Two Appointed Department Chairs at Berkshire Medical Center

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems announces the appointments of Dr. Marcella Bradway as chair of the Department of Surgery and Dr. Jessica Krochmal as chair of the Department of Pathology at Berkshire Medical Center, extending its history of equity in leadership. 

Dr. Bradway is the first female chair of Surgery and previously served as interim chair of Surgery for half of 2016 and throughout all of 2018, and was vice chair for five years. Dr. Krochmal is the second woman to serve as chair of Pathology, and she previously served as vice chair from 2016 to 2018. 

"Berkshire Medical Center has a remarkable medical staff, and its foundation is a physician leadership team that is highly diverse and exceptionally skilled, with a deep commitment to continually providing the best care for our community," said David Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. "Drs. Bradway and Krochmal are widely admired by their colleagues on the medical staff, nursing, those working in the many areas of the hospital they interact with daily, and the many thousands of patients who rely on their expertise and compassionate care. We are proud to have them leading our Surgery and Pathology departments."

At BMC, 40 percent of medical staff departments are led by female physicians, with Bradway and Krochmal joining Dr. Lisa Loring, chair of Radiology, in leadership positions. The hospital’s medical staff, which includes more than 400 physicians, has a considerable corps of female physicians.

Bradway was born and raised in Pittsfield and is board-certified in general and colon and rectal Surgery. She returned to the Berkshires in 2008 following an impressive career in Connecticut, where she had served as chair of the Department of Surgery at Griffin Hospital and with a highly respected surgical practice serving Fairfield County. She was fellowship-trained in colon and rectal Surgery at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. She received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed her residency training in General Surgery at the University of Connecticut Integrated Surgical Residency program, which included Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, New Britain General Hospital and John Dempsey Hospital.

Krochmal came to the Berkshires in 2008 and is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and cytopathology. She received her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed dual fellowships, in surgical pathology and cytopathology, from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She completed her residency in pathology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She leads the pathology and laboratory services provided at both Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital.


Tags: BMC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Use of Slurs Sparks Community Conversation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After a Herberg Middle School teacher was placed on leave for allegedly repeating homophobic and racial slurs used by a student, the district is gathering the community for a conversation about how to move forward. 

The discussion will be held Monday, May 11, at 6 p.m. at Conte Community School in partnership with the public schools, Westside Legends and the Berkshire chapter of the NAACP.

On Thursday, interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said the district recognizes the seriousness of concerns from students, families, and staff members in a statement to the school community.

"As interim Superintendent, I have a broad view across our school system and am hearing experiences and concerns from many corners of our community. From my 26 years in education, I know these challenges are not unique to our district. That said, this is our opportunity to do this work within our own schools and strengthen our public education system and culture," she wrote over Parent Square, which was posted on social media and the district website. 

"I want to be clear that there is no place for derogatory or discriminatory language in our schools, whether in classrooms, hallways, on athletic fields, buses, or anywhere in our learning environments. We must address individual situations thoughtfully, fairly, and with care for everyone involved, while also committing to the long-term work of shaping school environments where every student experiences dignity, belonging, safety, and respect." 

At this meeting, they will discuss how to best move forward together. 

"Our students are watching how we respond," Phillips wrote. 

"We have an opportunity to model what it looks like to address difficult issues with fairness, dignity, honesty, and care, and in doing so, strengthen our schools for the long term." 

Last week, the Pittsfield Public Schools Human Resources Department confirmed that an 8th-grade teacher at the middle school was placed on leave. The teacher was reportedly describing a classroom incident when the slurs were repeated.

The complaint was publicly made by parent Brett Random, who is the executive director of Berkshire County Head Start. 

On her personal Facebook page, she said her daughter reported that her math teacher, "used extremely offensive language including both a racial slur (N word) and a homophobic slur (F word) and then reportedly tried to push other students to repeat those words later in the day when students were questioning her on her behavior."

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories