BMC Earns 'A' Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center earned a new "A" Hospital Safety Grade for the fall of 2025 from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety.

Leapfrog assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. BMC also received an "A" Hospital Safety Grade earlier this year for the spring period.  

"The care and safety of our patients is paramount at Berkshire Medical Center," said Tejas Ghandi, BMC chief operating officer. "This new 'A' Hospital Safety Grade reflects the ongoing commitment of our providers and staff to strive for nothing but excellence in serving our Berkshire community." 

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. 

"Achieving an 'A' Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "I extend my congratulations to Berkshire Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first."

To explore Berkshire Medical Center's full grade details and to find tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. Connect with The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram and stay informed through The Leapfrog Group newsletter.  

Lanesborough Woman's Bravery Key to Solving 40-Year-Old Murder

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
02:59PM / Wednesday, December 10, 2025

David A. Morrison

BENNINGTON, Vt. — A former Lanesborough, Mass., woman's bravery was the key to solving a 40-year-old Vermont murder mystery. 

 

David A. Morrison, 65, pleaded guilty Tuesday in District Court in Pittsfield, Mass., to the kidnapping of Laura Sheridan in 1981 and, in Bennington Criminal Division Court, to the murder of 32-year-old Sarah Hunter of Manchester in 1986. 

 

He was sentenced to up to four years on the kidnapping charge and life without parole on the murder charge, both to be served in Vermont and concurrent with a 20-to-life sentence he was serving in California. Morrison waived his right to appeal. 

 

Sheridan, who was just 15 at the time, was hitchhiking home in Lanesborough when Morrison offered her ride; she subsequently struggled with him over a gun he pulled on her and was able to escape when he pulled his car over. 

 

Hunter wasn't as fortunate: she was reported missing on Sept. 19, 1986, and her body was found in a wooded lot in Pawlet two months later. 

 

"I spent 20 minutes with David Morrison and no more, then I escaped. ... I had luck on my side. So those are my emotions," said Sheridan at a press conference on Wednesday outside the Bennington County State's Attorney's Office in the Bennington State Office Complex  

 

"And then yesterday, when I kind of fully processed what this meant for Sarah Hunter, that was really tough, because she wasn't lucky."