Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was in Lee Monday morning to break ground on a road construction project. The Democrat also answered questions about healthcare in Northern Berkshire following the March 28th closure of North Adams Regional Hospital.
Those in the Berkshires are anxiously awaiting the findings of a survey by Stroudwater Associates, the firm the state brought on to determine the healthcare needs of the region. For now, the state is supporting Berkshire Medical Center as it operates a satellite emergency facility at the former North Adams Regional Hospital, says Patrick.
“I say this before the findings are in so take it with a grain of salt,” Patrick said. “It’s unlikely that North Adams is going to be reconstituted in the form it was before. But, rather than think just about the future of healthcare in North Adams itself, we have to think about it in the context of the whole region.”
The findings are expected within the next few months. NARH's parent company, Northern Berkshire Healthcare, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April. The company employed about 530 people.
