Jennifer D’Angelo, CIO, New Bridge Medical Center, Chapter 1

Most people might shy away from an opportunity to lead an organization that was undergoing a major change in operations and had an IT structure that needed to be modernized. In fact, most wouldn’t view it an “opportunity,” but a risk that’s too great. Jennifer D’Angelo, however, had a different take. She viewed New Bridge Medical Center (which had just selected Care Plus Bergen, Inc. as its operator) as a “diamond in the rough,” and welcomed the task of stabilizing and enhancing the infrastructure to enable providers to more effectively care for patients.

In this interview, D’Angelo talks about why she “jumped” at the chance to help develop a new vision for New Bridge, the importance of involving stakeholders at every level to provide behavioral care throughout the continuum, and how they’re reaching out to the community to increase awareness of the services offered. She also discusses the shift the CIO has gone through, and why she believes being a hands-on leader is the way to go.

Chapter 1



* About New Bridge MC

* Stepping in with “many projects already motion”

* Focus on stabilizing & enhancing the infrastructure

* “It continues to be a sprint.”

* Importance of physician champions

* Being a “very hands-on CIO.”

* Jersey Health Connect HIE



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Bold Statements

I walked into many projects that were already in-flight and in motion, so it was really trying to get a sense of what the hospital needs were, getting quickly versed on the projects that were already approved and in progress, and trying to supplement and bring in new team members to support these initiatives.

We’re continuing to improve the infrastructure and applications across the board, and obviously, identify new opportunities for technology and find ways to leverage technology.

We’re building our backend infrastructure for disaster recovery and making sure we have systems that are reliable and uptimes that are sustainable so that we can keep the facility running with no interruptions.

I like to talk to the physicians and the clinical team as we’re developing systems to make sure from an operational standpoint that we’re meeting their needs, and that it’s not just technology-driven.

Gamble:  Thank you so much for taking some time to speak with healthsystemCIO.com.

D’Angelo:  Absolutely.

 

Gamble:  To get us started, can you talk about New Bridge Medical Center?  Obviously, this is an organization that has gone through quite a bit of change.  So, can you just give us some background?

D’Angelo:  Absolutely. In terms of the facility itself, we’re the largest hospital in New Jersey and fourth largest public hospital in the nation. We’re located in Bergen County, which is I think a fun fact, because people really don’t realize that when they look at some of the health systems in New Jersey. We have 1,070 beds, and were founded in 1916, originally to treat patients with contagious diseases. It’s just an incredible journey. The facility has been here for such a long time and often is not looked at from a state perspective as the largest hospital, so we’re really proud of that.

 

Gamble:  Can you talk about the recent history and some of the changes that have been made within the organization?

D’Angelo:  Yes. Historically, it’s been a county-owned facility, and it has been run by a for-profit management company that had been here for 19 years. About two years ago, I believe, the County started the process to identify a new management company. Care Plus Bergen, Inc. was selected from many contenders. It’s comprised of Care Plus New Jersey, Integrity House, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. The contract started on Oct. 1, 2017.