Provider Profile – Suzanne Childs, BHS Occupational Therapist

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Across the country, there are nearly 135,000 Occupational Therapists, and Suzanne Childs, who provides this specialized care at the Center for Rehabilitation at BMC, says OT goes beyond helping someone regain their functions for work.
 
"We promote functional independence for people and help restore not only vocational skills, but also homemaking and daily living skills," said Childs. "Occupational Therapy covers the full range of activities people of all ages do to live functional, meaningful lives."
 
Suzanne has been with BMC since 1994 and has served as an Occupational Therapist in the Berkshires for nearly 30 years, most of that time in the outpatient setting. She came to the Berkshires after providing OT services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and later New York state.
 
"Occupational Therapists often work together with Physical Therapists, but our roles are quite unique. PT focuses on improving the patient's ability to move their body, whereas I concentrate on improving my patient's ability to perform activities of daily living. We help our patients to do things beyond their PT care, such as brushing their teeth, getting dressed, making meals and all of their other everyday tasks that may have been impeded by an illness or injury."
 
Suzanne is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and completed her clinical education at Toledo Mental Health in Ohio and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. Over the years, she has provided care for spinal cord injury, stroke, post-acute rehabilitation for children and young adults and general rehabilitation.
 
If you need Occupational Therapy or any kind of rehabilitative care, ask your primary care provider for a referral or call the Center for Rehabilitation at BMC at 413-447-2234.




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Air and Water Quality Testing Planned for Pittsfield High

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district will test air and water quality at Pittsfield High School as it prepares to request funding for "in need but not dire" renovations. 

The School Committee last week received a report card on Pittsfield High School's physical condition, which was described as "poor" and in need of restoration to its original character. 

The 1931 building's quality reflects the materials used at that time, and those strong bones were noted during the conversation. 

"Yes, the school is in really poor condition and needs to be addressed, but I also think that we don't need to push an alarm, panic button, and create panic of whether or not certain things are there," Mayor Peter Marchetti said. 

"… To me, if this was a doom and gloom, 'Oh my God, get the kids out,' it would be a lot more strongly worded."

He and Superintendent Latifah Phillips toured PHS the previous week and heard concerns about air and water quality. Testing will be done before school is back in session; there was some air quality testing done two years ago. 

The city is pursuing a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, a quasi-independent government agency, to cover up to 80 percent of the cost for renovations. The Pittsfield Public Schools submitted statements of interest for five schools since 2007, and only two have been accepted: Taconic High School in 2009 and the proposed Crosby/Conte elementary build in 2024. 

Marchetti believes PHS saw the "fastest statement of interest in the history of the City of Pittsfield." Without state funding, he said it will take 50 years to fix the issues. 

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