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 City Council Accepts Airport Funds, Honors Late PHS Teacher

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council last Tuesday accepted a $2.4 million federal grant for a new taxiway at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport, a project that will only require 2.5 percent support from Pittsfield. 

"This is a great deal for the city of Pittsfield, and our airport has come a long way in a very short time," Ward 7 Councilor Katherine Moody said. 

Councilors accepted $2,394,570 from the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration, and approved an order to borrow $2,520,600 for the construction of Taxiway A at the airport.

Moody was referring to the fact that 95 percent, or $2,394,570, is covered by the FAA.  The remaining costs are split between Massachusetts and Pittsfield; 2.5 percent each. 

That brings the city's contribution to a little more than $63,000. 

The project will reconstruct, mark, light, and sign the new taxiway, which will also require pavement removal, excavation, pavement construction, installation of electrical and drainage infrastructure, pavement markings, seeding, and more. 

Bidding was recently completed at $2,150,490.65 and, combined with engineering services and administrative costs, the project totaled $2,520,600. 

At the beginning of the meeting, Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso paid tribute to a longtime friend of hers and many others, Colleen Quinn, who died on May 20 at the age of 69 after a brief battle with cancer.

Amuso described the loss of the longtime Pittsfield High School art teacher as devastating to the community. 

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