Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates Affiliates with Berkshire Health Systems

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, a provider of orthopedic care in the Berkshire region, has entered into an affiliation with Berkshire Health Systems.

“Through this affiliation, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will be able to preserve and strengthen the availability of orthopedic services across Berkshire County,” said Dr. Kevin Mitts, division chief of orthopedics at Berkshire Medical Center and a surgeon with the practice. “In addition, this agreement gives us critical access to a variety of support services, including assistance in recruiting new physicians and other providers to serve our community’s orthopedic needs. In fact, two new orthopedic surgeons will be joining our practice in the coming months.”

 Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates features doctors Kevin Mitts, Jeffrey Cella, Anthony DeFelice, Mark Sprague, Michael Nancollas and David Grygier. The practice provides comprehensive orthopedic services, including surgical and non-surgical approaches, advanced Joint Replacement surgery for knees, hips, shoulders and ankles, specialized hand surgery and rehabilitation care. 

The physicians of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates are joined by a team of highly specialized physician assistants who are experts in orthopedic care.

This affiliation helps to stabilize the physician practice and ensure continued and expanded access to these orthopedic care services. Growing changes in health-care policy and in the health insurance reimbursement system have challenged the viability of private physician practices. At the same time, health-care systems like BHS are increasingly relied upon to ensure current and future access to critical services for the community by investing in physician practices and ensuring they have the necessary support systems and financial stability and investment to succeed in the long-term. 

By becoming an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates continues to serve its existing patients, but has the enhanced ability to provide access to new patients through the support of Berkshire Health Systems’ intensive physician recruitment program. 

 Daily operations of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will remain unchanged, and patients will see no differences in their relationship with their individual physician or the practice. Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates will see patients in three locations in the county – in Pittsfield at its 24 Park Street offices on the first floor of the Crane Center for Ambulatory Surgery building; in Great Barrington at Fairview Hospital, in the Doctor’s Building, 27 Lewis Avenue; and at a new office in North Adams, at the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center. 

 This new affiliation continues many years of collaborative effort between Berkshire Health Systems and the surgeons of Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, to assure the availability of these important services for people in the region.


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Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced that 18 additional municipalities across Massachusetts have been designated as Seasonal Communities, opening up new tools, support and grant funding to help them manage seasonal housing pressures. 
 
Created as part of the historic Affordable Homes Act signed into law by Governor Healey in 2024, the Seasonal Communities designation was designed to recognize Massachusetts communities that experience substantial variation in seasonal employment and to create distinctive tools to address their unique housing needs. The law also established the Seasonal Communities Advisory Council (SCAC).  
 
The Affordable Homes Act identified several communities to automatically receive the designation, including:   
  • All municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket;   
  • All municipalities with over 35 percent seasonal housing units in Barnstable County; and   
  • All municipalities with more than 40 percent seasonal housing units in Berkshire County. 
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To identify additional communities, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) reviewed available data, specifically focusing on cities and towns with high levels of short-term rentals and a high share of second- or vacation homes.
 
In Berkshire County, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown have been designated. 
 
"Our seasonal communities are a vital part of Massachusetts' cultural and economic fabric, but they're also home to essential workers, families, seniors, and longtime residents who deserve a place to live year-round," said Governor Healey. "That's why we're committed to supporting these communities with innovative solutions like the Seasonal Communities designation to meet their unique needs, and I'm thrilled that we're offering this opportunity to 18 additional communities across the state. Everyone who calls these places home should be able to live, work and grow here, no matter the season." 
 
As with the statutorily identified communities, acceptance of the designation for municipalities is voluntary and requires a local legislative vote. HLC will open an application for newly eligible communities that haven't accepted the Seasonal Communities designation to request consideration. 
 
The Affordable Homes Act created several new tools for communities who accept the Seasonal Communities designation to be able to:  
  • Acquire deed restrictions to create or preserve year-round housing 
  • Develop housing with a preference for municipal workers, so that our public safety personnel, teachers, public works and town hall workers have a place to live 
  • Establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable and attainable housing for year-round residents 
  • Create year-round housing for artists 
  • Allow seasonal communities to develop a comprehensive housing needs assessment 
  • Permit tiny homes to be built and used as year-round housing 
  • Permit year-round, attainable residential development on undersized lots 
  • Increase the property tax exemption for homes that are the owners' primary residence 
 
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