Berkshire Health Systems Taps New Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer

03:08PM / Thursday, February 13, 2020Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dr. James Weil Lederer Jr. has been appointed to the position of chief medical officer/chief quality officer at Berkshire Health Systems.

"Dr. Lederer has over 20 years of experience in leading innovative, patient-focused, high-quality care initiatives in settings spanning acute-care hospitals, health systems and physician practices," said David Phelps, BHS president and chief executive officer. "He has shown to be a proven leader and will help our team to further advance the patient safety and quality initiatives that have placed us among the national leaders in patient care."

Lederer most recently served as the vice president for Clinical Excellence of Allspire Health Partners in Conshohocken, Pa., where he was responsible for setting clinical priorities and establishing best practices for member organizations. Prior to that, he was the CMO/CQO and vice president for Quality and Safety at Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise, Idaho, where he coordinated all clinical and safety efforts, including graduate medical education, population health, clinical improvement activities and physician leadership programs.

Lederer's previous senior leadership roles were at Novant Health in Winston Salem, N.C., including vice president of Clinical Improvement, medical director of Novant Health Corporate, and senior vice president for medical affairs at Novant's Forsyth Medical Center.

Lederer is board-certified in internal medicine and adult infectious diseases. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill and completed his residency in combined medicine/pediatrics at the University of Tennessee, as well as a fellowship in infectious diseases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

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Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources

10:54AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

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.

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