PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Taconic High School project is scheduled for Friday, May 13.
The 3 p.m. ceremony will celebrate the start of construction on the $120.8 million new school. J.H. Maxymillian Inc. has already been working on the site as part of a number of early bids released. Gilbane Construction is the construction manager at risk, and will be heading the project and managing the subcontracting.
The ground is being leveled where the new school will be located and an access road and parking lot is being created. The entire construction area will be fenced off.
Many of the current playing fields are in the planned construction area so sports have been moved off-site.
The project is being funded mostly through the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is contributing up to $74.2 million. The MSBA has already placed the groundbreaking event on its calendar.
The new building will be 246,520 square feet to accommodate 920 students. It will built over a two-year period across the driveway from the current building, which was constructed in 1969. That building will be razed. The new vocational technical school is eyed for opening for the 2018-19 school year.
The School Building Needs Commission has been working with consultants Skanska USA and architects Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. In seeing the process through. On Monday, the School Building Needs Commission will hold its first full meeting in a few months — most of the work has been handled through subcommittees.
The board is expected to authorize DRA to submit the 90 percent design drawings to the MSBA for review. There will only be minor work design-wise from then on and the construction can ramp up with more bid packages.
The project has been a long time in the making, dating back more than a decade. City officials had kicked around renovating one school to accommodate all high school students and had listed other elementary schools to be renovated.
Superintendent Jason McCandless said recently that the city's Purchasing Department and Maintenance Department is working some "significant" upgrades to the PHS auditorium including the replacement of a fire curtain and is designing new theatrical lighting. The design for the lighting is about 30 percent complete, McCandless said.
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) announced that three of its primary care provider clinics have received awards from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) for being among the top practices in Massachusetts for patient experience in primary care.
The "MHQP Patient Experience Awards" is an annual awards program introduced in 2018 by MHQP, a non-profit measurement and reporting organization that works to improve the quality of patient care experiences in Massachusetts. MHQP conducts the only statewide survey of patient experience in primary care in Massachusetts.
"The teams at Adams Internists, Berkshire Internists and Lenox Family Health have worked extremely hard to provide their patients with the highest standard of compassionate, patient-centered care," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer. "Berkshire Health Systems is pleased by this recognition, which validates that our patients are receiving the quality communication, care, and support that they deserve, which is our highest priority."
Awards were given to top overall performers in adult primary care and pediatrics in each of nine performance categories. Adams Internists of BMC, Berkshire Internists of BMC and Lenox Family Health Center of BMC received recognition for the following awards for adult care:
Adams Internists of BMC: Distinction in Assessment of Patient Behavioral Health Issues
Berkshire Internists of BMC: Distinction in Patient-Provider Communications and How Well Providers Know Their Patients
Lenox Family Health Center of BMC: Distinction in Patient-Provider Communications and Office Staff Professional Experience
"It is not easy for a primary care practice to thrive in the current environment," said Barbra Rabson, MHQP's President and CEO. "We are thrilled to congratulate each of them on behalf of their patients for their exceptional commitment to excellence."
"Primary care is the foundation of our health care system," said Julita Mir, MD, MHQP's Board Chair. "The practices from all across the state recognized with this award have distinguished themselves where it matters most – in the experiences of their own patients."
A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes. click for more
Amy Schirmer was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for creating a weekly therapeutic art class at the George B. Crane Center to help those in recovery from substance use. click for more