CDH Announces New Physician Offices In Belchertown

NORTHAMPTON — A new medical practice featuring family practice physicians and obstetrician gynecologists opened recently at 10 Turkey Hill Road in Belchertown.
Calling their practice Hampshire Family Physicians, Catherine A. Lock-wood, M.D., board-certified in Family Practice and Joshua Mintz, M.D., board eligible in Family Practice, opened their facility in November.

Hampshire Family Practice will provide family-focused health care services for adults and children of all ages. Lockwood said that some minor surgeries, appropriate for an office setting, can also be performed. Both physicians have privileges at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH).

Physicians from WomanCare OB/GYN, Diane Amsterdam, MD, Maria Kopicki, MD and Edward Patton, MD, all board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology with privileges at CDH, will also be available to see patients in Belchertown. While WomanCare is an established medical practice with offices in Hadley and Northampton, its expansion to Belchertown is designed to make access more convenient for new and existing patients.

Convenience is one of the goals behind locating a Cooley Dickinson Hospital-affiliated practice in Belchertown, says Margaret Airoldi, director of ambulatory services and director of CD Practice Associates. She says data compiled over the past two years indicates a need for expanded medical services in one of the fastest growing communities in the state. “We recognize the need to bring health care services to the patient. For some, this means traveling shorter distances to see their doctor. For others, it may mean the availability of more health care options from which to choose.”

Currrently, Cooley Dickinson occupies approximately 2,500 square feet of space on the third floor of the new building. Airoldi expects that number to increase as other Cooley Dickinson specialists and hospital-based services move in to support the physicians. “We’ll monitor our new location and bring in other specialty areas such as gastroenterology and neurology as the need arises from the community.”

Hampshire Family Physicians are new to the area. Lockwood received her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and completed her residency and internship at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine.

Mintz received his medical degree from the University of Illinois and, like Lockwood, completed his residency and internship at Eastern Maine Medical Center.
Lockwood and Mintz worked together at Eastern Maine Medical Center and look forward to building their practice in Belchertown. “I have an opportunity to work a colleague with whom I have a great relationship,” she said. “We will work together to meet the needs of this community. We really look forward to that.”

Over the past 10 years, CDH has successfully opened and maintained physician practices in Amherst, Hadley, Easthampton, Florence, South Deerfield, and most recently in Belchertown. A variety of hospital services such as laboratory, physical, occupational, and speech therapies, behavioral health, and childbirth education are available at Cooley Dickinson offices in those communities.