Gastroenterologist Joins BHS Provider Practice

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) announced the appointment of Mark J. Sterling, MD, a board certified and fellowship trained Gastroenterologist, to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) and the provider staff of Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC. 
 
Dr. Sterling is accepting new patients in need of endoscopic and gastroenterology care and is partnered with Drs. Jason Bratcher, Ketisha De Roche and Jeffrey St. John at Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC.
 
Dr. Sterling's clinical interests include diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, pancreas, and liver; Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Colonoscopy; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; endoscopic ultrasound; endoscopic dilation and small bowel endoscopy.
 
Dr. Sterling came to the Berkshires after serving at Tufts Medical Center for six years, and previously served as Director of Endoscopic Ultrasound at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, and as Chief of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Director of Gastroenterology Service at UMDNJ-University Hospital, Newark, NJ.
 
He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, and fellowship trained in Gastroenterology at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center/Faulkner Hospital, Boston, and in Advanced Endoscopy/Gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester.
 
For an appointment with Dr. Sterling, ask your primary care physician for a referral, or for more information call Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC at 413-499-8590.

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

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Pittsfield School Committee OKs $82M Budget, $1.5M Cuts

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school budget is less grim than the original proposal but still requires more than $1.5 million in cuts.

On Thursday, the School Committee approved an $82.8 million spending plan for fiscal year 2025, including a city appropriation of $80.4 million and $2.4 million in Chapter 70 funds.

The cuts made to balance the budget include about 50 staff reductions — some due to the sunsetting of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.

"The final version does not answer all needs. It will be unacceptable to some or to many but I must say that tonight's final proposal is very different than where we started when we believed we would have a $3,600,000 reduction. I want to assure everyone that every effort has been made to minimize the impact on both students, families, and staff members while also ensuring that our district has the necessary resources to progress forward," Superintendent Joseph Curtis said.

"Nevertheless, there are incredibly passionate, dedicated staff members who will not be with us next year. This pains me as I've been a part of this organization for now 30 years so I want to assure everyone that our team, this has weighed very heavily in our hearts, this entire process. This is not a group of people that is looking at a spreadsheet saying ‘Well that can go and this can go’ and take that lightly."

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke and other officials worked with the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education to rectify an error in the Chapter 70 funding formula, recognized 11 more low-income students in the district, and added an additional $2.4 million to the FY25 budget.

Curtis commented that when he first saw the governor’s FY25 budget, he was "rather stunned."

"The extraordinary circumstances we face this budget season by the conclusion of the substantial ESSER federal grant and a significant reduction in Chapter 70 allotment caused challenges for this team and our school principals and our educators and our staff that have been nothing short of all-consuming," he said.

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