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 Schools Hear Community Feedback on Morningside Closure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools are gathering feedback on a potential closure of Morningside Community School before a recommendation is made. 

There were community meetings last week, and if the district holds a public hearing, it would likely need to be before the School Committee's next meeting to inform the recommendation. Officials recognize a "deep love" for the Burbank Street school, and say the decision would not be taken lightly. 

Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips shared the considerations for a closure with the School Committee on Wednesday: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.  

Staff and community meetings were held on Monday and Thursday. One of the interim superintendent's takeaways after meeting with faculty was their commitment to caring for students and the school. 

"So it was with heaviness that they, I would say most of the staff, felt that the facility really is not conducive to our students' success, but they also felt a heaviness because of the love and commitment to the school," she reported. 

"And so I didn't want to not share that, because there is a deep love for Morningside Community School, even though there have been many years where it has been struggling with performance."

Phillips said the open classroom concept is probably the biggest driver, and whether students can receive their greatest education there. This is what raised the question of whether funding could follow students into existing, under-utilized, nearby schools. 

Last Monday, the first of three community meetings were held to solicit feedback about the possible closure of Morningside for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools. Meetings are also scheduled for last Thursday morning and at 4 p.m. at the school. 

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