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 Park Getting Basketball Court Renovations

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The basketball courts at Dorothy Amos Park will see some renovations for players of all ages who use them.  

On Thursday, the Conservation Commission OK'd court paving and repainting on the property at 320 West St. One of the courts will be milled, and all three will be repainted. 

The park, which also has a playground and seating areas, is along the West Branch of the Housatonic River, and the work requires ConCom approval. Dorothy Amos Park is a popular recreation spot in the West Side neighborhood, and is home to the Beat the Streets youth summer basketball league. 

Conservation Agent Shannon Poulin reported concern about a tree with roots growing through one of the courts, and that the tree will more than likely need to be cut down. 

"Other than that, I mean, the courts already exist, and it's just an upgrade," she said. 

Commissioner Jonathan Lothrop commented that he has seen roots become a problem long after the tree is removed. As a taxpayer, he would like to see the tree's root system removed to avoid spending more money on it in the future. 

Work was approved with two special conditions: all materials are stored outside of the resource areas, and erosion controls are to be placed along the fence line before work begins.

In other news, commissioners issued 20 orders of conditions for the filling of an isolated wetland on property located at 100 Dan Fox Drive, or Bousquet Sport.  

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