The health system is now seeking to attain the designation of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) for the facility. Credit: © Berkshire Health Systems.

Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) has announced the reopening of North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH) in the US state of Massachusetts.  

A decade after its closure under previous ownership, the facility celebrated its return to service with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  

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This event, held at the NARH site, was attended by BHS executives, US Representative Richard Neal, Massachusetts Health & Human Services secretary Kate Walsh, along with other state and local dignitaries.  

The latest move builds on BHS’ previous announcement to secure federal and state approval to reopen up to 25 inpatient beds at the North Adams Campus and to attain the designation of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) for the North Adams facility.  

Reopening of NARH further represents BHS’s strategic plan to enhance healthcare accessibility and promote wellness across Berkshire County. 

BHS confirmed that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will now conduct a survey for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a prerequisite for certifying NARH as a CAH.  

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The company describes CAH as a small, rural facility which is geographically ‘isolated’ from other hospitals. 

The timeline for the survey, which is yet to be announced, is anticipated soon. 

BHS stated that Congressman Neal played a pivotal role in amending the CAH criteria, making NARH eligible for the designation.  

The hospital was previously unable to qualify for CAH status in 2014 due to regulatory constraints.  

With the potential CAH designation, NARH would operate independently, offering inpatient medical-surgical services alongside its existing emergency and outpatient services. 

According to BHS, if successful, the CAH license would enable NARH to house up to 25 inpatient medical/surgical beds and provide a range of services, including operating rooms, lab, imaging and pharmacy services, and an emergency department.  

NARH vice-president Laurie Lamarre said: “Through BHS’s coordinated system of care, NARH will partner with Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital, the nationally recognised CAH serving south Berkshire, to provide comprehensive healthcare services across Berkshire County.”