Information on Northern Berkshire Healthcare
The history of Northern Berkshire Healthcare: NBH was the parent corporation of North Adams Regional Hospital, Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Northern Berkshire, and REACH for Community Health.
Northern Berkshire Healthcare was the second-largest employer in northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with an employee base of approximately 550 employees in four locations. NARH employed approximately 475 people, making it the largest employer in the City of North Adams. The health system contributes many millions of dollars to the local economy every year.
NBH was founded in 1984 as the parent corporation of an expanding local health care system. The original name was Northern Berkshire Health Systems (NBHS), which was changed to Northern Berkshire Healthcare in January 2005 by a vote of the Board of Corporators. The individual entities - NARH and the VNA - were drawn together as one family of healthcare providers over a period of years.
As the local health system moved beyond providing solely hospital-based services, NBHS created Northern Berkshire Comprehensive Care (commonly called CompCare), a visiting nurse agency. CompCare later was absorbed into the VNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire when the VNA joined NBHS in 1997. REACH Community Health Foundation was established in 1998 and was re-named REACH for Community Health in 2010.
Closure in 2014
Northern Berkshire Healthcare which owned the North Adams Regional Hospital of NW Massachusetts closed in 2014 for financial reasons. The North Adams Regional Hospital had treated patients for 129 years and was the largest employer in the small city.
After the closure many former healthcare workers, technicians, and physicians sought employment outside of Massachusetts in several states that were experiencing medical care booms such as California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Closure of NBH was highlighted by many in the medical recruitment field as evidence of the growing challenges of complexity and maintaining profitability in the industry.
The organization posted this update on their website after the closure:
Northern Berkshire Family Medicine will continue to provide services at 820 State Road, North Adams, Massachusetts. Phone: (413) 664-4088.
Northern Berkshire OB/GYN will also continue to provide services at its current location at 71 Hospital Avenue (on the third floor of North Adams Regional Hospital). You may continue to call the office at (413) 664-4343. 24-hour call coverage remains in place for continued emergency care.
A reminder for those with questions about their medical records at NARH. At this time, all hospital medical records will remain on site at 71 Hospital Avenue. Urgent records request may be submitted to the medical records department on the main floor of the hospital. After Friday, April 4, the records will be under the purview of Berkshire Health Systems.
Formerly Offered Healthcare Services
Northern Berkshire Healthcare offered a comprehensive array of acute and sub-acute healthcare services, from 24-hour emergency center care to skilled home nursing care through the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Northern Berkshire.
