Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association Recognized by U.S. News & World Report

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association has been named a Best Home Health agency for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report.

This recognition comes as part of U.S. News' first-ever evaluation of home health providers, identifying the top-performing agencies in the United States.

With more than three million patients turning to home health agencies each year, this debut analysis offers a much-needed, independent view of quality. By prioritizing patient outcomes and consumer experience for a predominantly senior population, these ratings provide clarity for families, in consultation with their physicians, making crucial care decisions. The Berkshire VNA earned the "High Performing" designation – the highest level of recognition – for exceeding expectations in care quality and patient experience based on U.S. News' methodology.

"The nurses and therapists at the Berkshire VNA provide the highest standard of care for our home care patients, day in and day out," said Tejas Ghandi, Berkshire Health Systems Vice President and Berkshire Medical Center Chief Operating Officer. "This national recognition reflects their commitment to excellence as they travel across the county and provide hands-on care in the patients' homes."

In the first edition of Best Home Health, U.S. News evaluated more than 12,000 agencies. Just 17 percent of the agencies U.S. News rated were awarded the Best Home Health designation from U.S. News.

"Earning the Best Home Health distinction is a significant achievement, as it is reserved only for those agencies that satisfy U.S. News' standards of care quality and patient experience," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.

The Best Home Health methodology developed by U.S. News leverages two data sets from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data on care quality measures, including timely initiation of care and outcomes such as potentially preventable hospitalizations, were combined with patient experience surveys to produce the ratings. The ratings and underlying data for each agency, published on USNews.com, provide consumers with the trusted data and clarity they need to confidently choose, in consultation with their health care providers, the right care for a family member or themselves.

 


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Dalton Voters to Decide Moveable ADUs at Special Town Meeting

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — It's time for voters to decide if they want to permit mobile accessory dwelling units in town and a special town meeting has been set to do just that. 
 
For more than two years, Amy Turnbull has been advocating to amend the town's current bylaws to allow mobile tiny homes but has met obstacles delaying the effort.  
 
On Monday, June 29, at 7 p.m., voters will convene at Wahconah Regional High School to decide on the topic, and four other items centered around funding for the Clean Air Committee and the town's Department of Public Works roof repair project. 
 
Turnbull initially presented this item at the annual town meeting but it was "tabled" so a public hearing could be held. 
 
Like many meetings before, this hearing resulted in little movement as the Planning Board decided to neither support or oppose the proposed bylaw.  
 
During the signing of the warrant, Select Board member John Boyle expressed his hesitation about placing this item on a special town meeting warrant, citing historically low attendance at such meetings.
 
"It's very important and going to be a very controversial thing … Important issues should be at an annual town meeting," he said. 
 
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