BHS Launches $20M 'Healthier Together' Campaign
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) has publicly launched its $20 million Healthier Together Campaign, announcing $8.2 million in philanthropic support toward its goal.
The campaign will modernize the Fairview Hospital campus, advance cancer care, and strengthen primary care across Berkshire County.
Together, these three areas of focus ensure that every person in the Berkshires can access care close to home, today and for generations to come, stated a press release. Campaign priorities were informed by a feasibility study that gathered input from prospective donors and key stakeholders who helped identify opportunities to align philanthropic support with BHS's healthcare priorities.
The campaign will also enable donors to directly support other strategic initiatives identified by BHS including a palliative care program across the region, services at Berkshire Medical Center, and capital projects at North Adams Regional Hospital.
On Sept. 23, BHS gathered senior leaders, board and development committee members, community advocates, and leadership donors at a special event at Belvedere in Lenox to mark the beginning of the public phase of the campaign.
"This campaign represents neighbors caring for neighbors. It represents partnerships among community members, businesses, healthcare providers, foundations, and philanthropic leaders who share a vision for a healthier and stronger Berkshires," Darlene Rodowicz, BHS President & CEO shared with event attendees.
At the event, Alec Belman, MD, Chief of the Medical Staff at Fairview Hospital, and Rebecca Caine, MD, Medical Director-Primary Care shared personal stories about the impact of campaign support on their patients, and Kate McCormick, Chair of the Development Committee of the BHS Board of Trustees, recognized leadership gifts advancing the campaign: $500,000 from MountainOne for primary care and three $1 million commitments toward the Fairview Hospital Revitalization Project.
The commitments include gifts from an anonymous donor; Robin and Elizabeth McGraw and The Donald C. McGraw Foundation; and the Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Trust, whose gift—made in memory of Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick—is the largest in the Trust's history.
In closing, McCormick expressed deep gratitude for Healthier Together campaign supporters, stating, "We are incredibly grateful to all our donors at every giving level. Each gift represents a belief in the importance of having exceptional healthcare close to home."
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