North Adams Satellite Emergency Facility Adds Observation Beds

NORTH ADAMS — Berkshire Health Systems announced it will expand access to emergency care in Northern Berkshire County with the addition of observation beds at the North Adams Satellite Emergency Facility (SEF).
These limited-use beds will allow for patients being treated in the Satellite Emergency Facility and are experiencing potential serious illness to be monitored for, on average, 12 to 16 hours by Emergency Department physicians and staff. The North Adams facility will have two observation beds for this enhanced form of emergency care.
Placement of a patient in an observation bed will be for a narrow list of specific conditions, and whether an observation bed will be used is based on the severity of the individual patient’s illness and other potential medical complications. If a patient is experiencing severe illness or injury beyond the scope of observation status, he or she will be transferred to Berkshire Medical Center or other appropriate hospital for more extensive care.
“The addition of observation beds in the North Adams Satellite Emergency Facility will provide the appropriate patients and their emergency providers with additional time for testing and treatment at a level that does not require an inpatient admission to a hospital,” said Dr. Ronald Hayden, medical director of the Satellite Emergency Facility and chairman of Emergency Medicine at BMC. “The providers that will care for these patients are the same that cared for them when they entered the Satellite Emergency Facility, and the beds are located inside the SEF. They are designed to be used for highly selective care for a period under 24 hours, generally between 12 and 16 hours for most patients.”
The BMC North Adams Satellite Emergency Facility was opened following the closure of the former North Adams Regional Hospital, and provides around-the-clock care for emergency situations. It is recommended that anyone who uses the Satellite Emergency Facility, if possible, bring their prescription medications with them — or a comprehensive list of those medications, including dosage — so emergency providers can provide optimal care.