SLIDE 3 Why has Bergen Grassroots described today’s event as
- ccurring 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
- f 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
