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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Great Barrington Unveils 9/11 Memorial Featuring World Trade Center Steel

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A piece of history will now stand in front of the Great Barrington Fire Department, serving as a lasting reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and heroism of those who rushed in, stepped forward, and answered the call on Sept. 11, 2001.
 
Hundreds of community members gathered outside the Fire Department for the unveiling of a 9/11 memorial featuring a steel I-beam salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
 
The monument marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and its effect reached far and wide beyond New York, said Deputy Fire Chief James Mead.
 
"There are moments in our lives that become markers of time. Moments when we remember not only what happened, but where we were, who was beside us, and how the world somehow felt different afterwards," Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove said. 
 
"For those of us who experienced September 11, 2001 — it is one of those moments for us to share."
 
The acquisition of the beam was a multi-year effort initiated by the late Andy Moro, former commander of American Legion Post 298 in Housatonic, and was carried on by the Legion's second vice commander, John Morris. 
 
Morris said he was able to obtain the warped steel I-beam through connections he made during his time as a New York City firefighter.
 
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