BMC Achieves 4-Star Quality Rating from CMS

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has announced that Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) has been given a 4-star rating for overall quality by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), based on how the hospital has performed across several areas of quality.  
 
The overall star rating is based on how well a hospital performs across different areas of quality, such as treating heart attacks and pneumonia, readmission rates, and safety of care. BMC scored at or above the national average on mortality, safety of care and readmission rates and performed well in patient experience and timely and effective care. 
 
"This 4-star rating reflects the commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff to providing safe, compassionate care to our community," said Tejas Gandhi, BMC Chief Operating Officer. "We are incredibly proud that this recognition publicly affirms the exceptional care that our teams deliver to our patients day after day and the high standards for quality and safety that patients can expect from their community hospital." 
 
According to CMS: "The overall rating shows how well each hospital performed on an identified set of quality measures compared to other hospitals in the U.S. The more stars, the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures." 
 
To find out more, visit the CMS Hospital Compare website: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/initiatives/hospital-quality-initiative/hospital-compare.  

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Pittsfield School Committee Votes to Close Morningside

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There were tears as the School Committee on Wednesday voted to close Morningside Community School at the end of the school year. 

Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said the purpose of considering the closure is to fulfill the district's obligation to ensure every student has access to a learning environment that best supports academic growth and achievement, school climate, equitable access to resources, and long-term success. 

"While fiscal implications are included, the7 closure of the school is fundamentally driven by the student performance, their learning conditions, the building inadequacy, and equitable student access, rather than the district's budget," she said. 

"…The goal is not to save money. The goal is to reinvest that money to make change, specifically for our Morningside students, and then for the whole school building, as a whole." 

Over the last month or so, the district has considered whether to retire the open concept, community school at the end of the school year. 

Morningside, built in the 1970s, currently serves 374 students in grades prekindergarten through Grade 5, including a student population with 88.2 percent high-needs, 80.5 percent low-income, and 24.3 percent English learners.  Its students will be reassigned to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams elementary schools.

The school is designated as "Requiring Assistance or Intervention," with a 2025 accountability percentile of seventh, despite moderate progress over the past three years, and benchmark data continues to show urgent literacy concerns in several grades. 

School Committee member and former Morningside student Sarah Muil, through tears, made the motion to approve the school's retirement at the end of this school year.  

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