BHS Receives Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) announced that it has been recognized as a 2024 Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award recipient by Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. 
 
According to a press release, this achievement, along with being a 5-Star recipient for Outpatient Total Knee Replacement for 2 consecutive years (2023-2024), reflects the organization's dedication to clinical excellence and distinguishes Berkshire Medical Center as one of the nation's leading hospitals for outpatient joint replacement. BMC is one of 152 hospitals nationwide to receive the Joint Replacement Excellence Award.
 
"Excellence is a hallmark of BMC's orthopedic care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president & CEO of Berkshire Health Systems (BHS). "Our community can count on our team's continuous commitment to providing the highest quality care for our joint replacement patients, so they can get back to being active and enjoying the activities they love without pain."
 
"This national recognition is validation of the team approach to exceptional care that Berkshire Medical Center and Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates commit to for every patient, every encounter, every day," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "Using state-of-the-art technology and with the vast experience and expertise of our clinical team, BHS provides the Berkshire community with access to joint care that is second to none."
 
To identify the top-performing hospitals for outpatient joint replacement, Healthgrades analyzed patient outcomes at short-term acute care facilities nationwide that offer knee and hip replacement in an outpatient environment. Healthgrades' analysis found that patients treated at hospitals that have been recognized for excellence in outpatient joint replacement have a demonstrably better chance at a smooth recovery than those treated at hospitals that were not recognized by Healthgrades. This includes:
 
  • Patients treated at hospitals that received a 2024 Outpatient Joint Replacement Specialty Excellence Award have, on average, approximately 38 percent lower risk of experiencing a complication than if they were treated at non-recipient hospitals.
  • If all hospitals performed similarly to those receiving five stars, over 20,000 complications could have been avoided.

(Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of SAF data for years 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. For more information on how Healthgrades identifies the nation’s top hospitals for outpatient joint replacement, see the 2024 Outpatient Specialty Excellence Awards and Ratings Methodology.)

"Our clinical team is committed to attaining the best outcomes for all of our patients needing joint replacement surgery," said Kevin Mitts, MD, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates. "All of us are proud to be a part of this and work together to ensure the highest standards."
 
"Berkshire Medical Center exemplifies what it means to be a leader in outpatient orthopedics by delivering consistently superior outcomes across key outpatient procedures," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and head of Data Science at Healthgrades. "Patients undergoing outpatient joint replacement at Berkshire Health Systems should feel confident in their decision to seek care from a facility with top marks in their procedure."
 
As outpatient surgical volumes continue to grow, Healthgrades is proud to offer the industry's only outcomes-based outpatient ratings to help patients identify the best care for their needs. Consumers can visit Healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality.
 

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough to Vote on 34 Articles at ATM

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Voters will decide 34 warrant articles at the annual town meeting on June 11.

The Select Board endorsed a long list of articles during its regular meeting on Monday, most without discussion. 

A $11,846,607 spending plan has been proposed for fiscal year 2025, a 4.3 percent increase from the this year. The budget includes a net increase of $237,129 in education costs for the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School, less than the $271,478 increase in FY24. 

Three articles are related to short-term rentals, or Airbnbs: To impose a local excise tax of up to 6 percent of the total amount of rent for each occupancy, a 3 percent impact fee on "professionally managed" short-term rentals, and a 3 percent impact fee on short-term rentals in two- or three-family dwellings.

"These are the proposed language as provided by town counsel," Town Administrator Gina Dario explained.

Included in the 34 articles is one citizen's petition, which the board was not required to endorse. If passed, this petition would increase the Select Board from three to five members with an annual election of the chair. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes in that election would serve a three-year term, the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes would serve a two-year term, and the candidate receiving the third highest number of votes would serve a one-year term, with three-year terms to follow.

Two articles needed clearance from the Planning Board before coming to the Select Board, one being a request to amend the town's zoning bylaw to raise the cap on accessory dwelling units from 900 to 2,500 square feet.  

The proposal is in response to the lack of housing availability in the community and is the second go-around.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories