Donald C. McGraw Foundation Makes $1M Leadership Gift to Fairview Hospital

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L-R: Fairview Chief of Staff and Medical Director Alec Belman, MD; Fairview Medical Director, Emergency Medicine Joshua Pacheco, MD; Fairview Chief Operating Officer Anthony Scibelli; Elizabeth, (Buzz) McGraw; Robert L.W. (Robin) McGraw; BHS President & CEO Darlene Rodowicz; BHS Development Committee Chair Kate McCormick; Fairview Chief of Surgery Mark Taylor II, MD (Provided Photo)
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — On Monday, Nov. 3, Elizabeth "Buzz" and Robert L. W. McGraw "Robin" presented Fairview Hospital with a $1 million leadership donation from The Donald C. McGraw Foundation, Inc. in support of a campus revitalization plan that includes construction of a new 44,000 square-foot outpatient building adjacent to the current hospital.
 
This gift continues the decades-long partnership with The Donald C. McGraw Foundation in support of Fairview Hospital.
 
"Berkshire Health Systems and Fairview Hospital are deeply grateful to Robin and Buzz and The Donald C. McGraw Foundation for their extraordinary leadership gift to support this vital capital investment towards our beloved critical access hospital," said Darlene Rodowicz, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) President & CEO.
 
According to a press release, Philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations is essential to realizing the Fairview campus revitalization plan. As a major donor to Fairview Hospital for over 20 years and a member of the BHS Development Committee, McGraw is playing a pivotal role in leading the fundraising effort for this project.
 
"Robin's leadership as both a donor and volunteer illustrate the power of community members having a voice and a stake in shaping the future of their community hospital," said Tony Scibelli, BHS vice president and chief operating officer of Fairview Hospital. "I am honored to work alongside Robin on this transformative project and to celebrate The Donald C. McGraw Foundation's enduring commitment to ensuring exceptional healthcare closer to home."
 
A federally designated Critical Access Hospital, Fairview Hospital serves the Southern Berkshire region, and modernizing the campus has been a long-term priority. Earlier this year, the BHS Board of Trustees approved plans for the outpatient building designed with flexible clinical spaces that reflect today's standards of care and anticipate the needs of future patients.
 
The new facility will include expanded surgical and imaging suites, a state-of-the-art MRI, and a larger, modern emergency department. The building is slated for completion by the end of 2028. Once open, the hospital's existing medical/surgical inpatient unit will be renovated into private, updated patient rooms. These enhancements will expand capacity for advanced treatment and technology, ensuring that Fairview Hospital continues to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community it serves.

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Must-Experience Spring Events in the Berkshires

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
The sun has finally risen from the clouds and shines its golden rays on the bare trees bringing the wildlife back to life and awakening the wildlife from their blissful sleep. The snow melts and the sky cries with joy, showering the ground and  filling the air with the smell of petrichor.
 
The grass becomes green, the leaves return, and the flowers pollinate, filling the world with the forgotten color. Nature celebrates the coming of spring and so should you. Here are some events happening this spring to help with your celebration.
 
SpringFest 
Saturday, May 9 
Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge
 
The 24-acre botanical garden will have free admission family fun designed to celebrate spring and community. The event features food trucks and enough children's activities to keep the youngest visitors happily busy for hours including a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and more. A traditional maypole dance will add an old-world flourish to the day's lineup.
 
The festival is part of the garden's immersive weekend experience Mother's Day weekend, coinciding with its 49th annual Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale from May 8 through 10.
 
The event was established in 1977 and has become a cherished Mother's Day weekend tradition for gardeners across the region. This year's edition, curated by its horticulture staff, offers hundreds of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables — each selected with an emphasis on diversity and nature-based landscaping.
 
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