BMC Joint Replacement Program Recognized for Quality

11:05AM / Tuesday, December 06, 2011Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center's Total Joint Replacement Program has been recognized with an Aetna Institutes of Quality for Orthopaedic Surgery designation.

Quality Orthopedic Care facilities are designated based on measures of clinical performance, access and efficiency for orthopedic care. In reviewing these facilities, Aetna identifies comprehensive orthopedic treatment centers that can provide both inpatient and outpatient procedures.

To qualify for the national designation, BMC's program had to meet several criteria, including performing at least 200 knee replacement surgeries and 100 hip replacement surgeries in the most recent 12 months, accreditation by the Joint Commission, a rapid response team and 24-hour emergency care and the joint replacement program must have been established for at least one year.

The hospital also had to meet several quality requirements, including having a quality improvement program with initiatives focused on continuously measuring and improving orthopedic care to include an automated data collection system and/or personnel in place and perform patient satisfaction surveys and responsive improvement activities, among others.

BMC, in collaboration with Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, greatly enhanced its orthopaedic surgery program two years ago with the development of the comprehensive Joint Replacement Program. The program is designed to provide the patient with the highest quality experience possible, with pre-operative education, state-of-the-art surgical procedures performed by highly skilled orthopaedic surgeons, advanced anesthesia care and pain management, newly renovated rooms for optimum comfort and recovery, and postsurgical care, including rehabilitation.

The procedures covered include: total knee replacement; partial knee replacement; total hip replacement; hip and knee revision; and shoulder replacement.

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Pittsfield Seeks $28M Borrowing for Water, Sewer Infrastructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:32PM / Saturday, February 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is seeking a total of $28 million in borrowing authorizations to upgrade its drinking and wastewater infrastructure.

This includes $13 million for upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and $15 million for upgrades to the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants, which are located outside Pittsfield. The City Council referred the $15 million borrowing request to the Finance Subcommittee on Tuesday.

The full drinking water project is expected to cost $165 million over the next 8 years, with $150 million for long-term construction and $15 million for near-term needs. The initial ask would fund the final design and permitting for Phases 1-3, Phase 1 of interim updates, allowances, and contingency.

After the meeting, Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained that these are needed repairs so the current infrastructure can be stretched a little longer while design work is underway.

Pittsfield's two Krofta drinking water treatment plants were installed in the 1980s. The city says they are beyond anticipated useful service and at risk for catastrophic failure that could leave Pittsfield with a shortage of potable water.

Krofta is a compact filtration system that Pittsfield will continue to use. There are four units at the Cleveland WTP and two at the Ashley WTP. Morales said the system is "very good" but needs to be upgraded.

"We were one of the first to use that type of technology in the 80s, and it's outdated now, and getting parts and getting repairs to it is very costly because of the outdated technology that it's using, and we can replace that with better infrastructure," he explained.

"We need to build a chemical facility on the Cleveland side. We already have that done at Ashley with [American Rescue Plan Act] funds, largely, and then we need to build better tank holding systems at the plants to allow for fluorination to happen at the plant, instead of on its way down to Pittsfield."