Letter: North Berkshire Deserves Full-Service Hospital

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To the Editor,
 
Congratulations to Fairview Hospital and BHS for the national award it received in December. It was wonderful to read that "Fairview Hospital is part of a strong network of health care that provides a level of high quality medical care unusual to find in a rural community," President Eugene Dellea was quoted as saying, "the Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital Award is a direct reflection of the staff at Fairview Hospital and Berkshire Health Systems who are committed to providing care that meets the needs of our neighborhoods and is second to none ... ."
 
The approximate 37,000 residents of Northern Berkshire County neighborhoods need that same commitment from Berkshire Health Systems. The neighborhoods of North Berkshire require a full-service hospital just as Central and Southern Berkshire neighborhoods each have their own hospital.
 
The 35,000 residents of Southern Berkshire County have an award-winning, 25-bed, full-service hospital. The 37,000 residents of North County want the same. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services ... ."


Medical care is a human right. It should not be treated as a commodity, which is purchased and sold, which some can afford and others can not. The residents of Northern Berkshire want justice and equal access to medical care that the residents of Central and Southern Berkshire enjoy.
 
We are in the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday season. He lived his life fighting for equal access and justice for all. He stated that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"; "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly"; and "The time is always right to do what is right."
    
The residents of North Berkshire neighborhoods have a dream for a full-service hospital. They are directly affected by the loss of their hospital, which in turn indirectly affects all those who use services at surrounding hospitals. The time is right for Berkshire Health Systems to do what is right. Open a hospital equal to Fairview in North Berkshire, the 37,000 residents of North Berkshire require one.

Richard T Dassatti
North Adams


Tags: health care,   hospital,   

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Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.
 
The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.
 
The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account
 
Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.
 
Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 
 
"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 
 
The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.
 
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