BMC Earns U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals Awards

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center has been named among U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals edition as a High Performing hospital for Pneumonia and Kidney Disease care.

These are the highest distinctions a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News' Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings. Earlier this year, BMC was also recognized as a US News & World Report Best Hospital for Maternity Care.   

U.S. News' annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their health care providers in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.

"The providers at Berkshire Medical Center are committed to the highest standards of care, and these recognitions for Kidney Disease and Pneumonia reflect that promise to our community," said James Lederer, MD, Berkshire Health Systems Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "Our patients being treated for Kidney Disease and Pneumonia can be confident they are in the best hands."    

"For more than three decades, U.S. News has been an invaluable guide for patients," said Managing Editor and Chief of Health Analysis Ben Harder at U.S. News. "Hospitals designated as ‘High Performing' by U.S. News demonstrate a consistent ability to provide excellent care for particular medical procedures and conditions, showcasing their specialized expertise as well as dedication to exceptional patient outcomes."  

U.S. News evaluated more than 4,400 hospitals across 15 adult specialties and 22 procedures and conditions; only one third of them earned an award. To determine the Best Hospitals, U.S. News analyzed each hospital's performance based on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals Specialty rankings methodology and Procedures & Conditions ratings methodology measure patient outcomes using data from over 800 million records of patient care.   

 


Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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.  

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories