CHP Berkshires Expands Primary Care Team

Print Story | Email Story
Michelle Bedard, FNP and Sharon Bigler, FNP
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — CHP Berkshires has expanded its primary care practice with new clinicians at practice locations in North Adams and Lee.
 
Michelle M. Bedard, Adult Acute Care Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP North Adams Family Medical, where she will care for patients 13 years and older. 
 
She earned her doctor of nursing degree from Elms College, concentrating on adult-gerontology acute care and earning certification in this specialty. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing at Southern New Hampshire University and earlier received her associate degree in nursing from Berkshire Community College (BCC).
 
She also received training as a licensed practical nurse at BCC, where she earned a Clinical Excellence Award in 2014. 
 
Bedard completed her advanced practice nursing rotations at Berkshire Medical Center in the ICU and as a hospitalist. As a registered nurse, she worked for eight years in the BMC emergency department, and previously she worked as a licensed practical nurse and as a certified nursing assistant. 
 
Bedard is a resident of Adams, where she lives with her two sons.
 
Sharon K. Bigler, a family nurse practitioner, has joined CHP Lee Family Practice, where she will care for patients of all ages.
 
She earned her doctorate of nursing practice at the University of Tulsa (OK), where she also received her bachelor of science in nursing. Prior to earning her DNP, Sharon was a critical care nurse, working for 15 years in medical-surgical, cardiovascular, burn, and neurotrauma intensive care units. Earlier, she worked for two years as a registered nurse case manager.
 
She and her husband reside in Pittsfield.
 

Tags: CHP,   

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

North Adams Making Plans to Address Library Belvedere

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — With a $75,000 matching Mass Historic grant, city officials are moving closer to addressing the library's decrepit belvedere.
 
"This is the closest we have ever been so for me, being part of this process since 1992, it is very exciting, and I hope you are excited too," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said.
 
"... We used to say from a distance, it looks beautiful. Now from a distance, you can see it worn."
 
On Thursday, Macksey met with the library trustees to hold early discussions on how to fund the project which was originally estimated to cost $375,000. Macksey hopes to use a mix of Sale of City Owned Property Account funds and money from Cariddi bequest to make up the difference.
 
"As time goes on and as this project evolves, we'll see where dollars fall or other opportunities fall," she said. "My biggest fear is that it's going to be over the $370,000 in the sense of where we are with construction in general … So we do have some funds available, but once we get to bids then we'll really drill down on the price. We certainly don't want to exhaust the Cariddi fund."
 
After bids are opened and a clearer understanding of the total project cost is established, the cost split can be discussed.
 
She said other grants could become available later. While she's open to borrowing to finish the project, she prefers to use existing funds. 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories