Berkshire Health Systems Stepping in to Provide Services

01:24AM / Thursday, March 27, 2014Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems and Berkshire Medical Center took several steps on Thursday to ensure continuity of some health care services for Northern Berkshire residents and medical providers.

The health-care system is working with Northern Berkshire Healthcare physician practices to provide certain administrative services that would allow them to remain operating in North County.

This plan would call for Northern Berkshire OB/GYN, which is located on the second floor in North Adams Regional Hospital, and Northern Berkshire Family Medicine, which occupies a building owned by NBH on State Road, to relocate to new offices in the area.

Berkshire Medical Center will set up a laboratory drawing station at Ambulatory Care Center on the North Adams Regional Hospital campus.

At the request of the state attorney general's office, Berkshire Health Systems is working with the attorney general and the New England Health Information agency to arrange for management of electronic medical records housed at North Adams Regional Hospital.

In addition, Berkshire Medical Center has established a 24/7 "CareLine" for Northern Berkshire patients and health care providers to answer questions about scheduling and/or access to health-care services. Callers may use the toll-free number, 855-262-5465, day or night.

"Northern Berkshire patients, families and practitioners are already calling and asking, 'What should I do?' and we want to respond as quickly and clearly as we can," said Diane Kelly, chief operating officer at BMC.

Tags: BHS, doctors practice, NARH, NBH,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Williamstown Homeowners Facing 7 Percent Hike in Tax Rate

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
02:03PM / Sunday, August 23, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Property owners will pay nearly a dollar more per $1,000 of assessed value in the current fiscal year under a tax classification proposal that goes to the Select Board on Monday evening.

According to a memo prepared by town Assessor Christopher Lamarre, the FY27 tax rate will be $15.16 per $1,000 of property value, an increase of 96 cents, or 6.8 percent, from the $14.20 per $1,000 property owners paid in the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

The increase is because of a 9.12 percent hike in the levy based on the budget and fiscal articles approved for FY27 at May's annual town meeting.

In FY26, the town collected $21.9 million from property taxes; this year, it needs to collect $24.1 million to pay its bills, a rise of $2.2 million.

That is by far the largest hike in the last 10 years — the period covered by data readily available on the town's website. In FY26, levy grew by 5.8 percent, following an eight-year period where the largest jump was 5.52 percent in 2018.

At the same time, the town continued to see growth rate in the tax base that does not keep up with rising costs. In FY27, "new growth" is pegged at $18.2 million, yielding just $258,004 in new tax revenue — far below the $2.2 million in needed revenue.

The total of taxable property in town in FY27 is $1.6 billion.

View Full Story