Page 62 - Healthcare News SepOct 2021
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JGS Lifecare Honors Seymour Frankel at Classic Day of Tournaments
LONGMEADOW — JGS Lifecare recently hosted its 40th annual Frankel- Kinsler Classic Day of Tournaments at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. Drawing more than 200 guests attracted to golf and card-playing tournaments, the event raised more than $115,000 to sup- port senior care at the Leavitt Family Jew- ish Home, Ruth’s House Assisted Living, Sosin Center for Rehabilitation, Wernick Adult Day Health Care, Spectrum Home Health and Hospice Care, and Genesis House.
“We’re overwhelmed by the tremen-
dous show of support from businesses and individuals throughout Western Massa- chusetts,” said Susan Halpern, director of Development. “Event proceeds will enrich programming and services for the more than 400 people cared for each day across the JGS Lifecare family of services, as well as support-staff skill and career advance- ment through the funding of educational scholarships.”
The Aug. 16 event honored the memory of Seymour Frankel, who passed away on Dec. 31. Frankel, a committed volunteer, was a founder of the event in 1981, named
originally for the Raymond and Herman Kinsler families and later for Frankel’s son Michael, a past chairman of the JGS board who died suddenly in 2013 at age 49.
Tournament co-chair Jeff Grodsky underscored his great-uncle Seymour’s contributions, noting that “he worked tirelessly for this organization and a number of organizations in town, and he touched everyone in a special way.”
Attorney Stephen Krevalin, past board chairman, paid tribute to Frankel, who “shared an abiding and passionate com- mitment to care for our needy and our
elderly, and in particular the Jewish Nurs- ing Home of Western Massachusetts, now JGS Lifecare. The creation of the Kinsler golf classic 40 years ago was an incred- ibly important step to help us not only raise significant funds, but also share our compelling story with so many. And while the Kinsler tournament raised countless funds for JGS, it is but a small fraction of the contribution and ultimate legacy of Seymour Frankel. In the Jewish tradition, we ask that the memory of the deceased be a blessing. There is no question that Sey- mour Frankel’s life was truly a blessing.”
 Willie Ross School for the Deaf Holds Grand Reopening
LONGMEADOW — Willie Ross School for the Deaf (WRSD) held a grand reopen- ing and ribbon cutting for the newly completed renovation and expansion to its Sidney Cooley Administration Building on Sept. 17.
WRSD President and CEO Bert Carter; Dr. J. Robert Kirkwood, chair of the WRSD board of trustees; and George Balsley, vice chair of the board, all offered remarks at the event, which also offered
light refreshments and tours.
The new space on the school’s Long-
meadow campus accommodates its grow- ing needs and programming. The renova- tion and expansion took two years to complete and added a second story to its administration building that features new space for interpreters, an updated audiol- ogy center, a redesigned main entrance, improved wheelchair access, new space for the school’s Work Study Program, and
upgraded administrative technology. The project cost $2.5 million.
The comprehensive renovation also included new landscaping of the property and replacement of windows and insula- tion to increase energy efficiency. WRSD will also begin construction of a new school playground in the fall, expected to be completed in the spring of 2022.
In recent years, WRSD has expanded its audiology services to the public, accepting
pediatric and adult patients for hearing evaluations and hearing-aid fittings, which requires more space than the school had previously.
According to Carter, “the completion of this campus-renovation project will allow us to better meet the needs of our deaf community and make our facilities more accessible to our students and the public.”
 BFAIR Earns Health New England Well Worth It Award
NORTH ADAMS — BFAIR has been named a 2021 Health New England Well Worth It Award recipient at the bronze level for successful worksite health promo- tion and employee health improvement. The award recognizes BFAIR’s commit- ment to its employees’ overall health
and their achievements in implementing health and wellness programs.
An effective worksite wellness program can improve the well-being and produc- tivity of the workforce while managing
the rising cost of healthcare. This year’s workplace wellness activities at BFAIR included a variety of workshops such as yoga, healthy eating, and smoking cessa- tion. Also included were a few self-driven challenges such as a walking challenge and a hydration challenge. Individuals served by BFAIR are also included in the wellness program.
“Last year impacted everyone, and BFAIR dedicated tools and resources to meet the critical needs of their employ-
ees,” said Katie Bruno, Public Health and Wellness program manager for Health New England. “Health New England is proud to recognize BFAIR for their com- mitment to their employees’ overall health and well-being. The Well Worth It Award is an extension of Health New England’s mission and honors the work being done by our employer groups to improve the health and lives of the people in our com- munities.”
Laura Baran, wellness committee chair
at BFAIR, added that “wellness, both physical and emotional, remained a top priority for us at BFAIR. Our wellness committee recognized that our essential staff came to work day after day and did their job caring for others regardless of the pandemic, and we wanted to ensure that they had all the tools they needed to stay well. We are honored to be recognized by Health New England for our efforts.”
“We are pleased to recognize Berkshire Medical Center for their commitment
to stroke care,” said Dr. Lee Schwamm, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of Neurology and director of Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical mea- sures through the Get with the Guidelines quality-improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortal- ity rates.”
 BMC Honored for Commitment to Stroke Treatment
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) has received the Ameri- can Heart Assoc. Gold Plus Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appro- priate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability
in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds,
and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early
stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and speeding recovery times.
Get with the Guidelines – Stroke was developed to assist healthcare profes- sionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
“Berkshire Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Dr. James Lederer, chief medical officer and chief
quality officer for BMC. “Get with the Guidelines – Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to im- prove outcomes for stroke patients.”
Each year, program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrat- ing how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke pa- tients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Berkshire Medical Center also provides education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilita- tion once at home.
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