>> IT'S BEEN A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE NORTH ADAMS
REGIONAL HOSPITAL SHUT DOWN, PUTTING 500 PEOPLE OUT OF WORK,
AND CAUSING RESIDENTS IN NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY TO
WONDER HOW THEIR MEDICAL NEEDS WOULD BE MET.
AFTER WEEKS OF NEGOTIATIONS, INVOLVING LOCAL AND STATE
LEADERS, BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEMS STEPPED IN TO FILL THE
VOID LAST YEAR AND TO RESTORE EMERGENCY SERVICES AND SEVERAL
OUTPATIENT SERVICES.
I SAT DOWN WITH RUTH BLODGETT OF BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEMS, WHO
PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE SITUATION.
>> WHEN NORTH ADAMS REGIONAL HOSPITAL ANNOUNCED IT WAS
CLOSING, IT WAS VERY SAD FOR EVERYBODY FIRST AND FOREMOST,
AND I THINK THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF GRIEF AND SADNESS AND
CONCERN BY ALL.
AT BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEMS, WE HAD A FEW DAYS NOTICE TO WORK
WITH FOLKS UP HERE IN NORTH COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
PEOPLE OF NORTH COUNTY, THE PATIENTS, THE RESIDENTS WOULD
HAVE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION OF CARE, THAT WE COULD -- WE WOULD
BE IN A POSITION TO CARE FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT
ANY INTERRUPTIONS, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE ABOUT 150
PATIENTS THAT WERE HOME WITH THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRE VISITING
NURSE ASSOCIATION AND HOSPICE AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH SOME
REGULATORY HOOPS AND BE ABLE TO EMPLOY THOSE FOLKS AND BE ABLE
TO CARE FOR THOSE 150 PATIENTS WITHOUT A HICCUP BETWEEN THE
CLOSURE OF NORTH ADAMS AND BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEMS
STEPPING IN.
>> SO WHEN YOU MOVED IN, TO KIND OF HELP AND TO REVIVE THESE
SERVICES HERE, HOW ARE YOU MET?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
AS WE MENTIONED, IT WAS SAD, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THIS COMMUNITY
IS A VERY RESILIENT AND A VERY WELCOMING COMMUNITY.
AND PEOPLE HAVE COME TO WORK TOGETHER TO MEET WHATEVER
CHALLENGE THAT THEY HAVE FACED, AND WE FOUND THE SAME THING.
WE FOUND THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT ELECTED OFFICIALS
EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
WE FOUND THE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS EXTREMELY
HELPFUL.
WE FOUND THE RESIDENTS HELPFUL AND WELCOMING US WITH OPEN ARMS.
>> THE TRUSTEES UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENTIRE
BERKSHIRE COUNTY REGION, AND EVERYBODY THAT LIVED HERE, AND
IF WE COULD EXTEND OUR SERVICES TO CARE FOR ALL OF BERKSHIRE
COUNTY, THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
>> NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE 500 JOBS LOST WHEN THE HOSPITAL
CLOSED.
YOU HAVE REHIRED 250.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> AND OVER THE LAST YEAR, AS WE HAVE ADDED BACK SERVICES TO
NORTH COUNTY, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE SERVICES THAT ARE
AVAILABLE AT BERKSHIRE MEDICAL CENTER, WE HAVE ADDED 250 JOBS.
THAT'S, ACTUALLY, BEEN A GREAT PROCESS FOR US, AND MANY WERE
BROUGHT ON VERY QUICKLY, AGAIN, AS PART OF THIS MAKING SURE THAT
WE HAVE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, BUT WE'VE BEEN REALLY
FORTUNATE TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE, PHYSICIANS, STAFF, NURSES,
TECHNOLOGISTS, ALL TYPES OF FOLKS IN HEALTH CARE WITH GREAT
CREDENTIALS, AND THEY HAVE GOT GREAT SKILLS, AND I THINK THAT
MOST IMPRESSIVE IS THEIR DEEP DEVOTION TO THEIR FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS IN NORTH COUNTY.
>> I THINK THAT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
CLOSEST HOSPITAL BEING IN PITTSFIELD OR IN BENNINGTON,
VERMONT.
AND WHILE HEALTH CARE HAS CHANGED, FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE
HERE, THAT'S AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT AND SOMETHING THAT
MIGHT MAKE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE.
ARE THERE PLANS TO, PERHAPS, BRING A HOSPITAL BACK AT SOME
POINT, OR HAVE THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS CHANGED?
>> SURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BACK SEVERAL DECADES, MOST HEALTH
CARE WAS PROVIDED, IN AN INPATIENT HOSPITAL SETTING.
TODAY, MOST OF THE HEALTH CARE IS PROVIDED IN AN OUTPATIENT
BASIS, AND OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN WHAT DO THE MOST PEOPLE IN
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF NEW
YORK AND VERMONT, WHAT DO THEY NEED TO MAXIMIZE THEIR HEALTH?
WHAT DO THEY NEED FOR PREVENTION, FOR HEALTH
PROMOTION, FOR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES, FOR ACCESS TO
EMERGENCY CARE, FOR ONGOING HEALING AND TREATMENT SUPPORT,
AND MOST OF THOSE -- WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE SERVICES THAT
MOST PEOPLE NEED WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY OUTPATIENT
SERVICES, AND THE STATE COMMISSIONED A REPORT WHICH WE
CALL THE STRODWATER REPORT WHICH LOOKED AT THE NEEDS OF NORTHERN
BERKSHIRE, AND THAT'S BEEN A GREAT BLUEPRINT FOR US TO
UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY.
IT HELPS TO LAY THE PRIORITIES FOR US IN TERMS OF WHAT WE NEED
TO DO TO RESTORE HEALTH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
>> OK.
RUTH BLODGETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH
US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.