Next week, a community non-profit will be the latest entity to open in the former North Adams Regional Hospital. The hospital abruptly closed in March. Parent company Northern Berkshire Healthcare filed bankruptcy days later. Berkshire Health Systems has since purchased the site where it operates a satellite emergency facility.On October 24th, Ecu-Health Care will move back into the same office it occupied before North Adams Regional closed. The area’s state designated outreach and insurance enrollment organization has been operating out an office on Union St. in North Adams in the interim. Chip Joffe-Halpern is executive director.
“I like being close to a medical facility because point-of-service frequently is where referrals are produced,” Joffe-Halpern said. “So if someone shows up to the emergency room and they don’t have health coverage they can be immediately referred up to our office.”
The office will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.