Bergen Regional Medical Center: Bigger and Better
Hospital Systems
Saturday, 01 December 2007
Bergen Regional Medical Center: Bigger and Better - Health Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Heather Aaron wants people to refer to this multi-specialty hospital as the biggest and the best in the state of New Jersey.

Fifteen years ago, Bergen Regional Medical Center was primarily known for its behavioral health patients. Today, through the combined efforts of the hospital administration and the Bergen County Improvement Authority, BRMC has made a 180-degree turn—it is now recognized as a full-service, multi-specialty facility.

Bergen Regional Medical Center: Bigger and Better - Health Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Heather Aaron, President
Despite being located in a fairly affluent area, a significant portion of BRMC’s patient population is low income or indigent. About 65% percent of its patient population is Medicare/ Medicaid dependent; the rest are either commercially insured or charity care.

With these statistics, you might expect the primary struggle of Heather Aaron, president of BRMC since January, and her executive team to be balancing the budget. But for the past year, the primary struggle for the team has been enhancing the hospital’s quality. “In the next five years, we will change the face of this hospital,” Aaron said. “People now refer to BRMC as the largest healthcare facility in NJ; we want them to say it’s also their facility of choice.”

BRMC already has a stellar behavior health program, which includes a psychiatric residency program. The 323-bed program has 29 psychiatric residents participating in a four-year program and receives more than 1,000 applications each year for an incoming class of 10. The program’s clinical research section supports the hospital’s commitment to advance understanding of mental illness by participating in pharmaceutical trials. The program treats adults and children, has a specialized children’s crisis intervention service, and has one of the largest addiction treatment programs in the state.

Quality improvement
Spread across 65 acres, 1,070-bed BRMC has three major divisions, including acute care, long-term care, and behavioral health. Although the previous administration had improved the hospital’s quality measures, when Aaron arrived, she saw the need for more.

Less than 10 years ago, the hospital struggled to stay in good standing with the state and the Joint Commission, but recent surveys have resulted in full accreditation. “The hospital has improved, but we need to continue the improvement and strive for Magnet status,” Aaron said. “It’s great that we’ve improved, but we must continue to grow; we cannot stay stagnant.”

There are two parts, said Aaron, to every strategic development plan, the first leg of which is providing the best quality healthcare. To begin that process, Aaron started filling the holes in her executive team. She hired a physician as the hospital’s quality director, a position not previously in existence at BRMC.

“Not having a director of quality puts BRMC at a disadvantage from other facilities in our area,” Aaron said. “It’s not that they’re doing a better job; we’re all doing a great job. However, when everyone owns it, no one takes responsibility. There must be defined leadership to develop and sustain high quality care.”

Aaron then interviewed highly qualified candidates to fill the chief nursing executive role, which, in her eyes, is the clinical and quality overseer for the entire hospital. Previously, the role of CNE oversaw only one of the hospital’s medical/surgical areas, making continuity impossible. “Now, with everyone on board, including the CFO, the administrator, the senior VP for human resources, and the vice presidents of our three major divisions, we have a winning team,” she said.

Bricks and mortar
The second leg of BRMC’s strategic development is a master facility plan, set for completion in the next two years, to enhance the 80-plus-year-old facilities. The vision is to provide each of the hospital’s patients and residents a quality-focused, home-like atmosphere. “Right now, we see a primarily middle-income and indigent population, but we’re located in a high-income community,” Aaron said. “We want to serve all the members of our community, and we want them to know that BRMC can accommodate their healthcare needs.”

For example, a hospital within the Pascack Valley closed last month. This makes the previously planned renovation of BRMC’s ED particularly timely. When completed, the ED will have 15 patient bays, doubling capacity, and will include separate areas for medical and behavioral health.

The administration also plans to redevelop the landscape around its 574-bed long-term care facility. Aaron hopes to remove the institutionalized feel most long-term residents see every day. “We’ve also developed a sensory room for long-term residents who have trouble with everyday activities. We take a patient’s blood pressure prior to entering the room, then, through various visual and tactile activities, patients are calmed. Preliminary data shows that blood pressure levels decrease during the treatment,” said Aaron. “This patient population requires a different kind of care, and we’re always looking at ways to improve.”


On the medical/surgical and ICU side, Aaron and her team plan to bring in several physician groups to increase the hospital’s inpatient and surgical capacities and have purchased a 64-slice CT to facilitate more complex diagnoses. BRMC is also upgrading its IT, including implementing an EMR and physician portal system.

Aaron noted that the quality and physical plant enhancements leading BRMC into the future would not be possible without the support of the men and women who work in its buildings. Employees who had lost hope for change realize anything is possible today, and the executive team wants to make sure they don’t forget it.

“Everyone in this hospital is of equal importance, from the patients and residents to the employees to the housekeepers to the physicians,” Aaron said. “I’m certainly no more important than they are; we just have different jobs. Our employees understand that, and it’s making all the difference.”

 
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