Provider Profile – Suzanne Childs, BHS Occupational Therapist

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Across the country, there are nearly 135,000 Occupational Therapists, and Suzanne Childs, who provides this specialized care at the Center for Rehabilitation at BMC, says OT goes beyond helping someone regain their functions for work.
 
"We promote functional independence for people and help restore not only vocational skills, but also homemaking and daily living skills," said Childs. "Occupational Therapy covers the full range of activities people of all ages do to live functional, meaningful lives."
 
Suzanne has been with BMC since 1994 and has served as an Occupational Therapist in the Berkshires for nearly 30 years, most of that time in the outpatient setting. She came to the Berkshires after providing OT services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and later New York state.
 
"Occupational Therapists often work together with Physical Therapists, but our roles are quite unique. PT focuses on improving the patient's ability to move their body, whereas I concentrate on improving my patient's ability to perform activities of daily living. We help our patients to do things beyond their PT care, such as brushing their teeth, getting dressed, making meals and all of their other everyday tasks that may have been impeded by an illness or injury."
 
Suzanne is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and completed her clinical education at Toledo Mental Health in Ohio and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. Over the years, she has provided care for spinal cord injury, stroke, post-acute rehabilitation for children and young adults and general rehabilitation.
 
If you need Occupational Therapy or any kind of rehabilitative care, ask your primary care provider for a referral or call the Center for Rehabilitation at BMC at 413-447-2234.




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Pittsfield Firefighters Respond To Gas Leak

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield firefighters safely discharged a 1000-gallon underground propane tank that was breached presenting an immediate safety and environmental hazard.
 
On Thursday, June 25  at 2:52pm, the Pittsfield Fire Department responded to 41 Shaker Lane for a reported gas leak. 
Upon arrival firefighters found workers had sheared off the fill, service, and safety valves to a 1000-gallon underground propane tank. The vessel was estimated to be 60 percent full at the time of the breach.
 
A breached underground propane tank is a serious safety and environmental hazard. Immediate action is required to protect people, property, and the environment. Propane is highly flammable and can be deadly if inhaled in high concentrations or exposed to fire, making proper handling and storage essential. It exists as a gas in standard conditions but was in a refrigerated liquified state at the time of this incident.
 
Fire personnel ensured immediate evacuation of the property and together with Eversource, secured power to 41 Shaker and adjoining properties. A Tier 1 Hazardous Materials response was initiated, resulting in (5) technicians arriving and providing assistance with mitigation and area air monitoring with portable gas indicators. Industry experts from Lipton Energy arrived and provided technical support. Pittsfield PD assisted with traffic/pedestrian control and maintaining a safe operating perimeter.
 
Ultimately, due to the nature of the rupture it was impossible to safely offload the product. Engines 1 and 3 stayed on scene and assisted in dissipating the product into air via forced water injection. Water is forced into the tank at higher pressure than the tank’s static pressure. Because water is denser, it sinks below the liquid propane and displaces it, slowly and safely releasing it into the atmosphere. Water injection into the tank is a slow, methodical process that enables the refrigerated propane to escape without a dangerous level of vapor buildup.
 
Personnel remained on scene for four hours. The were no civilian or responder injuries associated with this incident.
 
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