Community Health Programs Achieves 100 Percent Federal Compliance Score

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Community Health Programs has earned a perfect compliance score from the federal agency that provides critical funding for federally qualified health centers.

The Health Resources Services Administration delivered its findings following an onsite review in April. CHP manages CHP's eight primary care and dental practices throughout Berkshire County: in Great Barrington, Lee, Pittsfield, Adams and North Adams.

Massachusetts is home to 39 community health centers; CHP is the only one serving the Berkshire region.

HRSA provides nearly 20 percent of CHP's annual funding through federal grants. The agency oversees more than 1,400 federally qualified health centers nationwide and conducts site visits every three years to evaluate compliance with detailed regulations regarding health care, from financial management and recordkeeping to patient care protocol and quality control, among other measures.


"Achieving a 100 percent compliance score from HRSA is a great measure of our success in caring for the people of Berkshire County," said Lia Spiliotes, CEO of CHP. "The level of teamwork involved – not just preparing for the HRSA site visit, but in caring for patients every day – is extraordinary. I applaud our staff for their hard work."

"We're extremely proud, but not at all surprised by the perfect score achieved during the HRSA review," said Christopher Phillips, CHP Board chair. "The CHP leadership team and entire staff are highly dedicated to the mission of improving the health of Berkshire County's population through an innovative and compassionate system of care."

CHP's medical practice sites care for more than 30,000 Berkshire County residents. The agency employs more than 200, who provide primary care, dental care, women's health care, vision care, nutrition, physical therapy and family services.

Community Health Programs, based in Great Barrington, Mass., is federally qualified health care network serving more than 30,000 Berkshire County area residents with primary health care for adults and children, women’s health care, dental care, physical therapy, vision care and nutrition services. CHP Family Services reaches parents and children in Southern Berkshire County with parent-child networking, parenting education, WIC services and nutrition classes. CHP accepts all patients, regardless of ability to pay, and accepts all forms of public and private health insurance.


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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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