Above: Gottheimer meets with hospital officials from across North Jersey to address the COVID-19 omicron variant surge and rising hospitalizations.

NORTH JERSEY — This week, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a coordination meeting with North Jersey hospital officials to discuss the current omicron surge, COVID-19 testing availability in North Jersey, hospital staffing, and any resources that North Jersey health care systems currently need — with Hackensack University Medical Center, The Valley Hospital, Holy Name Medical Center, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Atlantic Health System, and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

Gottheimer is also reaching out to long-term care facilities and nursing homes across the Fifth District, and he met this week with the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJ DMAVA), which manages the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home.

Gottheimer was joined this week by Hackensack University Medical Center President Mark Sparta and Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff Kenny Esser, The Valley Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Yallowitz, Holy Name Medical Center President & CEO Michael Maron and Chief Nursing Officer Michele Acito, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center President & CEO Deborah Visconi and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gian Varbaro, President of Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers and Vice President of Atlantic Health System Robert Adams, and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Hillary Cohen.

“Right now, we are all working in coordination to address the ongoing surge of COVID-19 omicron cases and to protect Fifth District residents and communities. I’m working to ensure that the hospitals across North Jersey and our frontline health care workers have the resources they need as positive cases and hospitalizations are on the rise,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’ve also been reaching out to North Jersey’s long-term care facilities and to the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, who manage our state-run veterans homes, to see if they are prepared to address the spread of omicron.”

Gottheimer continued, “To keep everyone safe, we need all eligible residents to get vaccinated, to get boosted, and to continue to follow proper safety protocols.”

To find vaccine and testing sites near you, visit http://covid19.nj.gov and click “Vaccine Info” or click the link for “Testing.”

###