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BHS Closing Walk-In Clinic in Williamstown

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Citing a consistent lack of patient volume, Berkshire Health Systems said Friday they will discontinue its walk-in care clinic inside the Williamstown Medical Associates.

The BHS Walk-In, located inside the Williamstown Medical Associates building on Adams Road, will close on Friday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m. The clinic will remain open for its regular hours, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until that date.

The number of patients using the Williamstown walk-in care site has been low since its opening in February of 2016, averaging only three to five patients per day, and that volume did not grow over the ensuing year and a half. The clinic was staffed by Sarah Kangas, a nurse practitioner, who will continue to work at Berkshire Health Systems in another capacity.


Berkshire Health Systems continues to provide around-the-clock emergency care services through its Satellite Emergency Facility at the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center, and provides care for everyday minor emergencies at BHS Urgent Care, located at St. Luke's Square in Pittsfield.

The BMC Satellite Emergency Facility in North Adams is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. BHS Urgent Care is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including weekends and most holidays.

BHS Urgent Care provides immediate and affordable care for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses for those who cannot see their physician. A number of illnesses and non-life-threatening injuries can be treated at Urgent Care, including bronchitis, cold and flu symptoms, allergy symptoms, eye, ear and throat complaints, sprains and fractures, lacerations, rashes, abscess drainage and more. In addition, BHS Urgent Care is available for both adult and pediatric illnesses and injuries and has on-site x-ray and laboratory services for strep testing, urinalysis and urine pregnancy test, blood sugar, and other routine blood tests. All x-ray and blood tests will be available for immediate review to best direct treatment and care plans.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt., also offers 24-hour emergency services as well as a walk-in urgent care clinic, which is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and also offers care for minor illnesses and injuries to patients of all ages.


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Mount Greylock School Committee Discusses Collaboration Project with North County Districts

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — News that the group looking at ways to increase cooperation among secondary schools in North County reached a milestone sparked yet another discussion about that group's objectives among members of the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee.
 
At Thursday's meeting, Carolyn Greene reported that the Northern Berkshire Secondary Sustainability task force, where she represents the Lanesborough-Williamstown district, had completed a request for proposals in its search for a consulting firm to help with the process that the task force will turn over to a steering committee comprised of four representatives from four districts: North Berkshire School Union, North Adams Public Schools, Hoosac Valley Regional School District and Mount Greylock Regional School District.
 
Greene said the consultant will be asked to, "work on things like data collection and community outreach in all of the districts that are participating, coming up with maybe some options on how to share resources."
 
"That wraps up the work of this particular working group," she added. "It was clear that everyone [on the group] had the same goals in mind, which is how do we do education even better for our students, given the limitations that we all face.
 
"It was a good process."
 
One of Greene's colleagues on the Mount Greylock School Committee used her report as a chance to challenge that process.
 
"I strongly support collaboration, I think it's a terrific idea," Steven Miller said. "But I will admit I get terrified when I see words like 'regionalization' in documents like this. I would feel much better if that was not one of the items we were discussing at this stage — that we were talking more about shared resources.
 
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