Berkshire Medical Center expands renal dialysis services
Pittsfield — Berkshire Medical Center has completed a $6 million expansion of its dialysis services with the development of three renal dialysis centers in Great Barrington, Pittsfield and North Adams. All three sites use state-of-the-art technology, have ground access and parking close to the entries, centralized nursing stations to ensure patient safety and confidentiality, spacious environments and private waiting rooms. They can also accommodate patients from out of the area who may need dialysis care while visiting the Berkshires.
The recently fully renovated South County Renal Dialysis Center is located at 10 Maple Ave. in Great Barrington. It serves nearly 20 patients with nine treatment chairs three days a week. Opened Jan. 8, the Central County Dialysis Center sits at 8 Conte Drive, formerly Berkshire Hematology Oncology. It has 21 treatment chairs and serves 115 patients Monday through Saturday. The North County Renal Dialysis Center opened in the fall of 2016 at BMC’s North Adams campus and is the first renal center in north Berkshire County. It has 12 treatment chairs, serves 35 patients and is open Monday through Saturday.
“We are one of only two hospitals in the state of Massachusetts that provide outpatient in-center hemodialysis for the patients in their community. Every other hospital in the state has sold their dialysis centers to larger, private dialysis organizations,” said David Henner, D.O., the medical director BMC’s dialysis centers.
–E.E.
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Barrington Family Medicine welcomes nurse practitioner
Great Barrington — Laurie Basinait, MSN, C-ANP, has joined Barrington Family Medicine as a certified nurse practitioner, working with Susan Thompson, M.D.
A resident of Copake, New York, Basinait was most recently a nurse practitioner for at Fairview Hospital where she also provided cardiac stress testing in the cardiology department. In addition, she has experience working in Fairview’s primary care practice. She has also provided health care and disease management to patients at a long-term care facility, served as a nursing supervisor, and as a nurse in the cardiac/intensive care, surgical services and emergency departments of Fairview and Berkshire Medical Center.
A graduate of Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield, Basinait received her bachelor’s degree in nursing as well as her master’s degree as an adult nurse practitioner from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. She is a certified in CPR instruction as well as advanced cardiac life support, and attained her certification as an adult nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Eastern Nursing Research Society, and Berkshire Health Systems’ Suicide Task Force. She has been a leader in clinical governance at Fairview, and has played an active role in the Organization of Nurse Leaders.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Community College gains two trustees
Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College welcomes Carlo Zaffanella and Julia Bowen to its board of trustees, both of whom were appointed last year by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Zaffanella is the vice president/general manager of maritime and strategic systems business at General Dynamics Mission Systems’s Pittsfield location. He also serves on the boards of Soldier On and the Naval Submarine League.
Bowen has worked as the founder and executive director of Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in Adams. Her community involvement includes being the founding board chair for Lever Inc., a member of the board of Northern Berkshire United Way, and involvement with the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association.
–E.E.
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Greylock promotes Moncecchi to vice president
Pittsfield — Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the promotion of JamieEllen Moncecchi to the position of vice president/administration. In her new role role, Moncecchi will lead organizational initiatives focused on improving efficiency and strengthening culture, act as liaison with Greylock’s board of directors, and be responsible for planning credit union activities and events. She will also provide direction for the credit union’s community support initiatives and investments.
In 23 years of working at Greylock, Moncecchi has held positions in marketing, consumer and commercial lending, and other departments. She serves on the Pittsfield High School Business Tech Advisory Committee and is a board member for the Hilltown Junior Olympics. Moncecchi has been a Girl Scouts troop leader and a board member of Berkshire United Way’s Success By 6 early-childhood program. She lives in Windsor with her husband, Joe, and has two children.
–E.E.
