Together is Better: The Camaraderie of CHP Group Health Visits 

Together is Better: The Camaraderie of CHP Group Health Visits 

By Lisa Nelson, MD  As a physician dedicated to improving the lives of those with chronic health conditions, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative healing that happens in group health visits. For people who struggle with physical conditions like diabetes, high...
Mobile Health Offers 2nd Dose of Updated Covid Vaccine to Seniors

Mobile Health Offers 2nd Dose of Updated Covid Vaccine to Seniors

CHP Mobile Health is now offering the second updated Covid-19 vaccine to adults 65 and older, and to people of all ages with compromised immune systems. Vaccines are available with the CHP Mobile Health teams whenever they are on the road. The schedule can be found at...
CHP Berkshire Pediatrics Wins MHQP Patient Experience Award  

CHP Berkshire Pediatrics Wins MHQP Patient Experience Award  

CHP Berkshire Pediatrics has received recognition from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) for being one of the top practices in Massachusetts, based on patient experiences in primary care.  The MHQP Patient Experience Awards is an annual awards program...
Happy Valentine’s Day: Love Your Heart

Happy Valentine’s Day: Love Your Heart

It’s National Heart Month, so now is a good time to give some TLC to your body’s most important muscle. Prevention is always the first step in keeping your heart healthy, but you can also make changes to address any existing heart conditions. 

CHP Board Welcomes Rachel Melendez-Mabee  

CHP Board Welcomes Rachel Melendez-Mabee  

Rachel Melendez-Mabee has been named to the board of CHP Berkshires. She is vice president of culture and brand and DEI officer at Greylock Federal Credit Union, and brings to the CHP board her skills in workplace diversity, training and initiatives. Previously, she...
CHP Welcomes New Clinicians

CHP Welcomes New Clinicians

CHP Berkshires has expanded its clinical team with the addition of new providers in Pittsfield and Lee and on the CHP Mobile Health team.  Marina Hoag, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, family nurse practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP Neighborhood Health Center in...
Ask for Narcan Kits at CHP

Ask for Narcan Kits at CHP

With a Narcan kit on hand, anyone can intervene to help in an opioid emergency. To help reduce harm from opioid overdose in our community, CHP is offering free Narcan kits to patients who request them.

NBT Bank Contributes $75,000 to CHP

NBT Bank Contributes $75,000 to CHP

During a visit on October 30, Andreas Kapetanopoulos, NBT Connecticut regional president, Amanda Goewey, VP, multi-site branch manager, and Aidan Gilligan, VP, commercial banking/relationship manager, met with CHP leadership to underscore the bank’s commitment to local organizations serving the Berkshire community.

Greeting and Meeting People Like You

Greeting and Meeting People Like You

As summer turns to fall and the air grows crisp, I’m grateful each day to be settling into my new home here in the Berkshires. My early weeks at CHP have been spent meeting our team, community leaders, and members and learning about all that makes CHP special.

A Prescription for Good Health

A Prescription for Good Health

CHP Partners with local farms to distribute nutritious food. If nutrition is the doorway to better health, access to healthy food is the first step inside. Our Family Services and Nutrition teams are at the forefront of food security and healthy nutrition. Through...
Lee Family Practice Celebrates More Primary Care Capacity

Lee Family Practice Celebrates More Primary Care Capacity

A $1 million reconstruction of CHP Lee Family Practice has cleared the way for the gradual addition of primary care patients in the coming years. The renovation added new exam and consult rooms and improved workflow, allowing CHP staff to see more patients. Over time,...
CHP Supports the Elizabeth Freeman Center Rise Up Campaign

CHP Supports the Elizabeth Freeman Center Rise Up Campaign

A letter the editor from CHP Berkshires Associate Medical Director Dawn Kohanski, FNP, appeared in The Berkshire Eagle and other area publications in support of the Elizabeth Freeman Center’s work on behalf of survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and...
CHP Names Employee of the Year

CHP Names Employee of the Year

Carol Pirog, CHP Human Resources Assistant, has been named CHP Berkshires’ Employee of the Year. The designation comes with a $2,000 award and recognition from the CHP community for her professional excellence. Nominations from colleagues note Carol’s...
In the News: CEO Bethany Kieley On WAMC Public Radio

In the News: CEO Bethany Kieley On WAMC Public Radio

CEO Bethany Kieley had a wide-ranging conversation with Josh Landes of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, on her her role at CHP Berkshires, the importance of mobile health in caring for our community, and CHP’s overall approach to health and wellness beyond the exam...
CHP Expands Mobile Health Fleet to Reach More Berkshire Residents

CHP Expands Mobile Health Fleet to Reach More Berkshire Residents

The CHP Berkshires Mobile Health Team is bringing more health care and food security into the Berkshires with the addition of two new mobile health vehicles. A third, a mobile dental clinic, is on the way. These new rolling healthcare vehicles and their clinical staff...
In the News: CEO Bethany Kieley On WAMC Public Radio

CHP Welcomes Bethany Kieley as CEO

Community Health Programs Inc. has named Bethany Kieley as its new CEO. She joined the countywide healthcare network effective July 17. Kieley was most recently chief operations officer at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, a federally qualified health center serving...
Dr. Jonna Gaberman Named Director of Adult Medicine 

Dr. Jonna Gaberman Named Director of Adult Medicine 

Dr. Jonna Gaberman has joined CHP Berkshires as director of adult medicine. She will also provide adult primary care at CHP Neighborhood Health Center Pittsfield.  She brings extensive experience in community health care, population health, outpatient internal...
CHP Supports Legislation Creating Mid-Level Dental Practitioners

