Jennifer D’Angelo, CIO, New Bridge Medical Center, Chapter 2

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

Chapter 2



* New Bridge’s appeal – “It was a diamond in the rough.”

* From for-profit to not-for-profit

* Partnership with the VA – “It’s very exciting.”

* “A nice mix” of new & existing leaders

* Educational outreach on substance abuse & behavioral health

* “It’s looking at the entire patient.”

* “Big shift” in CIO role – “It’s not just technology & infrastructure.”



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Bold Statements

That’s what made it all the more exciting — to see a facility that’s modernizing and taking it to that next level from a technology standpoint, in terms of infrastructure, application, and security. To me, it was like a diamond in the rough.

We’re learning as we go through the process. Every day we’re tweaking, but a fresh set of eyes is always a good thing in operations.

It’s not targeting a diagnosis — it’s not targeting one piece of the patient. It’s looking at the entire patient, and what we can do to help that patient be successful here, but also to set them up for success on discharge.

It’s not just based on technology. It’s based on how do we leverage technology for outcomes, and how do we leverage technology to support our strategic planning and our goals? Almost anything is doable now with technology, but how does it really fit into your day to day operations?

Gamble:  It’s obvious that you have a passion for what you do, and that this organization seems like a really good landing place. Can you talk about what it was that made you interested in coming to New Bridge?

D’Angelo:  This was a very unique opportunity. I had previously worked at a similar facility, but on a smaller scale. There were different service lines within one organization, which from a technical standpoint, can be somewhat challenging, because there are systems that are specific to particular programs. For example, long term care has its own system. And so my expertise and experience over the years really helped me get to this place. And an opportunity very interestingly presented itself as part of the process with the new management company coming on board.

Honestly, I was content in my previous facility having done a lot of these initiatives and rolled them out, but when this opportunity presented itself, I was very excited. I jumped on it, because I felt it would be the best career move for me, and it was also an opportunity to prove that we can we can flourish as a facility with the right technology, vision, and strategic plan.

I’ve also had support from my executive team — my CEO is a very big supporter of IT initi...