Paramus,NJ, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Paramus, NJ) Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has expanded their Telehealth service (Bergen New Bridge Cares) to screen patients for COVID-19. With their partner Air Visits, Bergen New Bridge Cares offers urgent-care screening and assessment of patients who have medical complaints and symptoms by a licensed physician. Telehealth consultations with an Infectious Disease physician are available if necessary. Patients can access Bergen New Bridge Cares at 201-204-0712.
Bergen New Bridge Cares offers telehealth COVID-19 screenings based on the most current CDC Evaluating and Reporting Persons Under Investigation (PUI) guidelines. If further evaluation is necessary, a Bergen New Bridge Cares Infectious Disease physician will evaluate each patient and coordinate additional care. “With the rapidly evolving health crisis, we felt extending the reach of our services into the home was crucial in identifying patients and expediting care while also limiting community exposure,” said Deborah Visconi, President and CEO at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. “It is our hope that by putting our experts at the fingertips of the community, people’s fears will be eased and they will be more willing to seek early evaluation and treatment.” Any New Jersey resident can access Bergen New Bridge Cares by calling the dedicate phone number during extended business hours at 201-204-0712.
The "Bergen New Bridge Cares" Telehealth program is the only hospital telemedicine program in New Jersey with Telemedicine911 protocols. Given these protocols, providers can remotely activate 911 for patients throughout the state, offering necessary protection for acutely ill patients in case of emergency. This added layer of medical control allows telehealth providers to direct patient emergencies to the appropriate facilities that will have the resources needed to treat patients.
What exactly is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Sometimes a novel (meaning “new”) type of coronavirus emerges and begins infecting humans. The type of coronavirus that has recently emerged in Wuhan, China is a new type of coronavirus and is infecting people for the first time, which means people do not have any immunity to it. It is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness.
Symptoms
There is limited information at this time on the full range of clinical illness associated with this virus. However, it is causing symptoms consistent with a respiratory illness such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms have varied from mild to severe. CDC believes at this time that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
Transmission
Human-to-human transmission by close contact (within 6 feet) with a person with confirmed COVID-19 has been reported and is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when a person with infection coughs or sneezes.
Protect Yourself – Follow hand and respiratory hygiene practices
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- There is little need for the general public to wear face masks in the U.S. currently as the threat level is low. Health care workers should follow all infection control guidance when caring for patients who are suspected or confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV (COVID-19).
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 Medical Center, a not-for-profit safety net facility, provides high-quality comprehensive services, including acute and ambulatory care from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and community physicians, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and long-term care to the greater Bergen County community. The Medical Center, including its Long-Term Care Division, is fully accredited by The Joint Commission and is in network with all major New Jersey commercial insurance plans covering 99.89% of NJ residents.
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is a full-service hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, surgical suites, physical rehabilitation, pharmacy, laboratory, radiologic services (including digital mammography), and more than 26 medical specialties available through its Ambulatory Care Center. The Medical Center is a Veterans Community Care Provider proudly serving the healthcare needs of veterans and is a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) for 2019. Learn more at www.newbridgehealth.org.
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