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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Zebra Mussels Found in Pittsfield's Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city will treat one acre of Onota Lake for zebra mussels. 

On Wednesday, during a special virtual meeting, the Conservation Commission approved a series of three treatments with EarthTec QZ. During dive monitoring in August, a live adult zebra mussel was found near the boat ramp. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said it will begin in the next 7-10 days, and that this treatment is nearly identical to that in the fall of 2024, as approved by the ConCom and other entities. 

EarthTec QZ, an EPA-registered liquid molluscicide, will be applied to a 1-acre section from a boat with GPS guidance, about 14 days apart. There will be signs and notices of treatments to alert the public. 

Karen Murray, of the Lake Onota Preservation Association, explained that the area is from the rocky point north of the boat launch to the boat launch, and a little south of the fishing pier. 

"Again, does that mean we have live zebra mussels? We don't know, but it's pretty strong evidence of a potential problem," she said. 

Over the last few years, Pittsfield has grappled with occasional findings of the invasive species.

Pittsfield and LOPA embarked on an early detection process at Onota Lake in the fall of 2023; the state Department of Conservation and Recreation had found the area near the boat launch positive for zebra mussel eDNA. 

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