State Hosts Hearing on Health Care Cost Trends From COVID-19

02:15PM / Monday, October 19, 2020Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) will host the 2020 Annual Health Care Cost Trends Hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020.

The hearing, a public event at which policymakers and health care stakeholders convene to discuss challenges and opportunities in improving health care in the Commonwealth, will be available live on the HPC’s YouTube channel. The virtual event will focus on examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care system and residents of the Commonwealth and discussing considerations for the future. More information on the hearing, including a registration link, program booklet, and full agenda, can be found here.

The hearing will feature pre-recorded remarks from Governor Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, which will be posted on the HPC’s website after the hearing.

Dr. David R. Williams, a social scientist focused on social influences of health, will be the keynote speaker. He is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health, Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University.

The hearing will feature a video presentation highlighting the voices of those throughout the Commonwealth who have been most impacted by the pandemic. The video will be posted on the HPC’s website after the hearing.

The hearing will include two hour-long panels featuring health care leaders and clinicians with a range of perspectives and experiences on the impact of COVD-19.

Discussion Panel 1 - 10:15 AM

Dr. Damian Archer, Chief Medical Officer, North Shore Community Health Center
Dr. Thea James, Vice President of Mission & Associate Chief Medical Officer, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Steven Strongwater, President and CEO, Atrius Health
Ms. Deborah Wilson, President & CEO, Lawrence General Hospital

Discussion Panel 2 - 11:15 AM

Dr. Madeline Aviles-Hernandez, Outpatient Services Director, Gándara Center
Mr. Andrew Dreyfuss, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Dr. Shari Nethersole, Executive Director of Community Health, Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. Thomas Sequist, Chief Patient Experience and Equity Officer, Mass General Brigham

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Pittsfield Parks OKs Annual Events, Hears Wahconah Park Idea

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:11PM / Sunday, February 22, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission signed off on some annual city events on Tuesday.

Commissioners approved the 80th annual Eggstravaganza Egg Scramble, the Westside Legends' 6th annual Easter egg hunt, and another lineup of Eagles Band concerts in the park. The Eagles Community Band is in its 90th year.

Pittsfield's 80th egg hunt will be held at The Common on Saturday, April 4 (rain date April 11) from 10 to noon. The free event is open to children ages 2-11 and will feature a balloon artist, a face painter, the Easter bunny, and, of course, plastic eggs filled with small prizes.

The Westside Easter Egg Hunt, organized by the Westside Legends, is on the same day, April 4, from 1 to 3 p.m at Durant Park. It was scheduled to not conflict with the city's event, and will include tabling from community organizations, and some raffles.

City officials are also planning an opportunity to appreciate the Wahconah Park grandstand's century of history in Pittsfield. Demolition is currently out to bid, and prices are expected the first week of March.

"We want to have some conversation around opening up the grandstand one last time for the community to come in and look around and share memories," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath reported.

"I think it would we'd be remiss if we just brought in the wrecking ball and people were like, 'Wait a minute, I didn't have a chance to have one last look out from my favorite spot in the grandstand,' So we're going to figure out how to do that, how to get that done safely, and just how to celebrate this with some folks."

He has been in touch with Larry Moore of Berkshire Baseball to share facts about the park, "and just remind people how much of a storied past Wahconah Park has had, and just keep hope alive for the next iteration of Wahconah Park, whatever that looks like."

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