Fairview Honored Nationally

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Fairview Hospital announced that it has been recognized as a 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient. 
 
This distinction places Fairview Hospital among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for patient experience, according to Healthgrades, the leading marketplace that connects people with the right doctor and hospital.  Fairview Hospital has received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award for 11 years in a row (2013-2023).
 
"Fairview Hospital consistently provides exceptional care to the Southern Berkshire community," said Darlene Rodowicz, President and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. "We could not be more proud of the providers and staff at Fairview who put their patients first day in and day out. This recognition is well-deserved."
 
For this annual analysis, Healthgrades evaluated 3,138 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), covering admissions from January 2021 through December 2021. Of those hospitals evaluated, 419 hospitals outperformed their peers—based on their patients' responses—to achieve this award.
 
"Fairview is honored to receive the Healthgrades award, and we consider the opportunity to service our patients and their families as a privilege," reflects Anthony J. Rinaldi, Jr, Executive Vice President.  "Our organization can achieve no higher form of validation that to be recognized by those we care for."
 
Healthgrades evaluates performance by applying a scoring methodology to ten patient experience measures, using data collected from HCAHPS survey of the hospital's own patients. Survey questions focus on patients' perspectives of their care in the hospital, from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to medication explanations and hospital staff responsiveness to patients' needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital to friends or family and their overall rating of the hospital.
 
"We are fortunate to have such dedicated employees, medical staff, and a management team that first, cares for one another, and collaboratively offer a level of patient-centered care that provides high clinical quality and exceptional patient satisfaction," said Doreen Hutchinson, RN, Vice President of Operations and Patient Care at Fairview.
 
"We applaud all recipients of the Healthgrades 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award for putting patient experience front and center within their organizations," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. "We commend these hospitals for their ongoing commitment to prioritizing an exceptional patient experience, while ensuring the health and safety of their patients."
 
Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here. An easy-to-understand overview of Healthgrades' complete patient experience methodology is also available here.

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Butternut Fire Expands to Sheffield, Covering 1,100 Acres

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The fire expanded during to the night to cover more than 1,100 acres. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Butternut Fire has expanded tenfold, now covering almost 1,100 acres of forest and spreading to Sheffield.

Just before noon on Wednesday, the town reported that the wildfire near Brush Hill Road off East Mountain had unexpected growth overnight. It spread over 100 acres on Tuesday and on Wednesday, was estimated to cover slightly less than 1,100 acres.

The town remains in a state of emergency, as declared by the Select Board on Tuesday, but first responders assure that Great Barrington is not in danger.

Around 2 p.m., the Great Barrington Fire Department reported via Facebook that "significant fire" was extinguished by using a Blackhawk helicopter to drop 600 gallons of water. Water is now being pulled from Three Mile Pond in Sheffield.

The blaze is being referred to as the Butternut Fire due to its proximity to Ski Butternut, which has confirmed there is no damage to the ski area.

"At this time the fire is more than a quarter of a mile from the nearest structures and there are not any immediate threats to the public. There have NOT been any evacuation orders at this time. We have strategically placed structural fire crews in the areas where there is the POTENTIAL for us to operate in a protection mode to protect homes and property," the town's press release reads.

"In the event of a need for an evacuation order, residents will be notified through Code RED along with in-person door-to-door notifications of the affected area — an information post will be shared on how to sign up if you are already not signed up."

The fire was first reported Monday evening and by 9 p.m., firefighters were pulled from the mountain because of the hazardous conditions. On Tuesday morning, neighboring departments were called in to help contain the blaze.

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