Community Health Improvement Partnership

The Bergen County STIGMA-FREE Initiative is a county-wide program which aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. We are dedicated to raising awareness of the disease of mental illness and create a culture wherein residents who have the disease feel supported by their community and neighbors and feel free to seek treatment for the disease without fear of stigma.

This Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and the associated Implementation Strategy (IS) were prepared for the Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) of Bergen County, the Bergen County Department of Health Services (BCDHS), and all seven of Bergen’s acute care hospitals: Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Englewood Health, Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health Pascack Valley Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center, Ramapo Ridge Psychiatric Hospital (a part of Christian Health Care Center), and The Valley Hospital. Representatives from each of these entities worked collaboratively to guide the overall assessment methods and approach and to identify priority health issues and populations for Bergen County and individual hospital service areas.

Hospital Partners

• Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

• Christian Health Care Center – Ramapo Ridge Psychiatric Hospital

• Englewood Health

• Hackensack Meridian Health – Hackensack University Medical Center

• Hackensack Meridian Health – Pascack Valley Medical Center

• Holy Name Medical Center

• The Valley Hospital

Local Health Department Partners

• Bergen County Department of Health Services – Hansel Asmar, Director/Health Officer

• City of Hackensack Health Department – Susan McVeigh, Health Officer

• Englewood Health Department – James Fedorko, Health Officer

• Fair Lawn Health Department - Carol Wagner, Health Officer

• Village of Ridgewood Health Department – Dawn Cetrulo, Health Officer

• Fort Lee Health Department – Stephen Wielkocz, Health Officer

• Mid-Bergen Regional Health Commission – Sam Yanovich, Health Officer

• NW Bergen Regional Health Commission – Angela Musella, Health Officer

• Palisades Park/Ridgefield Health Department – Branka Lulic, Health Officer

• Paramus Board of Health – Judy Migliaccio, Health Officer

• Teaneck Health Department – Ken Katter, Health Officer

• Village of Ridgewood – Dawn Cetrulo, Health Officer