BMC Named to U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) as a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. 
 
This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News' Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study.  
 
"The exceptional care provided to our maternity patients is exemplified in this national recognition," said Tejas Gandhi, BHS System Vice President and BMC Chief Operating Officer. "The physicians, nurses and staff of the BMC Family Birthplace are prime examples of the outstanding care that BMC's patients can rely on day in and day out."  
 
U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. Best Hospitals for Maternity Care assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meets their family's needs.
 
"The BMC Family Birthplace is committed to only the highest standards for our Berkshire families celebrating their newborns," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer. "Our community can count on these dedicated providers using the most advanced maternal child health services and technology to care for birthing parents and their infants."   
 
Berkshire Medical Center's Family Birthplace earned a High Performing designation in recognition of maternity care as measured by factors such as severe unexpected newborn complication rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures. 
 
"The hospitals recognized by U.S. News as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care showcase exceptional care for expectant parents," said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. "These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News."  
 
The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.  
 
For more information, visit U.S. News's  Best Hospitals for Maternity Care site

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Companion Corner: Moose at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a chill Labrador retriever mix at the Berkshire Humane Society that's looking a home where he can take long walks and can cuddle afterward.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. 

Moose is a 5-year-old Lab mix and has been at the shelter for about three weeks. Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Fox.  

"He just wants to soak up all the attention, all the pets, all of the love that you have to give. He is just a big mush. Very social, buddy," she said.

He had to come to the shelter after his home situation had to change.

"The young woman who brought him in had him since he was a puppy, and unfortunately, her housing changed, so she was not able to keep him with her anymore," Olivieri said.

Moose is a happy boy who likes moderate exercise. While he does not play with toys aggressively, he loves to nibble on them, but prefers to just hang out with his person.

"He loves to go on walks. He likes to hang out with other dogs. He's pretty chill. He's social. He's not super playful, but he does like the company of other dogs, who are also calm like he is," she said. "But mainly, his favorite thing is just being with people. He wants someone to cuddle with at night, cuddle with on the couch. He's just going to be right by your side, glued to you all the time."

Moose can go home with children ages 10 and older and to one with another chill dog. It is preferred he is in a home and not an apartment as he can be a bit vocal when he is alone.

"He could live with another dog, but no small animals, no cats. And a home where someone is home with him a bit would be really good for him, so that he could spend a lot of time with people," Olivieri said. 

Moose is on a special diet for his skin as he has some itchiness caused by allergies.

"He does have what appears to be some kind of skin allergy. He is on medication for that right now as well, and we've been giving him medicated baths. And his hair and coat are growing in nicely, but he did have some patches where there's some hair loss and some definitely some itchiness and irritation in his ears," she said. "But we've given him some ear treatments, and he is on medication right now to help clear that up, and it is looking pretty good."

While Moose can be shy at first but warms up pretty fast once he meets you.

"At first, it does take him not too long, but just a little bit to get used to new people. If he is a little bit uncomfortable with someone, he will bark a little bit, but really, it's just him being a little bit uncertain, and that's kind of how he lets his feelings out. But if you take your time with him and take your time getting to know him, it does not take him long at all to warm right up," she said.

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