BHS's Berkshire Medical Center Earns an 'A' Hospital Safety Grade

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PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Berkshire Medical Center, the community teaching hospital of Berkshire Health Systems, has earned an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety.

Leapfrog assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.?? 

"The care and safety of our patients is paramount at Berkshire Medical Center," said James Lederer, MD, Berkshire Health Systems Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "This 'A' Hospital Safety Grade is a clear affirmation of the high quality of care provided by our healthcare team and a recognition of our commitment to excellence in serving the Berkshire community."? 

"Achieving an 'A' Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "I extend my congratulations to Berkshire Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first."  

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.? 

To explore Berkshire Medical Center's full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.  


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Pittsfield Now Sisters With Cape Coast, Ghana

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The city has a new sister: Cape Coast, Ghana. 
 
On Thursday, Mayor Peter Marchetti and Metropolitan Chief Executive George Justice Arthur, of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, made it official with a signing ceremony.  The two leaders hope to honor the past and build the future through cultural, economic, and idea sharing. 
 
"As we watch our connection with other sister cities, it provides some real proud moments for folks of our other sister cities and their heritage descent to kind of honor and reflect," Marchetti said. 
 
"And I don't think we have done a new sister city in probably 25 years, so it's exciting for us to begin this journey." 
 
He explained that it was "a very quick turnaround" after Teeashia Scott, chair of the Cape Coast Sister City Committee, came to him with the vision, and he let her run with it.  Part two of the ceremony will take place in November in Ghana, as the committee has planned a group trip. 
 
"Honestly, it started as an idea for just an annual Ghanaian celebration here in Pittsfield," Scott explained. "We do have a lot of Ghanaians. There's a large Ghanaian population here." 
 
She said that all aspects of being a sister city are exciting. 
 
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