BHS Hospitals Recognized With Awards

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital have received nine American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating Commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. 
 
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can
recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. 
 
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As participants in the Get With The Guidelines program, BMC and Fairview qualified for the awards by demonstrating how each entity has committed to improving quality care. 
 
"Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital are committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes," said James Lederer, MD, Berkshire Health Systems Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer. "The Get With The Guidelines program makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps
us ensure more people in the Berkshire region experience longer, healthier lives."  
 
This year, Berkshire Medical Center received the following achievement awards: 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Silver 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Resuscitation Silver 
 
 
Fairview Hospital received the following achievement awards: 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Silver 
 
Get With The Guidelines - Rural Stroke Silver  
 
Get With The Guidelines - Rural Coronary Artery Disease Bronze 
 
"These awards show Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital's commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care," said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. "By following the American Heart Association's quality improvement protocols, BMC and Fairview can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities." 
 

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

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BCC Sees $1M in Federal Funds for Trades Academy

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal secured $995,000 to begin design and construction of the academy. The congressman had earlier attended the Norman Rockwell Museum business breakfast, which celebrated Laurie Norton Moffatt's 49 years leading the institution.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College was awarded nearly $1 million in federal funds to support a Trades Academy. 

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited the college to highlight the $995,000 he secured through congressionally directed spending. Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education Linda Clairmont said BCC can be a destination for adults who want to learn a skilled trade. 

"I want to join up with the amazing work that Taconic and McCann (vocational high schools) are doing to prepare people for these really specific skills, helping people become confident professionals with a direct path to high-wage, high-demand jobs," she explained. 

"And we're also addressing the labor shortage that exists in this county, around the state, and around the country, in the skilled trades." 

The federal funding will support a feasibility study of an existing vacant building on campus, as well as the evaluation and abatement of any hazardous materials at the location, because it was once a power plant. 

BCC will dip its toe into the skilled trades with its first HVAC training program, for which it received $1.2 million from the state in support. The $995,000 in federal funds will go toward creating the academy in a building located on the main campus, and the HVAC heat pump training program will be funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. 

The $1 million in federal monies will get the college to construction documents, maybe fund some construction, and help identify the necessary equipment and other learning space needs for a skilled trade, Clairmont reported. 

The funding is part of more than $14 million in congressionally directed spending secured by the congressman to support economic development, workforce training, and community infrastructure across the Berkshires.

Neal said there are about 6.5 million jobs in the United States that go unanswered every day.

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