BHS Relocating Helicopter Landing Zone to Hillcrest Campus of BMC

02:00PM / Tuesday, October 01, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has announced that the helicopter landing zone for Berkshire Medical Center is being relocated to the Hillcrest Campus of BMC in order to enhance and improve safety for helicopter crews and patients.

This change comes with the support of the Pittsfield Police and Fire Departments and local EMS providers.

The move will be effective on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

"This move is necessary so that we can ensure the safety of the patient and helicopter crew and lessen the travel time from Berkshire Medical Center to the landing zone," said Roberta Gale, BHS vice president of community health. "The Hillcrest Campus of BMC provides the hospital with a consistent and safe landing zone that can quickly be staffed by BHS Security. For patients requiring helicopter transport, minutes are critical, and these flights have saved thousands of lives in the Berkshires."

BHS worked with first responders, municipal leaders, and air transport providers to explore multiple options, including continued use of Wahconah Park, Reid Middle School and the Pittsfield Municipal Airport, but all had issues with safety, and access and agreed that the Hillcrest Campus of BMC is the best option for these highly vulnerable patients to ensure safe and rapid air transport.

The landing zone at the Hillcrest Campus of BMC is located at the rear of the property in a paved area. Critical patients in need of helicopter transport will be stabilized at Berkshire Medical Center, then transported by ambulance to Hillcrest for the helicopter flight to another hospital with higher levels of specialized trauma care. The impact on the neighborhood surrounding the Hillcrest Campus of BMC is expected to be limited, based on a historical average of about two or three transports per month.

Tags: BHS, BMC,

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.