New Cardiologist Joins BHS Staff

Print Story | Email Story
Dr. Georgianne Valli-Harwood
PITTSFIELD - Dr. Georgianne Valli-Harwood has joined cardiology services at Berkshire Health Systems and is accepting new patients requiring cardiology care. Valli-Harwood is fellowship trained in cardiology and provides general cardiology, nuclear cardiography and echocardiography services. In the future, she will be providing cardiac CT interpretation, including coronary calcium scoring. Valli-Harwood joins a team of highly trained cardiology providers serving the Berkshires and surrounding communities. She is partnering with Drs. Jeffrey Leppo, David Finck, William Levy, Kyle Ann Cooper, Kristen Currie, Roberta Erena, Philip Bhark, Martin Broder, Douglas Herr, J. Mark Peterman and physician assistants Robert Tebben, Dianna Brooks, John Henry, Rebecca Takis-Smith and nurse practitioners Brenda Bowie and Sharyn Hickey, in providing a broad range of cardiology services. Cardiology services has offices in the BMC Medical Arts Complex in Pittsfield, at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington and in the Doctor's Building at North Adams Regional Hospital. Valli-Harwood trained in cardiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she also completed her medical residency. She received her medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and has an undergraduate degree from Yale University. She is board certified in internal medicine. Her interests include preventive care and women's health. For an appointment with Dr. Valli-Harwood or one of her colleagues, ask your physician for a referral or call cardiology services at BHS at 413-395-7580.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced that 18 additional municipalities across Massachusetts have been designated as Seasonal Communities, opening up new tools, support and grant funding to help them manage seasonal housing pressures. 
 
Created as part of the historic Affordable Homes Act signed into law by Governor Healey in 2024, the Seasonal Communities designation was designed to recognize Massachusetts communities that experience substantial variation in seasonal employment and to create distinctive tools to address their unique housing needs. The law also established the Seasonal Communities Advisory Council (SCAC).  
 
The Affordable Homes Act identified several communities to automatically receive the designation, including:   
  • All municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket;   
  • All municipalities with over 35 percent seasonal housing units in Barnstable County; and   
  • All municipalities with more than 40 percent seasonal housing units in Berkshire County. 
  •  
To identify additional communities, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) reviewed available data, specifically focusing on cities and towns with high levels of short-term rentals and a high share of second- or vacation homes.
 
In Berkshire County, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown have been designated. 
 
"Our seasonal communities are a vital part of Massachusetts' cultural and economic fabric, but they're also home to essential workers, families, seniors, and longtime residents who deserve a place to live year-round," said Governor Healey. "That's why we're committed to supporting these communities with innovative solutions like the Seasonal Communities designation to meet their unique needs, and I'm thrilled that we're offering this opportunity to 18 additional communities across the state. Everyone who calls these places home should be able to live, work and grow here, no matter the season." 
 
As with the statutorily identified communities, acceptance of the designation for municipalities is voluntary and requires a local legislative vote. HLC will open an application for newly eligible communities that haven't accepted the Seasonal Communities designation to request consideration. 
 
The Affordable Homes Act created several new tools for communities who accept the Seasonal Communities designation to be able to:  
  • Acquire deed restrictions to create or preserve year-round housing 
  • Develop housing with a preference for municipal workers, so that our public safety personnel, teachers, public works and town hall workers have a place to live 
  • Establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable and attainable housing for year-round residents 
  • Create year-round housing for artists 
  • Allow seasonal communities to develop a comprehensive housing needs assessment 
  • Permit tiny homes to be built and used as year-round housing 
  • Permit year-round, attainable residential development on undersized lots 
  • Increase the property tax exemption for homes that are the owners' primary residence 
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories