Guest Column: Thank You for Supporting BHS

By Darlene RodowiczGuest Column
01:31PM / Wednesday, December 27, 2023Print Story | Email Story

As we approach the close of 2023, I would like to share my sincere thanks with all of you — our patients, people, and community — for your ongoing support of Berkshire Health Systems as we strive to advance our mission of health and wellness for everyone in the Berkshires.

Reflecting on the past year, I am proud of the broad range of achievements that were made possible by the combined efforts of the BHS family — from adopting our Community Code of Conduct to provide a safe and healing care environment for all, to expanding access to care in working to reopen North Adams Regional Hospital, to being named Employer of the Year by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable/Workforce Solutions Group for our efforts to build the health-care workforce of the future.

These milestones are a testament to the incredible dedication of our employees and the importance of partnering with residents and organizations across the region to achieve shared goals for community well-being.

We know that our journey to advancing a healthier community is ongoing and that there are always ways we can improve. In the year ahead, I'm looking forward to tackling more projects that will support positive patient experiences at all of our facilities, continuing to develop a skilled local workforce, and partnering even more closely with our patients and our community organizations to help identify health-related social needs and reduce barriers to wellness.

On behalf of Berkshire Health Systems leadership, I would like to share our heartfelt gratitude to our BHS team for all that they do to advance the well-being of our community day after day, and our warmest wishes to the whole Berkshire community for a safe holiday season and a healthy new year.

Darlene Rodowicz is president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems.

Tags: BHS, BMC, guest column,

Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Celebrates a Bustling 2023

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:36AM / Saturday, May 11, 2024

Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Director Rebecca Brien is credited with the vibrancy seen downtown, including 23 new businesses in the past year.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This past year has been a "whirlwind of activity" for Downtown Pittsfield Inc., according Director Rebecca Brien.

DPI held its annual meeting at the Berkshire Museum on Thursday, touting the 17 businesses welcomed to the downtown in 2023 and six so far this year.

In preparing for the event, Brien referred to her first project with the 230-member organization for inspiration: the strategic plan.

"We envision downtown as a place that welcomes people, businesses, and events to join a diverse, vibrant, and bustling district. Our goal is to strengthen and promote our members through advocacy, collaboration, and celebration," she said.

"It was then that I realized that in this past year, with support from our partners, our board, our members, and our community, that the DPI team has been every day doing just those things"

She highlighted the recent myriad successful DPI events such as the Let It Shine! celebration of public art, the It's Alive! Halloween block party, the 10x10 Restaurant Week, and Downtown Celebrates Spring Week.

"The Heart of the Berkshire's marketing is working this year. The Love Pittsfield Downtown and Beyond guidebooks have increased to 10,000 copies being printed because we ran out and they are getting distributed throughout the county," Brien added.

"Our website is the hub for all news downtown and followers on our Facebook, Instagram, and the expanding DPI app grow every day. At this point, our weekly newsletter is so full that it may qualify as a small novel."

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