A Presentation on Bergen County’s Report on Bergen Regional Medical Center What follows is the Introductory Presentation made by Bergen Grassroots Inc. President Chuck Powers at the October 17 2016 Forum on Turning Point Decisions for Bergen Regional Medical Center that was Part 1 of the 3-part Forum program described in the image to the right. The video of the other parts of the Forum program may be found on the Bergen Grassroots, Inc. website at – and a narrated version of the actual showing of this same presentation will be available at www.bergengrassroots.org P.O. Box 2070 Teaneck, NJ 07666 chuck@bergengrassroots.org www.bergengrassroots.org
Bergen Regional: yesterday, today, tomorrow A brief review of the Report of the Bergen County Healthcare Advisory Committee April 27, 2016
Why has Bergen Grassroots described today’s event as occurring at a Bergen Regional turning point? 1) The addiction and related mental health care crisis is creating unprecedented demand for BRMC’s services – some of which are not available elsewhere; & 2) The current 19 year contract to manage Bergen Regional ends on March 14, 2017; & 3) The Report which forms the backbone of this BGR session was published April 27 this year; it has many assessments and recommendations;& 4) The consensus decision to seek authority to create a new oversight mechanism to oversee BRMC was not authorized by the State until late September this year – and uncertain until then; & 5) The County has not yet been able to create the new hospital authority it can now create; 6) By mid-September the County entity [the Bergen County Improvement Authority] that currently oversees the BRMC and its contractor had had to go ahead with a request for proposal (RFP) on which bidders could bid – the RFP bids were originally to be have been opened 10/19 - opening is now extended to 12/2; & 7) It is a broadly held view that the selection of the next BRMC contractor must be effectively linked to a newly-negotiated contract that gives the County clearly defined oversight powers and achieves transparent financial reporting (see Report); & 8) Who/whatever is selected will need to be ready to assume operational management of the facility in less than 5 months from today to assure continuity of care through adequate staffing, policies, etc. – unless a contract extension occurs ; & 9) The public needs to know what is at stake and whether/how County resources will be needed to support the BRMC scope; Hence this public session
BRMC: The Facility and the Care it Currently Provides
Basic Data on BRMC facilities
For the three major types of care: How do the # of admissions compare to the # of patient days? Currently 76% of acute care admissions are related to medical detoxification
Plus: Residential care for three specific populations in three additional facilities
BRMC’s role in the region’s current health services market – important and sometimes unique Message: BRMC has 72% of all the psychiatric beds in the County – its medical detox admissions dwarf those same admissions in other county facilities
BRMC ‘s role in Psychiatric Hospitalization – in the State as well as County Bergen County’s population is approximately 10% of the New Jersey population
How is the BRMC currently managed?
The County Report discussed BRMC financial assessments made by its consultants. For example it said: Yet Report says: BRMC LP’s operating profitability has been near break -even in recent history
Where will operating incomed come from in the future?
Cash receipts by Category – all over the place
Some of the key assessments made in the Committee’s Report not already covered
Recommendations and Next Steps for Bergen Regional Medical Center Specific:
Who wrote the report
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