| BMC Opens Satellite Emergency Facility in North Berkshire |
| May 19, 2014 For Immediate Release Berkshire Medical Center Opens Satellite Emergency Facility in North Adams: Temporary Walk-In Center at MCLA Closing NORTH ADAMS, MA – Berkshire Health Systems has announced that Berkshire Medical Center has opened a Satellite Emergency Facility in the location of the Emergency Room in the former North Adams Regional Hospital building. The SEF opened on Monday, May 19th at 12 noon. The Satellite Emergency Facility of BMC will provide comprehensive emergency services to the entire North Berkshire community, and will be open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. As a result, BMC is also closing the temporary Walk-In Center it has operated on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, effective on May 19th at 4 pm. “The BMC SEF in North Adams is capable of handling any emergency situation,” said Ronald Hayden, MD, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at BMC and Medical Director of the BMC Emergency Department. “It is a full service facility for both critical and non-critical emergency care, and it will be staffed by many of the same physicians and nurses who had previously served Northern Berkshire patients in the NARH Emergency Department.” The BMC SEF is licensed through BMC and the BMC Emergency Department by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The SEF will have emergency diagnostic services, including CT scanning, X-Ray and Laboratory testing. Patients, whether transported by ambulance or going to the facility on their own, will be treated in the SEF. Severely injured or ill patients will be stabilized and transferred to the most appropriate hospital for further care, as there will be no inpatient services or surgical services available on-site. “Berkshire Health Systems is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of Northern Berkshire residents and visitors, and local access to around-the-clock emergency care is a critical community need,” said David Phelps, President and CEO of BHS. “The development and opening of a Satellite Emergency Facility is a complex process, and thanks to the hard work of the staff from many areas of BMC and through the dedication exhibited by our local, state and federal officials, the licensure process was expedited on both the state and federal levels. I thank our elected representatives at the Statehouse and in Congress for their concentrated effort on behalf of BMC and the people of Northern Berkshire.” In preparation of the opening of the Satellite Emergency Facility, BMC and the local emergency response providers established a comprehensive, coordinated EMS response system to ensure rapid response and coverage for any emergent situation in Northern Berkshire. Ambulance services invested in additional equipment and resources to meet the needs of the community. Northern Berkshire residents should call 9-1-1 if they know someone who has a medical emergency, such as being unconscious, gasping for air or not breathing, experiencing an allergic reaction, having chest pain or stroke symptoms, having uncontrollable bleeding, or any other symptom that requires immediate medical attention. |
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