U.S. Congressman Richard Neal says work to restore emergency service to the Northern Berkshires continues after the March 28th closure of North Adams Regional Hospital.
Once an emergency facility is established, the Congressman wants the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to give it critical access designation, so it can receive increased federal reimbursements, Neal said on WAMC’s Congressional Corner program.
“At the moment it is not part of consideration because it misses it by a few miles,” Neal said. “So I’ve asked CMS to review a decision that they made six or eight years ago along that same line.”
Berkshire Medical Center, chosen to operate the satellite facility, has hired 143 of the 530 former Northern Berkshire Healthcare employees in permanent and temporary positions and sustained some of the bankrupt company’s medical practices.
“Once a determination is made as to what the mission statement of the hospital will be then we will continue to lobby on behalf of that mission statement with CMS,” said Neal.
