Provider Profile – Suzanne Childs, BHS Occupational Therapist

12:21PM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023Print Story | Email Story

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.

Tags: BHS, BMC,

Mill Town Closes on Site 9, Woodlawn Ave. Property

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Tuesday, June 23, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first purchase of land at Site 9 in the William Stanley Business Park has gone through.

Mill Town Capital has closed on 4.7 acres on the overhauled GE site once described as looking like the face of the moon, as well as some land across the street for a residential building. The purchase price is $200,000.

"This is an exciting moment because Mill Town was at the table at the very, very beginning of the grant process for the cracking and crushing and greening of Site 9. They've stood by us every step of the way," board Chair Jonathan Denmark said to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority last week.

"It's also a monumental occasion, because after 25-something years, this is the first land sale from the William Stanley Business Park, and we're all excited."

Mill Town in 2024 announced its intent to purchase acreage on Site 9 and land across the street at 100 Woodlawn Ave.

The 16-acre parcel at the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and Tyler Street Extension previously housed a General Electric factory and is the largest and most prominent section of the business park. Now, it is greened over with a loop of paved access road.

There was some reference to recent hesitancy about the estimate of high construction costs, but the investment firm reportedly chose to proceed because of its faith in this location.

Pittsfield's Business Development Manager Michael Coakley said Mill Town will need to make the numbers work and then find a tenant before breaking ground, and that it won't be right away. The closing had on the site had been the day prior.