PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As part of Employee Appreciation Month in May, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) recognized seven employees with annual CARE Awards and two Providers of the Year honors.
CARE Awards celebrate the health system's core values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, and employees who were honored work across the system at Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, and BMC and Fairview Provider Practices.
Providers of the Year Honors
Providers of the Year were Maribeth Pomerantz, Certified Nurse Midwife at Berkshire OBGYN of BMC, and Adam Gicewicz, MD, a pediatrician at Berkshire Health Pediatrics.
Pomerantz was recognized for the personalized care she provides to expectant mothers. Her co-workers said, "There are many examples of her commitment to individual patients. She doesn't hesitate to add them to her schedule so that they can have a timely visit. She truly goes over the top in support of her patients and their families."
Dr. Gicewicz was cited for his ability to "ease the natural anxiety that any child must have when going to the doctor. One thing Dr. Gicewicz does is wear a multitude of different colored sneakers, and all the children love this. He understands all the different age groups associated with our practice and can relate to them on a level that is comfortable for them, making their visit that much better for both patient and parents."
CARE Award Winners
Ellen Beckwith, RN, is a Charge Nurse at Fairview Hospital and she was lauded by colleagues, who said, "Ellen consistently demonstrates exceptional compassion and dedication in patient care. I have had the privilege to witness Ellen having a profound impact on patients and colleagues. Ellen possesses the unique ability to provide not only outstanding clinical care but also emotional support that truly makes a difference in the lives of patients and their families."
Frank Bentz is the Environmental Services Supervisor at the Hillcrest Campus of BMC. His team said, "With an extraordinary 36-year career in Environmental Services, Frank has exemplified what it means to be a committed, ethical, dependable, and hardworking team member. Frank is someone you would want in your foxhole. Throughout his long tenure at BHS, Frank has consistently upheld the highest standards of cleanliness, customer service, and safety."
Richard "Ricky" Cyrulik, Environmental Services Specialist, North Adams Regional Hospital, "is a seasoned team member in the EVS department at NARH who has exemplified extraordinary contributions to the team. He is consistently willing to help out anywhere in the hospital. Ricky always responds as quickly as he can with a positive attitude. Ricky was assigned to the emergency department and after one week of being there I heard from multiple staff members that they are so appreciative that he is there."
Noel Henebury, Recruiter, BHS Human Resources, was honored for how she interacts with those she is recruiting. "Noel is also highly invested in the people she encounters in our Talent Acquisition Program. She attends every RN pinning ceremony and when her new hires start, she makes it a point to meet with them when they are filling out paperwork and meets them at their orientation. Her enthusiasm for her tasks goes beyond a focus on those she is recruiting. She truly feels that recruiters change people's lives by hiring them to work here."
Yvette Losaw, RN, 5 West Surgical/Ortho, Berkshire Medical Center, was recognized for her patient-centered care. "She takes charge in difficult situations in a calm, confident manner, with just the right amount of humor. Yvette advocates for her patients to make sure that they get the care that they need. She has outstanding clinical skills. I would want her to be my nurse or my loved one's nurse, if we ever needed one."
Gwen McCarroll, Information Technology Engineer, BHS Information Technology, recognized for being "hardworking, collaborative, supportive and a team player. She can decipher report request needs with ease and patience. She continues to work tirelessly to ensure that users have what they need, and data is accurate."
Randy Wallingford, RN, Behavioral Health, Berkshire Medical Center, was honored for his compassionate approach to his patients. "It is unfathomable to attempt to consider the number of lives Randy has touched, the number of souls he has had a hand in healing through the years. His commitment to inclusive and excellent patient care, and to treating everyone around him with kindness and respect has been remarkably enduring and inspiring."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
EPA, GE Conducting Vernal Pool Study on Housatonic River
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A pilot study will determine the best way to remediate PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from vernal pools in the Housatonic River.
Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric held an open house for the Vernal Pool Pilot Study on Reach 5A, a five-mile stretch between the river's confluence and Lenox border. Despite the rain, several people attended the event at the Berkshire Athenaeum.
EPA project manager Josh Fontaine explained that it is an evaluation of which remediation method to use for the remaining vernal pools in Reach 5A.
"We're going to be testing two different methods. One is an excavation method, which we already know has been very successful with another vernal pool cleaned up much earlier in the project," he said.
"And then the other is the application of two different carbon amendments. It would be the application of powdered activated carbon and the application of granulated activated carbon."
Ten vernal pools will be cleaned using these methods: five with excavation and five with active carbon; seven additional vernal pools will be monitored as controls. Construction will be complete around October, but the pools will be left to their natural processes and monitored with surveys and sampling for three years.
Fontaine said there is no frontrunner for methodology.
"We know the excavation method is effective, but we would like to see if the less invasive method of using the amendment will be as effective for potential use," he said.
Coakley said they have received a purchase and sale agreement but before signing, there have to be assurances that the company has the financial requirements to construct the building.
click for more
On July 6, Gertrude Willey celebrated her 100th birthday, but after more than three decades of volunteering in her community, she says staying active is the secret to her longevity.
click for more
The annual "I Am a Part of Art" exhibit is the organization’s biggest exhibit of the year, this year featuring over 300 works of art by 250 artists with disabilities, spanning the Lichtenstein Center and Clark Art Institute. click for more