BHS Hospitals Recognized For Their Commitment to Providing High-Quality Cardiovascular Care

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital and North Adams Regional Hospital have received 18 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines 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.

In 2026, Berkshire Medical Center received five awards, Fairview Hospital had six awards, and North Adams Regional Hospital was recognized with seven awards.

BMC, Fairview and North Adams Regional also received the 2026 Get With The Guidelines Commitment to Quality Award, provided to an elite group of hospitals having reached an achievement level in three or more Get With The Guidelines programs, stated a press release. 

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart?Association's?2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. Studies show patients can experience better outcomes when care teams consistently follow evidence-based treatment guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines puts 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 science-backed guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines programs, Berkshire Health Systems' hospitals qualified for the awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular care.

"Berkshire Health Systems is committed to delivering high-quality care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely, appropriate care for heart attacks and strokes," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "Get With The Guidelines programs help our teams put proven science into practice every day, supporting better outcomes so more people in the Berkshires can live longer, healthier lives."

This year, BHS received these achievement awards: 

Berkshire Medical Center

  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD STEMI Referring Gold  
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD NSTEMI Bronze 
  • Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus 
  • Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Plus, with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll
  • Get With The Guidelines – Commitment to Quality  

Fairview Hospital  

  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD Bronze Referring  
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD Rural STEMI Gold 
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD Rural NSTE-ACS Silver
  • Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Rural Gold 
  • Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Rural Silver
  • Get With The Guidelines – Commitment to Quality 

North Adams Regional Hospital

  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD NSTEMI-ACS Silver
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD NSTEMI Bronze
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD STEMI Referring Bronze  
  • Get With The Guidelines - CAD Rural STEMI Gold 
  • Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver 
  • Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Rural Silver 
  • Get With The Guidelines – Commitment to Quality

 


Tags: BHS,   BMC,   Fairview Hospital,   

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'Together for Our Warriors' Seeks to Bridge Gaps in Veteran Services

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For many veterans, finding resources can be a struggle because of fragmentation among veteran services. 

 

New nonprofit Together for Our Warriors Inc. is trying to streamline that search by creating a central source for information about the services available to them.

 

Veterans can find themselves struggling to navigate available services resulting in some deferring help or falling through the cracks of the system that provides a broad range of services that are stretched thin, said Director Kyle Kuffel. 

 

Veteran resources are available throughout the region, but information about those services is often fragmented among government agencies, nonprofits and other organizations that do not always communicate with one another, said Bernard Tremblay, the nonprofit's board and operations president.

 

The nonprofit was incorporated in March, and its 501(c)(3) status was officially approved on May 12, Kuffel said. 

 

They eventually hope to produce a printed resource guide that can be distributed at veteran events and resource fairs, Tremblay said. 

 

As the organization continues to expand, Kuffel said he hopes it can eventually hire its own Veteran Services Officer accredited by the state and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

 

The position would help veterans navigate and file claims while easing pressure on an already overburdened system, he said. 

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