Letters: Closing Greylock Pavilion Fails Patients

The following is a letter submitted to Tim Jones, CEO and president of Northern Berkshire Healthcare, by representatives of the local Massachusetts Nurses Association.

On behalf of the registered nurses of North Adams Regional Hospital, with the full support of our union and professional association, the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United, we are writing to express our strong opposition to the planned closing of the Greylock Pavilion. We believe this closing represents an abrogation of this institution's mission of providing comprehensive services to all members of our community and a failure to provide state-mandated care parity for those suffering with acute mental illness and substance abuse issues.

As stated on our hospital web site, "North Adams Regional Hospital offers complete inpatient psychiatric services at Greylock Pavilion. Greylock Pavilion is now known throughout Western Massachusetts for its effective treatment programs, offering secure high quality inpatient hospitalization for the adult in need of acute, short-term psychiatric treatment. We provide a safe, therapeutic milieu, encouraging patient and family involvement. Our philosophy is based on the patient's total needs - both physical and emotional."

The nurses of NARH are proud of this program and what it offers to the most vulnerable in our community, and we are appalled that our administration is now proposing to abolish this program and to go back on the commitment to meet our patients "total needs – both physical and emotional." We are concerned that this decision is being made in the midst of a growing shortage of psychiatric beds and services throughout the commonwealth, and Western Massachusetts in particular. The loss of this program will no doubt result in psychiatric patients languishing for hours, if not several days, waiting for appropriate care and treatment in our and other facility's emergency department, while other patients will go without treatment altogether, leaving them to suffer on our streets, in our homeless shelters or, as is the case throughout the state, in our corrections system.

MNA Chairman Ruth O'Hearn, registered nurse
North Adams Regional Hospital MNA Committee

Andrew Fitch Launches Bid for State Representative in North Berkshire

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Tuesday, February 03, 2026

Candidate Andrew Fitch gets a hug from his mother, Sara Prouty, who introduced him. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Andrew Fitch announced his run for state representative to an enthusiastic crowd on Tuesday morning. 

 

The two-term city councilor stressed his energy, commitment and campaign priorities of economic development, housing and regional relationships for the 13 communities in the 1st Berkshire.

 

"There are a lot of municipalities to be in, and I have that energy and drive and interest and love a good road trip," he said, speaking to the crowd at Steeple City Social, a popular lounge/cafe that he runs with business partner Meghan Daly. "A lot of people have asked me for my fresh energy and my fresh blood, and that is what I give to you, maybe not literally my blood, but I certainly get my fresh energy and ideas and drive."

 

Afterward, Fitch said he'd been approached several times over the past few years about running for state representative. But he was just getting on the City Council, opening a business and involved in community activities, so it didn't seem to be the right time. 

 

"Now that I have more time under my belt, I've been in two terms as a city councilor, and Steeple City Social is up and running and is almost a year old," he said. "It is now sustainable, not on its own, but without me having to work all the time here, I knew that I could take this on."

 

Fitch is mounting a Democratic primary challenge to John Barrett III, who won the seat in a special election in 2017 after the death of state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi. Since then, he's only had one primary challenger, Paula Kingsbury-Evans, a college student at the time, who he beat handily by 43 points. 

 

Fitch was raised in Marshfield and moved to North Adams five or six years ago — becoming immediately involved the community. He's a founder of North Adams Pride (now part of Berkshire Pride), a co-organizer of First Fridays and a board member of the North Adams Chamber of Commerce. A small-business owner, he's served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and for a short time on the Airport Commission, to which is now liaison from the council.