Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates Affiliates with Berkshire Health Systems

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, a provider of orthopedic care in the Berkshire region, has entered into an affiliation with Berkshire Health Systems.

“Through this affiliation, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will be able to preserve and strengthen the availability of orthopedic services across Berkshire County,” said Dr. Kevin Mitts, division chief of orthopedics at Berkshire Medical Center and a surgeon with the practice. “In addition, this agreement gives us critical access to a variety of support services, including assistance in recruiting new physicians and other providers to serve our community’s orthopedic needs. In fact, two new orthopedic surgeons will be joining our practice in the coming months.”

 Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates features doctors Kevin Mitts, Jeffrey Cella, Anthony DeFelice, Mark Sprague, Michael Nancollas and David Grygier. The practice provides comprehensive orthopedic services, including surgical and non-surgical approaches, advanced Joint Replacement surgery for knees, hips, shoulders and ankles, specialized hand surgery and rehabilitation care. 

The physicians of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates are joined by a team of highly specialized physician assistants who are experts in orthopedic care.

This affiliation helps to stabilize the physician practice and ensure continued and expanded access to these orthopedic care services. Growing changes in health-care policy and in the health insurance reimbursement system have challenged the viability of private physician practices. At the same time, health-care 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 an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates continues to serve its existing patients, but has the enhanced ability to provide access to new patients through the support of Berkshire Health Systems’ intensive physician recruitment program. 

 Daily operations of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will remain unchanged, and patients will see no differences in their relationship with their individual physician or the practice. Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will see patients in three locations in the county – in Pittsfield at its 24 Park Street offices on the first floor of the Crane Center for Ambulatory Surgery building; in Great Barrington at Fairview Hospital, in the Doctor’s Building, 27 Lewis Avenue; and at a new office in North Adams, at the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center. 

 This new affiliation continues many years of collaborative effort between Berkshire Health Systems and the surgeons of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, to assure the availability of these important services for people in the region.


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Pittsfield Considers Repairing East Part Cemetery

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Historical Commission will consider grant opportunities for repairs to East Part Cemetery.

A resident reached out to the city with concerns about degradation in the half-acre burial ground at the top of Williams Street. East Part Cemetery was established in the early 1800s and has about 300 interments. 

“It's a nice old cemetery, and basically, (the resident) had had concerns that the stone wall had taken some damage, the gravestones have taken some damage, and was wondering if there's anything that could be done to repair the gravestones and the wall," City Planner Kevin Rayner told the commission on Monday.

In cooperation with cemetery leadership and residents, the Historical Commission will consider applying for Community Preservation Act funds to support repairs. West Part Cemetery, on the other side of Pittsfield, has previously used CPA funds for revitalization work. 

The 1080 Williams St. property is owned by the city and managed by the Pittsfield Cemetery Commission. Rayner presented photos of broken and overgrown gravestones, parts of the stone wall collapsing, and knocked-over obelisks. 

Some aspects could use general maintenance and restoration, he observed. 

According to the Pittsfield Cemetery and Crematory's website, East Part Cemetery was established around 1808 on land owned by Nathan Webb, who permitted and authorized its use as a public burying ground.  

In 1842, Nathan Webb's son, also named Nathan Webb, deeded the property to the Methodist Episcopal Society of Pittsfield as a public burying ground, and in 1893 the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Society transferred their control of the cemetery to the Proprietors of the Pittsfield Cemetery. Their action was confirmed by the Berkshire Probate Court.

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