Care Plus Bergen names new chairman, renews CEO contract

Care Plus Bergen Inc., the organization that manages Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, has named Robert Pacicco chairman of the board of trustees.

Bergen New Bridge President and CEO Deborah Visconi’s contract was also renewed.

Robert Pacicco is the former mayor of Leonia and the current president of Pacicco & Co. He’s has been an officer and trustee for Care Plus Bergen for three years.

He previously served as a trustee for the Bergen Regional Medical Center Community Oversight Board for three years.

“I am honored to be unanimously selected by our Board of Trustees to be their next chairman and to have the opportunity to work hand in glove with Deb Visconi and her team at Bergen New Bridge, the fourth largest public hospital in the United States with 1,070 beds,” said Pacicco in a prepared statement. “As a resident and public servant of Bergen County, I am committed to the people of our great county, ensuring they have the best health care available. Our region has so much to offer, I look forward to our collaborative work to continue The Medical Center’s growth and transformation into a cornerstone of our community.”

Pacicco serves as a New Jersey State Commissioner of the Council on Local Mandates, appointed by Gov. Chris Christie and reappointed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

With three decades of health care experience, Visconi was recruited by Care Plus Bergen in 2017 to transform what was previously a struggling for-profit facility into a thriving not-for-profit.

During her tenure with Bergen New Bridge, Visconi negotiated an agreement with Horizon Blue to give 3 million statewide and 230,000 county residents insured coverage and access to care at Bergen New Bridge. Additionally, she secured commercial contracts with every major payor in the state, representing 99.9% of all residents, according to an announcement.

Bergen New Bridge increased staff retention by 6.5% under her leadership and created statewide intervention models for the opioid crisis.

Through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Visconi has maintained a constant stream of communication throughout the hospital, partnering with the County of Bergen to provide community mobile testing while working with state, county, and local stakeholders to ensure Bergen New Bridge has the resources it needs.

“I am truly excited to see what the future will bring for our burgeoning Medical Center, and I look forward to working with Robert in his new role,” said Visconi.