BCC Now Admitting Students into Respiratory Care Program

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is now accepting applications for the fall semester for its Respiratory Care program. 
 
The program is part of a workforce development pipeline at Berkshire Health Systems (BHS), otherwise known as the "talent pipeline," which is designed to create a direct career path from education and training to full-time employment at BHS.  
 
The largest employer in the Berkshires, BHS covers the cost of all training in its pipeline programs and also offers trainees full-time pay with benefits while they are completing their training. 
 
"In as little as two years, students can earn an associate degree in respiratory therapy at BCC, then complete their training at BHS, where respiratory therapists are in demand," said Lori Moon, BCC Dean of Nursing. "It's a fantastic partnership that benefits both BCC students and the growing healthcare workforce in the Berkshires." 
 
Respiratory care practitioners help treat patients with a wide range of cardiopulmonary illnesses, including asthma or heart failure. Respiratory care includes diagnostic testing and administering oxygen, various other gases and aerosol drugs. 
 
BCC's two-year Respiratory Care program, a sequence of lecture, laboratory and clinical courses, prepares students to become Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRTs) and Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs). The program combines coursework and hands-on training, emphasizing the rigorous technical and academic competencies required of a respiratory therapist. Students who complete the program are eligible to take the National Board for Respiratory Care examination. 
 
Graduates of the program are employed in diverse areas of healthcare, holding positions such as neonatal/pediatric specialists, adult critical care specialists, pulmonary rehabilitation specialists, critical care transport therapists, home-care therapists, clinical educators and many more. The projected average salary of respiratory therapists working in the United States is more than $73,000 per year. In Massachusetts, respiratory therapists earn a median wage of $73,000 to $87,000. 
 
The Respiratory Care program at BCC is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).? For more information, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/respiratory-care

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Pittsfield Council Preview: Firework Funds and Morningside Public Safety Request

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday will accept donations used to fund a belated Fourth of July fireworks display and see a councilor's request to consider reusing Morningside Community School as a police station. 

On the agenda for July 14 is a $22,000 gift from various individuals and organizations to support the fireworks, which went off on July 8 in the area of Wahconah Park. Pittsfield Cooperative Bank contributed $10,000, and George Haddad and Berkshire Property Managers each contributed $6,000. 

Pittsfield could not secure a vendor for the Fourth of July, but one was available a few days later because of a cancellation in another state. While there was no city-sponsored fireworks show on the Fourth of July this year, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, a fireworks display was held on Wednesday evening. 

Community members gathered around the Wahconah Park area to watch the show; the property is under construction while the grandstand is being demolished. 

"The city would like to extend a special thank you to the Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, George Haddad, and Berkshire Property Managers for their support and sponsorship to make this year's fireworks display possible," Mayor Peter Marchetti wrote. 

The 2026 parade on July 4, "America 250 — Pittsfield Celebrates the Generations," celebrated 250 years of the nation and Pittsfield.  People, floats, cars, balloons, and more proceeded down South, North, and Wahconah streets to thousands of spectators.

Morningside recently retired as an elementary school after the School Committee determined that its lack of classroom walls created a difficult, noisy learning environment and impacted student success.  Students are reassigned to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams elementary schools. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham wants the city to explore turning the school into a "public safety and community resource hub."

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