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Ceremony also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Stigma-Free Paramus initiative (Paramus, NJ) – Paramus, NJ – Bergen New Bridge Medical Center raised the Stigma-Free flag in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. The event also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Stigma-Free Paramus initiative. “As a leading provider of mental health services, we know there is no health without mental health which is why every day is about mental health awareness for us,” said Deborah Visconi, President & CEO, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. “It is also the driving reason Bergen New Bridge became the first hospital to be declared a stigma-free zone and we were an early supporter of the stigma-free initiative.” “In some cases, even today, people are challenged to talk about mental health because they are not sure how people are going to react,” said James Tedesco, Bergen County Executive. “We have to break apart the stigma and say it doesn’t matter what people think because everyone is entitled to get the treatment and the care that they deserve.” “Ten years ago, I embarked on this grassroots initiative with the goal of eliminating the stigma around mental health issues so that people would seek treatment in a timely fashion and feel supported,” said Mary Ann Uzzi, Founder, Stigma-Free Paramus Initiative. “Stigma Free has been adopted by all 70 towns in Bergen County and all 21 counties in New Jersey and today we celebrate our 10-year partnership with the Medical Center and look forward to continuing to work together.” “There is nothing wrong with saying you need help and that you need people to come and stand by you,” said Bergen County Board of Commissioners Chair Tom Sullivan. “We are all together on this common goal of eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health issues.” ABOUT BERGEN NEW BRIDGE MEDICAL CENTER Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC), a clinical affiliate of Rutgers, is a 1,070-bed hospital located at 230 East Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus, NJ. The Medical Center is both the largest hospital and licensed nursing home in NJ and the fourth largest, publicly owned hospital in the nation. Bergen New Bridge, a not-for-profit safety net facility, provides high-quality comprehensive services, including acute and ambulatory care, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, long-term care, 24/7 emergency department, surgical suites, physical rehabilitation, pharmacy, laboratory, radiologic services (including digital mammography). It is a leading provider of COVID 19 testing, vaccinations, and therapeutics. The Medical Center also has satellite offices in Bergenfield, Englewood, and Paterson. Primary care and other health and wellness services are available at the hospital's CareRite Now centers located in select Inserra Supermarkets in Bergen County. Bergen New Bridge is in network with all major New Jersey commercial insurance plans covering 99.91% of NJ residents and is a Veterans Community Care Provider. It is also a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). Learn more at www.newbridgehealth.org. # # #