One hospital, 911 emergency care, a Neighborhood Health Center and a host of clinics and support groups offer comprehensive health care for city residents with or without health insurance. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse offers a variety of services, some with a sliding fee scale. There are four nursing homes in the city and two assisted living facilities. The hospital and several agencies offer a wide variety of support groups.

Berkshire Medical Center

752 North St., (413) 447-2000.

BMC is the area's primary provider of comprehensive health care services for all residents and visitors. This community medical center is licensed for nearly 300-beds, and is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. BMC has for five years running received the highest level of recognition from the American Heart Association for care of cardiac patients, one of only two hospitals nationally to be so honored, and the only hospital in the U.S. to receive the highest award for stroke care from the American Stroke Association. BMC was the first hospital in Western Massachusetts to be designated as a Stroke Center by the state and is the only hospital in the Berkshires to achieve Level II Trauma Center certification by the American College of Surgeons. BMC provides many other specialty services, including around-the-clock state-of-the-art advanced imaging, including the county's only two fixed-base MRI units,

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comprehensive cardiology care, neurology and neurosurgical coverage, bariatric weight loss surgery, a cancer center, wound care and hyperbaric medicine center, endoscopy, behavioral health services, renal dialysis, a dental clinic, in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation and a 24-hour emergency department. BMC also provides community health services, including sponsoring of physician practices, diabetes education program, a Health Information Center open to the public and wellness programs. The hospital has invested over $50 million in its facilities, including a state-of-the-art surgical services area and laboratory, an expansion of the emergency department and new high-speed MRI and CT scanners. The BMC Women's Imaging Center provides the latest in diagnostic imaging and support for women who are or may be facing breast cancer and osteoporosis. The Center provides mammography, state-of-the-art breast MRI scanning and bone density testing.

The Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association, the homecare and community health arm of Berkshire Health Systems, provides comprehensive home healthcare and community health services provided by nurses, therapists and certified home health aides, and includes maternal child health care, infusion therapy, rehabilitative care, community vaccination clinics, falls prevention, senior health and community outreach programs. The Berkshire VNA has two locations, the BMC Hillcrest Campus at 165 Tor Court in Pittsfield and Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, 413-447-2862.

Hillcrest Campus of Berkshire Medical Center

165 Tor Court, (413) 443-4761. The Hillcrest Campus of BMC provides numerous services, including comprehensive occupational health programs through Berkshire Occupational Health, the New England Pain Diagnosis and Treatment Center, same-day surgery, Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association, Accent on Health and Wellness at Work, the Sleep Disorders Center, Hillcrest Family Health, the Thomas McGee Unit, an in-patient alcohol and substance abuse treatment program, and a variety of community outreach programs.

510 North St. and Neighborhood Health Center

510 North St. Affiliated with Berkshire Medical Center, 510 North is home to the Neighborhood Health Center, which provides general medical care using a physician practice model. (413) 447-2351. In addition, 510 North provides the State clinics, conducting tests for sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis; premarital blood tests and referrals and can be reached at (413) 447-2654; the BMC Diabetes Education Program; and Berkshire HealthWorks, a component of the BMC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, offering an Employee Assistance Program, a confidential behavioral health service that provides a comprehensive range of mental health services to employees of contracted businesses and their household members, as well as professional consultation and training services to a variety of area business organizations, (413) 447-2655.

Berkshire United Way

Phone: (413) 442-6948

P.O. Box 3808, Pittsfield, MA 01202-3808

Email: info@berkshireunitedway.com

The mission of Berkshire United Way is to improve people's lives by leading, collaborating and mobilizing resources to address community needs and priorities. More information may be obtained at www.berkshireunitedway.com or by calling (413) 442-6948.

Lee Regional Visiting Nurse Association

413-243-1212 or 1-800-427-1208. Lee Regional VNA is a non-profit home health care agency that provides services to 29 communities in Berkshire, Hampden and Hampshire Counties including the Greater Pittsfield area. They offer nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health services, home health aide services and new mother/baby care. Blood pressure/health counseling clinics are held at many different locations every month. Call 413-243-1212 for a location near you. Caregiver support groups are offered every Monday at 9:30AM at the Lee Regional VNA office, 32 Park Street, Lee, MA and at the offices of Elder Services of Berkshire County the second Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES

(Some are available 24 hours)

Alcohol/Drug Abuse

Al-Anon/Alateen (413) 445-5852

Alcoholics Anonymous (413) 532-2111

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (800) 633-6233

Substance Abuse

National Info-line (800) 327-5050

Abuse/Assault Services

Battered Women Hotline (413) 528-2328

Child at Risk Hotline (800) 792-5200

Parental Stress Line (800) 632-8188

National Domestic Violence Hotline (800) 799-7233

Disabled Persons Protective Comm. V/TDD (800) 426-9009

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

Elizabeth Freeman Center (413) 499-2425

The Kid's Place (413) 499-2800

Elder Abuse Hotline (800) 922-2275

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) (800)656-4673

Children's Services

Child at Risk (Hotline) (800) 792-5200

Children's Health Program (413) 528-9311

Child Help USA (800) 422-4453

Children's Protective Services (800)292-5022

Family Center of the Berkshires (413) 447-2145

Mass. Dept. of Social Services (foster/adoptive parent program) (800)543-7508

Toughlove (800)333-1069

Crime Reporting/Prevention

Violent Crime Situation:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco &Firearms

Gun Hotline (800)283-4867

WeTip Hotline (800)782-7463

Employment Assistance

Dept. of Employment and Training (413) 499-2220

Environmental Information

MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (617)292-5500 /(800)337-6245

Air Quality (800)882-1497

To report hazardous substance, toxic Chemicals, oil spills V/TDD (800)424-8802

Health Services

AIDS Action Committee of MA Administrative Offices (617)437-6200

Hotline (617)536-7733

(800)235-2331

Cancer Information (800)422-6237

Lead Poisoning Prevention (800)532-9571

Housing

Homeless Persons Service

Construct, Inc. (413) 528-1985

Medical Referrals

MA Dental Society (800)342-8747

MA Medical Society (800)322-2303

Pregnancy Hotline (800)395-4357

Smoking Cessation Info (800)879-8678

Substance Abuse (617)338-6020/(800)327-5050

Mental Health - Counseling

Berkshire Mental Health Ctr. (413) 499-0412

Dept. of Mental Health (413) 447-7381

Main Street Human Resources (Affiliated with Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services of the Berkshires) (413) 528-9155

Missing Persons

Missing Persons (800) 622-5999

Missing & Exploited Children (800) 843-5678

Poison Control

Hotline (800) 682-9211

Pregnancy & Parenting Services

South Berkshire WIC (413) 528-0457

The Family Center (413) 528-0721

Services for the Disabled

Berkshire County Assoc. of Retarded Citizens (413) 499-4241

MA Office on Disability

V/TDD (617) 727-7440

MA Rehab COMM (617) 245-6543/(617) 204-3600

Services for Senior Citizens

Alzheimer's Assoc. Western MA Chapter (413) 787-1113

National Chapter (800) 272-3900

Area Agency on Aging (413) 499-0524

(800) 544-5242

Council on Aging (413) 528-1881

Elder Hotline (800) 882-2003

Elder Services of Berkshire County (413) 499-0524

Medicare Info. Line (800) 772-1213

Southern Berkshire Elderly Transportation (413) 528-4773

Suicide

Hotline (800) 448-3000

Youth Crisis & Runaway

Hotline (800) 621-4000

Venereal Diseases

Dept. Public Health (617) 210-5000

National Hotline (STD/HIV) (800) 227-8922

(800) 342-2437

Veterans Services

Veterans Affairs Info. (800) 827-1000

Veterans Services - MA (617) 210-5755

Welfare Information

Transitional Assistance (800) 249-2007

Food Source (800) 645-8333