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Linda Robinson-Hidas, Amherst-based acupuncturist and president of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts, presents Rep. Pignatelli with a 'Person of the Year' award on behalf of the organization.

Acupuncture Society Honors Rep. Pignatelli

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BOSTON — State Representative William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D-Lenox) and the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts co-hosted a briefing in the State House on Thursday to help elected officials, staff and the public understand more about acupuncture and its ability to help patients deal with chronic pain, substance abuse issues, PTSD and a number of other conditions.

Legislation filed by Representative Pignatelli currently pending in the State House would increase patients' access to safe, effective, quality treatment by requiring that insurance coverage in Massachusetts include acupuncture treatment of pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and nausea.  

During the event, Linda Robinson-Hidas, Amherst-based acupuncturist and president of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts, presented Pignatelli with a "Person of the Year" award on behalf of the organization.


"We gave the award to Smitty because he has been a tireless promoter of acupuncture and its integration into available medical choices for all people of the commonwealth," Robinson-Hidas said. "For several years, he has filed and fought for a bill which would mandate insurance coverage and therefore provide a non-pharmaceutical alternative to opioid treatment of pain."

"As the opiate epidemic continues to worsen, we cannot wait for health insurance companies to catch up with the scientific literature when we could be utilizing an effective tool to decrease the circulation of prescription opiates and improve substance abuse treatments in our communities," Pignatelli said. "Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years and it should be equally accessible to all, regardless of their insurance provider."

Acupuncturists in Massachusetts are licensed by the Board of Registry in Medicine and acupuncture treatment plays a crucial role in clinical settings at Hillcrest Cancer Center in Pittsfield, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Bay State Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and many other health care facilities ranging from hospitals to community health centers to private practices.


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Ghost Tour at Ventfort Hall

LENOX, Mass. — Join Robert Oakes, author of "Ghosts of the Berkshires," who will lead participants through the rooms and halls of Ventfort Hall sharing tales of its alleged hauntings.
 
The tour will take place at 8 pm on Saturday March 16.
 
Admission is $30 and minimum age to attend is age 12. Reservations are strongly recommended as tickets are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call at 413-637-3206. All tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Payment is required to make a reservation for an event.
 
This is not an active investigation.
 
Robert Oakes is an author, teacher, storyteller, and singer/songwriter originally from northern New Jersey and currently residing in the Berkshires.. Since 2010 Robert has led the ghost tours at Edith Wharton's The Mount in Lenox, and has represented the museum and its ghosts on Syfy's Ghost Hunters, Jeff Belanger's New England Legends series on PBS, and The Apple Seed show on BYUradio. 
 
In 2020, Robert's debut book, "Ghosts of the Berkshires," was published by Arcadia Publishing and is on sale now in our gift shop. Robert's latest book, "Ghosts of Northwestern New Jersey," was released in September 2022.
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