Berkshire Osteopathic Health Joins Berkshire Health Systems

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In a move that will help to ensure continued and expanded access to primary care and osteopathic health services in the Berkshires, Berkshire Osteopathic Health has joined the Berkshire Health Systems Physician Practice Group.

Berkshire Osteopathic Health includes Stephen Kisiel, DO, and Mary Yee, DO, and provides Family Practice medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative services.

Effective Aug. 17, the practice has become Berkshire Osteopathic Health of BMC, and will remain at its existing location in Pittsfield, with few if any noticeable changes for patients.

This partnership helps to stabilize the physician practice and ensure continued and expanded access to these critical primary and osteopathic care services, which Berkshire Osteopathic Health wasn’t in a position to achieve in the current healthcare climate. Growing changes in healthcare policy and in the health insurance reimbursement system have challenged the viability of private physician practices. At the same time, healthcare systems like BHS are increasingly relied upon to ensure current and future access to critical services for the community by investing in physician practices and ensuring they have the necessary support systems and financial stability and investment to succeed in the long-term.



By becoming part of the BHS physician practice group, Berkshire Osteopathic can not only continue to serve its patients, but has the enhanced ability to expand through the support of Berkshire Health Systems’ intensive physician recruitment program. This effort has already succeeded in recruiting a new physician to the practice, who will begin serving patients this fall.

Berkshire Osteopathic Health of BMC is also working to expand its care services, with two new physicians expected to join the practice later this year. National physician shortages have created a challenging environment for private practices to effectively recruit new physicians, and Berkshire Health Systems has an intensive physician recruitment program that has helped to expand patient access to primary care and specialties across the Berkshires.

“The strength of our partnership with Berkshire Health Systems will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality care for our community and gives us the support we need to maintain our services for the long-term, and in fact to expand care,” said Dr. Kisiel. “Healthcare has become increasingly complex and private physician practices are faced with significant challenges that threaten their long-term viability. Becoming part of Berkshire Health Systems is good for our practice, our patients and our community.”

 


Tags: BHS,   

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

Tickets On Sale for Berkshire Flyer

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Amtrak, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), announced tickets are now on sale for the Berkshire Flyer.
 
The Berkshire Flyer is a seasonal summer passenger rail service that operates between New York City from Moynihan Train Hall and Pittsfield. The service, which began as a successful pilot in 2022, is scheduled to resume on Friday, June 21 through Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day weekend. Trains depart New York City Friday nights and return at the end of the weekend, leaving Pittsfield Sunday afternoon.
 
In addition, for the first time this year, the Berkshire Flyer service now includes a train from New York City to Pittsfield on Sunday mornings.
 
"We're thrilled to announce this season's Berkshire Flyer service," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "The Berkshire Flyer makes visiting Western Massachusetts on weekends convenient, relaxing, and easy. We are pleased to continue our successful partnership with Amtrak, the New York State Department of Transportation and CSX."
 
The Berkshire Flyer departs from Moynihan Train Hall at 3:16 p.m. on Fridays and arrives at Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield at 7:27 p.m. The train will make all intermediate station stops as the scheduled Amtrak Empire Service train does in New York State on Fridays, which include Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, and Albany-Rensselaer Station. 
 
The Sunday return trip, making all the same station stops, will depart Pittsfield at 3:35 p.m. and arrive in New York at 7:55 p.m. The new Sunday Berkshire Flyer train from New York City to Pittsfield will depart Moynihan Train Hall at 10:50 a.m. and arrive in Pittsfield at 3:15 p.m.
 
The Berkshire Flyer is building upon two successful seasons where some of the Pittsfield-bound trains were sold out well in advance. Based on that experience, passengers planning a trip are encouraged to purchase tickets early by visiting Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories