BHS Hospitals Nationally Recognized For Cardiovascular Care

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — All three of Berkshire Health Systems’ hospitals – Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital and North Adams Regional Hospital – have received a total of 16 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. 

"Achieving 16 recognitions for the exceptional care of cardiac patients shows the enormous commitment that the clinical staff of Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital and North Adams Regional Hospital have in providing the highest standards of care for our community," said Darlene Rodowicz, Berkshire Health Systems President and CEO.

For 2025, Berkshire Medical Center received a Commitment to Quality Award, signifying a hospital's dedication to high-quality, evidence-based care in areas like stroke, heart failure, and resuscitation, stated a press release. To earn this recognition, hospitals like BMC achieved Silver awards or higher in at least three of the AHA's Get With The Guidelines programs.  

"The many providers and staff at all three BHS hospitals can be proud of this remarkable achievement," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "BMC and Fairview have a long history of Get with Guidelines honors, and after being reopened for just over one-year, North Adams Regional Hospital is continuing that trend of excellence."

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association 2025 Statistical Update. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. 

Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline put the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs, Berkshire Health Systems qualified for the awards by demonstrating how the organization has committed to improving quality care.  

This year, BHS received these achievement awards: 

Berkshire Medical Center

  • Commitment to Quality Award 
  • Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Referring Gold  
  • CAD NSTEMI Bronze 
  • Stroke Gold Plus 
  • Heart Failure Gold Plus, Target: Heart Failure Optimal, Target: Diabetes  
  • Resuscitation Bronze 
  • Resuscitation Target CPR 

Fairview Hospital  

  • CAD STEMI Referring Bronze  
  • Rural CAD STEMI Gold 
  • Rural CAD Non ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) Bronze 
  • Rural Heart Failure Silver 
  • Rural Stroke Bronze 

North Adams Regional Hospital

  • CAD STEMI Referring Bronze  
  • Rural CAD STEMI Silver 
  • Rural CAD NSTE-ACS Bronze 
  • Rural Heart Failure Bronze 

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

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Utilities Back Off Plans to Charge Interest on Deferred Payments

BOSTON — Major utilities have agreed to waive interest charges on Gov. Maura Healey's call for a reduction of gas and electric bills.
 
Healey plans to use $180 million to cut electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for residential customers in February and March. The governor pledged the reduction in her State of the Commonwealth speech last month as a way to provide relief to consumers during this frigid winter.
 
The funds will cover only 15 percent of the electricity bills, with utilities voluntarily deferring another 10 percent, which they can recover starting in April. But then they planned to charge customers interest on the deferred payments of up to 6.75 percent. 
 
This move to dun customers with interest and carrying charges apparently came as a surprise to the governor, who demanded they remove the costs. 
 
National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas and Unitil have all agreed to waive all interest charges, the governor said Wednesday.
 
Liberty Gas will not defer any costs. 
 
"Bills are too high and customers can't wait for relief. That's why I acted to get $180 million off winter electric bills and called on the utilities to help provide immediate relief — including waiving interest charges," said Healey in a statement.
 
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