Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Awards $2.1 Million in Summer Grants Cycle

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SHEFFIELD, Mass.—The board of directors of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has announced the recipients of the second round of grantmaking for 2015.

The foundation distributed a total of $266,234 in grants to individuals and nonprofits and $445,444 in scholarships to high school, college and graduate school students in the four-county region it serves. Grants from donors with charitable funds at the foundation totaled $1.4 million.

In Berkshire County, the foundation awarded grants from the Fund for Williamstown and the James and Robert Hardman Fund, two of Berkshire Taconic’s 11 area funds serving specific towns or regions; the New World Fund for newly arrived immigrants; and five education enrichment funds for area schools. In addition, a total of $257,175 in previously announced scholarships was awarded to graduating seniors and current college students.

Education and Enrichment: Grants to regional schools, school districts and students in Berkshire County through education enrichment funds totaled $62,332. Forty-nine individual projects in five districts received funding from Eagle & Janet's Fund for the Southern Berkshire Regional School District; the Lenox Education Enrichment Foundation; the Richmond Education Enrichment Fund; Seven Towns' Education Partnership Fund for the Central Berkshire Regional School District; and the Williamstown Elementary School Endowment Fund.


Select grant recipients include: Mount Everett Regional School’s and Undermountain Elementary’s robotics programs; nutrition programs at Lenox’s Morris Elementary; programming partnerships between Flying Deer Nature Center and Richmond Consolidated School; two books programs at the Central Berkshire district; and nature, art and fitness programs at Williamstown Elementary.

Health and Human Services: Nonprofits providing social and human services across the county received a total of $57,220 in grants. In Williamstown, recipients include Village Ambulance Service, for CPR workshops, and the Williamstown Youth Center, for summer camp swimming lessons. Thirteen nonprofits in Adams and North Adams were awarded grants, including United Cerebral Palsy; Goodwill Industries, for the “Dress for Success” program; and Hoosac Harvest, for subsidized CSA shares. Berkshire Immigrant Center in Pittsfield and Volunteers in Medicine in Great Barrington also received grants.

Arts and Culture: The Fund for Williamstown made a $2,000 grant to support the new tourism website Destination Williamstown.

A full list of regional grants can be found at www.berkshiretaconic.org/summergrants and a full list of regional scholarship recipients can be found at www.berkshiretaconic.org/2015scholarships.

 


Tags: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation,   nonprofits,   

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BHS Provider Clinics Win MHQP Patient Experience Awards

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) announced that three of its primary care provider clinics have received awards from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) for being among the top practices in Massachusetts for patient experience in primary care.
 
The "MHQP Patient Experience Awards" is an annual awards program introduced in 2018 by MHQP, a non-profit measurement and reporting organization that works to improve the quality of patient care experiences in Massachusetts. MHQP conducts the only statewide survey of patient experience in primary care in Massachusetts.
 
"The teams at Adams Internists, Berkshire Internists and Lenox Family Health have worked extremely hard to provide their patients with the highest standard of compassionate, patient-centered care," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer. "Berkshire Health Systems is pleased by this recognition, which validates that our patients are receiving the quality communication, care, and support that they deserve, which is our highest priority."
 
Awards were given to top overall performers in adult primary care and pediatrics in each of nine performance categories. Adams Internists of BMC, Berkshire Internists of BMC and Lenox Family Health Center of BMC received recognition for the following awards for adult care:
  • Adams Internists of BMC: Distinction in Assessment of Patient Behavioral Health Issues
  • Berkshire Internists of BMC: Distinction in Patient-Provider Communications and How Well Providers Know Their Patients
  • Lenox Family Health Center of BMC: Distinction in Patient-Provider Communications and Office Staff Professional Experience
"It is not easy for a primary care practice to thrive in the current environment," said Barbra Rabson, MHQP's President and CEO. "We are thrilled to congratulate each of them on behalf of their patients for their exceptional commitment to excellence."
 
"Primary care is the foundation of our health care system," said Julita Mir, MD, MHQP's Board Chair. "The practices from all across the state recognized with this award have distinguished themselves where it matters most – in the experiences of their own patients."
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