Robotic Surgical Specialist Joins BHS Urology Services

09:38AM / Tuesday, August 17, 2010Print Story | Email Story

Dr. Jonah S. Marshall

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has appointed Jonah S. Marshall, M.D., a urologist specializing in robotic surgery, to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the physician staff of Urology Services of the Berkshires. Dr. Marshall has performed hundreds of surgical procedures utilizing the da Vinci(R) Surgical System, a state-of-the-art robotic surgery system BMC introduced to the Berkshires earlier this summer.

Marshall, in collaboration with Stephen St. Clair, M.D., division chief of Urology at BMC, will lead the hospital's urologic robotic surgery program, which will include advanced prostate and kidney care. Through his recruitment, BMC is helping to meet a community need for increased access to urology care, at a time of national physician shortages in that specialty.

Marshall received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y. He completed advanced residency training in the use of the da Vinci Surgical System at the University of Rochester, Department of Urology. He also is certified as an instructor by Intuitive Surgical, which allows him to supervise the training of other surgeons on the robotic surgical system.

Robotic surgery using the da Vinci System is now considered the national standard of care for prostate and kidney surgeries, meaning patients in the Berkshires do not have to leave the area to receive the latest care. Urology Services of the Berkshires is dedicated to minimally invasive surgery, which provides the best clinical option for most patients.

The da Vinci Surgical System provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy, putting a surgeon's hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform. The da Vinci System enables surgeons at BMC to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision. This innovative technology features many patient benefits, including faster recovery times, significantly less pain, shorter hospital stays and lower risk of infection.

BMC has invested in the da Vinci Si HD system, and is the only hospital in Western Massachusetts to use the Si HD platform, which features: advanced 3D HD visualization with up to 10-times magnification; EndoWrist(R) instrumentation with dexterity and range of motion far greater than even the human hand; and Intuitive(R) motion technology, which replicates the experience of open surgery by preserving natural eye-hand-instrument alignment and intuitive instrument control.

The da Vinci System is being used at BMC for urologic and gynecologic surgery, and will in the future be expanded for use in general surgery. For more information on BMC's robotic surgical program, visit www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/robotics.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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