BHS Pediatric Practice Wins MHQP Patient Experience Award

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems announced that MACONY Pediatrics, the system's pediatric care clinic, has received an award from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) for being one of the top practices in Massachusetts for patient experience in primary care. 
 
"This award is a testament to the hard work that our providers and community partners have done in coordinating care for children and families to expand resources by working as a team of support versus silos of care," said Dr. Deborah Buccino of MACONY Pediatrics. "This has been particularly important in the critical area of access to mental health resources. The team is creating professional development around best practices of collaborative care coordination to share elements that have made our work successful."   
 
The "MHQP Patient Experience Awards" is an annual awards program introduced in 2018 by MHQP, a non-profit measurement and reporting organization that brings together providers, health plans, and patients to improve the quality of patient care experiences in Massachusetts. MHQP conducts the only statewide survey of patient experience in primary care in Massachusetts.  
 
"Although the pandemic continues to have an immeasurable impact on healthcare everywhere, the 2021 winners of the 2021 MHQP Patient Experience Awards found a way to rise above this crisis and provide best-in-class patient experiences during a very challenging time," said Barbra Rabson, MHQP's President and CEO. "We are thrilled to congratulate each of them on behalf of their patients for their exceptional commitment to excellence." 
 
Awards were given to top overall performers in adult primary care and pediatrics in each of nine performance categories. MACONY Pediatrics received recognition for Distinction in Coordinating Patient Care.  
 
"Primary care is the heart of healthcare in Massachusetts," said James Roosevelt, Jr., MHQP's Board Chair. "The practices from all across the state recognized with this award have distinguished themselves where it matters most – in the experiences of their own patients." 
 
About Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) 
 
Since 1995, MHQP has been leveraging its unique position as an independent coalition of key stakeholder groups (providers, payers and patients) in Massachusetts healthcare to help provider organizations, health plans and policy makers improve the quality of patient care experiences throughout the state

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Elevated Mercury Level Found in Center Pond Fish

BECKET, Mass. — The state Department of Public Health has issued an advisory after a mercury-contaminated fish was found in Center Pond. 
 
According to a letter sent to the local Board of Health from the Division of Environmental Toxicology, Hazard Assessment and Prevention, elevated levels of mercury were measured in the sample taken from the pond. 
 
The concentration in the fish exceeded DPH's action level of 0.5 milligrams per kilogram, or parts per million. 
 
"This indicates that daily consumption of fish from the waterbody may pose a health concern. Therefore, DPH has issued a FCA for Center Pond recommending that sensitive populations should not eat chain pickerel and all other people should limit consumption of chain pickerel to 2 meals/month," the letter states.
 
The letter specifically points to chain pickerel, but the 60-acre pond also has largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
 
The "sensitive populations" include children younger than 12, those who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant.
 
The Toxicology Division recommends reducing intake of "large, predatory fish" or fish that feed on the bottoms of waterbodies, such as largemouth bass and carp. More information on safely eating fish can be found here
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