BHS Doctor Honored As 2017 Community Clinician of the Year

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Dr. Linda F. Smothers

WALTHAM, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems physician Dr. Linda F. Smothers has been honored by her physician peers of the Berkshire District Medical Society as the district’s 2017 Community Clinician of the Year, an award recognizing her professionalism and contributions as a physician. She received the award at the district’s annual meeting last month at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield.

Board-certified in adult psychiatry, Dr. Smothers is the medical director of Acute Care Services of Berkshire Health Systems and The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, a community-based, non-profit agency providing care for children, adolescents, adults and families who suffer from chronic mental illness, substance use disorder, and behavioral health disorders. She has provided care as a community psychiatrist to patients throughout Berkshire County for more than 20 years in outpatient and hospital settings, emergency departments and nursing homes.

Smothers earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University and her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She is an annual participant in the Crisis Intervention Training for Law Enforcement sponsored by the Berkshire Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a program that educates law enforcement personnel about behavioral health disorders.

The Community Clinician of the Year Award was established in 1998 by the Massachusetts Medical Society to recognize a physician from each of the Society’s 20 district societies who has made significant contributions to his or her patients and the community. The Berkshire District Medical Society is comprised of nearly 500 physicians who live and work throughout Berkshire County.

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with some 25,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society, under the auspices of NEJM Group, publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 13 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education providing accredited and certified activities across the globe for physicians and other health care professionals.


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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.
 
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