whole new chapter of what comprehensive treatment looks like, figuring out how we can do more and do it in a more holistic manner to change the lives of those who are struggling in our community,” Tracy Zur, Bergen County commissioner, said. “Every single day, you are saving lives and making sure that people have the tools to fight for recovery.”
“We have developed many programs here for treating substance use disorders, but we always had a dream, and the dream is a reality today,” Dr. Srikanth Reddy, chief of addiction psychiatry and president, medical & dental staff, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, said. “Every eight minutes, an American dies of an opioid overdose, which means we are at war against addiction. We need to win this war and save lives one life at a time, one day at a time.”
Meanwhile, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Foundation at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center donated $200,000 to the CCAT.
Lou Weiss, foundation chair, Donna Abene, board trustee, and Marion Troise, executive director of the foundation, presented the check to Visconi and senior medical staff affiliated with CCAT.
“We appreciate the foundation’s continued generous support of the medical center and innovative programs like CCAT,” Visconi said. “The foundation’s work allows us to support innovation, enhance our campus and facilities for employees, patients and residents, and provide vital programs to the communities we serve.”
