Gastroenterologist Joins BMC Practice

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems announces the appointment of Dr. Jason Bratcher, a board-certified and fellowship-trained gastroenterologist, to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the physician staff of Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC.

Dr. Bratcher, who came to the Berkshires from a New York City practice, is accepting new patients in need of comprehensive gastroenterology care. He is partnered with Jeffrey St. John, MD, Rangan Murali, MD, and Richard Woller, PA, at Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC.

Dr. Bratcher specializes in the use of Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), an advanced, minimally invasive technology that allows for the examination of deeper tissue layers of the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. The upper GI tract consists of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum; the lower GI tract includes the colon and rectum. EUS allows for the evaluation of tissue and organs that are not visible with traditional endoscopy, such as the liver, biliary tree and pancreas. During the EUS procedure, fine needle aspiration (FNA) can be performed to assist in the diagnosis and staging of various GI malignancies, including esophageal, stomach and pancreatic cancers. He also is trained in ERCP, a technique that allows for treatment of hepatobiliary disorders that can cause blockage of the biliary tree, liver and pancreas. EUS and ERCP are oftentimes used in conjunction for complicated GI disorders.


Dr. Bratcher most recently worked in a private gastroenterology practice in New York, with Jerome Siegel, MD, a pioneer in the development of ERCP. He was affiliated the Center for Digestive Health at Mount Sinai/Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, and also served as a voluntary physician with Englewood Hospital and Hackensack University Medical Center, both in N.J.

He is board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine, and fellowship trained in gastroenterology at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City and in Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at Beth Israel Medical Center/St. Vincent’s Hospital. Originally from Artesia, New Mexico, Dr. Bratcher received his medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and completed his residency and served as chief resident in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

For an appointment with Dr. Bratcher, call Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC at 413-499-8590.

 


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Berkshire DA Releases Victim's Name in Fatal Police Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

An image Biagio Kauvil posted to his Instagram page in happier days. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Biagio Kauvil's family had attempted to secure mental health resources for him before a well-being check on Wednesday that turned deadly. 

On Friday, District Attorney Timothy Shugrue identified Kauvil, 27, as the man who was killed by police in a shooting incident at 53 Off South St. on Jan. 7. The New York resident, he said, was expressing "paranoid delusional" thoughts on social media, and in calls to the FBI's National Threat Operation Center and local 911 leading up to the incident. 

"This is a horrific scene, and there is a deceased person, and it's a very sad situation. It was a mental health situation," Shugrue said during a press conference at his office around noon, right after he had spoken to Kauvil's family. 

The DA elaborated on details provided the prior day, though there are still many questions unanswered, and the investigation remains active. He declined to respond to queries about the officers' decision to breach the bedroom door the man was sequestered behind, details about the approximately 46-second struggle that resulted in Kauvil being shot in the head, or if an officer would be charged for the fatality. 

Police say Hinsdale Sgt. Dominick Crupi was shot in the hand by Kauvil, the bullet going through and striking Police Chief Shawn Boyne in his bulletproof vest. Crupi was also shot in the elbow by another officer. He was released from Albany, N.Y., Medical Center on Friday. 

Shugrue said his office will not be releasing the names of the officers involved, although he acknowledged that they have been named on social media and elsewhere. He is "not even near" ready to say if an officer will be charged. 

"I'm only here today because there's a lot of rumors going around the community. I wanted to straighten that out," he said, clarifying that Kauvil was not wanted by the FBI. 

"… I'm sorry I can't give you more information than that, but I really want to be clear about what we know at this stage. But again, this may change once we — I haven't seen the ballistics, I haven't seen the autopsy report. There's a lot of stuff I don't have yet, but I just felt the public deserved to know as quickly as possible what transpired, especially in light of what's happening nationally." 

This is the third police shooting in Berkshire County in nearly four years that involved someone in mental distress. Miguel Estrella, 22, was shot and killed on March 25, 2022, at the intersection of Woodbine Avenue and Onota Street in Pittsfield; Phillip Henault, 64, was shot and killed at his Hancock home on Sept. 9, 2023.

In both cases, investigators cleared the officers as both men had advanced on police armed with knives and threatening them.

Based on the investigation so far, there were no mental health co-responders on site. Shugrue doesn't believe the officers knew Kauvil was armed, and cited the lack of mental health resources in the community. 

"I hope one thing that comes out of this is that we can talk more about legislative work that needs to be done. We can talk about resources that need to be given to mandate that we have mental health professionals working with police officers and working with individuals that are on the street that haven't been able to get the services that they need," he said. 

"And this is unfortunate. I know, speaking to the family, they tried to get services for him. Unfortunately, there's not a lot available, and there's not a lot available in the Berkshires." 

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