Medical Facilities Still Open in North Adams

The Ambulatory Care Center will remain open; the Doctors Building to the right, owned by the hospital, will close.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The issues surrounding the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital do not affect the following facilities, which remain open:

Williamstown Medical Associates

Northern Berkshire Pediatrics

Hillcrest Dental

Dr. Robert L. Van Uitert's office

Advanced Eye Care

Orthopedic Associates of Northern Berkshire

Practices that operate in the Ambulatory Care Center will not close and neither will the building.

Although often referred to as the Doctors Building, the care center is a separate building connected to the Doctors Building and hospital but which is not owned by the hospital. It was built in 2001 by a separate company unaffiliated to Northern Berkshire Healthcare.

The only practices affected by the closure are those three owned and operated by Northern Berkshire Healthcare: Northern Berkshire Family Practice, Northern Berkshire OB/GYN and Northern Berkshire General Surgery.

The family practice and OB/GYN doctors are working with Berkshire Health Systems for administrative support and reportedly will attempt to remain functioning in new locations. They will close by next Friday. VNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire will also close next week; there are reports that a South County VNA may take over patients.

Please email us at info@iberkshires.com to be added to this list.

Dalton Public Safety Advisory Committee Ranks Potential Properties

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:26AM / Saturday, January 04, 2025

Use of town-owned lots near the Senior Center would require a town meeting vote as housing had been designated a priority for the former school property. 

DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Advisory Committee has ranked four properties to consider during its feasibility study on locations for a new police station. Two have existing structures, including a residential property, and the others are vacant lots.

 

The committee ranked the locations based on a quantitative scoring and weighting process, considering the properties' location, projected cost, size, and whether it is purchase or lease and whether it's vacant or has an existing structure. 

 

Jacunski Humes Architects LLC of Berlin, Conn., selected to conduct the study, will assess what is needed for an efficient and accredited public safety facility at each site. This will include cost estimates and consideration of scenarios such as building a new facility on a green site, remodeling an existing building, and demolishing and rebuilding potential sites. 

 

The property that obtained the highest rank was First Congregational Church's addition, which has offices in the basement with a walkout and some offices on the second floor on the south end. 

 

According to committee co-Chair Craig Wilbur, purchasing or leasing the property is up for negotiation. The congregation has the 2,600 square foot space listed on for lease on its website. 

 

There is also the possibility of constructing a building farther to the east of the existing church using some of the green space and parking lot. 

 

The committee is unsure if the parking lot is available for consideration but opted to keep it on the list so the architect could evaluate all the potential options for the property.