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 Animal Control Commission Eyes Animal Abuse Registry

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Animal Control Commission organized itself late last month and floated a couple of areas to address. 

This includes a registry of animal cruelty offenders and handling issues with off-leash dogs at Kirvin Park. The commission is no longer in charge of dangerous or nuisance dog hearings

"Now that we have two separate commissions, the Animal Control Commission and the Hearing Authority, the Animal Control Commission is going to oversee sort of the rules, regulations, and city ordinances for Pittsfield regarding animals, dogs, cats, etc.," Animal Control Officer Kristin Quintal explained. 

"So, if there are any issues that the community wants to discuss regarding park situations, any changes to the city ordinances, things like that." 

During a brief meeting on June 30, the commission welcomed new members John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's executive director, and Tricia Phillips, the Humane Society's community outreach coordinator. 

Perreault was elected chair, and Phillips was elected secretary. 

In 2025, Pittsfield made a separate authority for dangerous dog hearings and made changes to the Animal Control Commission, including fewer members and no requirement for veterinarian representation on the panel. 

"So this commission is supposed to meet four times a year to discuss happy things," Renee Dodds, the former chair, told members last year. 

The commission meets quarterly to "study, review, and issue written reports on issues dealing with dogs or other animals in the City and shall coordinate to the fullest extent possible the work of all public and private agencies concerned with animal care, protection and control," the City Code reads. 

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