CHP Supports Legislation Creating Mid-Level Dental Practitioners

Legislation to improve access to dental care across the state is pending in Boston, and CHP Berkshires has weighed in with its support for the creation of mid-level dental practitioners. CHP has met with our state legislative delegation and delivered letters to...
CHP Berkshires Names New CEO to Healthcare Network

CHP Berkshires Names New CEO to Healthcare Network

Community Health Programs has named Bethany Kieley as its new chief executive officer, effective July 17, 2023. She will oversee the countywide healthcare network caring for more than 30,000 patients in the region. Kieley is currently the chief operations officer at...
CHP Expands Primary Care Teams in North Adams, Lee

CHP Expands Primary Care Teams in North Adams, Lee

CHP Berkshires has expanded its primary care practice with new clinicians at practice locations in North Adams and Lee. Michelle M. Bedard, an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP North Adams Family Medical, where...
CHP Mobile Health: New Boosters for Adults 65+ and Young Children

CHP Mobile Health: New Boosters for Adults 65+ and Young Children

For the youngest children and older adults, CHP Mobile Health has newly approved COVID-19 booster shots. For adults 65 and older, CHP’s Mobile Health team provides CDC-approved boosters at least four months after the first booster was received. Most people with...
CHP Names Senior VP for Operations

CHP Names Senior VP for Operations

Tom Duchesne joins CHP Berkshires as senior vice president of operations, after most recently working for CVS Health in Rhode Island and at hospitals in Rhode Island.

Berkshire Food Safety Net Grows With Two Grants

Berkshire Food Safety Net Grows With Two Grants

In rural and under-served corners of the Berkshires, getting fresh local food onto the family tables can be a challenge. Now, two government grants totaling more than $1.4 million are breaking through barriers to rural food access and affordability.   Berkshire...
Beyond Delivery: A Weekly Support Group for New Moms and Babies

Beyond Delivery: A Weekly Support Group for New Moms and Babies

CHP Barrington OB/GYN offers “Beyond Delivery,” a weekly group for postpartum support and, if needed, medical care. We welcome parents, children of all ages (this includes siblings), and those who are pregnant (come get ready for baby with us)! [Read about...
Nutritionist Joins CHP Berkshires

Nutritionist Joins CHP Berkshires

CHP Berkshires welcomes to its nutrition team Michelle R. Sisk, RDN, LDN, CDN. In her new role, Sisk will work primarily as a culinary nutritionist with the CHP Nutrition Club, which provides nutrition services to patients of Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative (MassHealth). She will counsel patients mainly through telehealth and will also lead culinary nutrition and education programs.

Special Kids, Special Diet: A Virtual Nutrition Talk

Special Kids, Special Diet: A Virtual Nutrition Talk

 CHP Family Services and the CHP Nutrition team will host “Special Kids, Special Diet: A Virtual Workshop to Explore Ideas and Speak with a Nutrition Team” on Thursday, January 26. Noon-1:30 PM  |  Zoom  |  Registration is required. Register for the...
CHP Offering Bivalent Vaccines to Youngest Children

CHP Offering Bivalent Vaccines to Youngest Children

Community Health Programs is offering the updated bivalent Covid-19 vaccines to young children aged 6 months through age 4, now that the CDC has approved dosages for this age group. “We strongly urge parents to have their young children vaccinated to help prevent or...
CHP Names Two Associate Medical Directors

CHP Names Two Associate Medical Directors

Dawn Kohanski, FNP-BC, of CHP North Adams Family Medical, and Laura Need, MD, of CHP Berkshire Pediatrics, have joined Andrew Beckwith, CMO, to comprise the newly reorganized medical leadership at the countywide health care network. Ms. Kohanski is a seasoned nurse...
CHP Names Dr. Andrew Beckwith as Chief Medical Officer

CHP Names Dr. Andrew Beckwith as Chief Medical Officer

Andrew Beckwith, M.D., has been named chief medical officer (CMO) at Community Health Programs. Dr. Beckwith, who is an obstetrician-gynecologist at CHP Barrington OB/GYN, will continue seeing patients while overseeing the CHP medical staff throughout Berkshire...
Donor Spotlight: Matt and Missy Scarafoni

Donor Spotlight: Matt and Missy Scarafoni

When Matt and Missy Scarafoni consider their community giving, they ask, “What organizations make a wide impact on our Berkshire community? Who is leveling the playing field between those who have more and those who have less?” CHP is on their “A list.” “A lot of...
Mission Moment: Families Like Ours

Mission Moment: Families Like Ours

By: Rania Markham   When my kids were 18 months and three months old, our family signed up for CHP ParentChild+, a home mentoring program for families with young children soon heading to preschool or kindergarten. Each week, a family mentor came to our home to...
Family Nurse Practitioner Joins North Adams Family Medicine

Family Nurse Practitioner Joins North Adams Family Medicine

Dawn Kohanski, family nurse practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP North Adams Family Medicine. Most recently, she was a hospitalist practitioner at Berkshire Medical Center, where she coordinated adult acute care in the hospital setting. She also...
CHP Mobile Health Team Welcomes New Nurse Practitioner

CHP Mobile Health Team Welcomes New Nurse Practitioner

Sophie Jannen, family nurse practitioner, has joined the CHP Mobile Health Unit team. Most recently, Jannen worked as a family nurse practitioner at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Express Care. As a registered nurse, she also worked at the Berkshire Medical...
Functional Medicine Physician Joins CHP in Great Barrington

Functional Medicine Physician Joins CHP in Great Barrington

Cornelia F. Lenherr, M.D., has joined the CHP Health Center in Great Barrington as a family medicine physician. With a certification in functional medicine, Lenherr most recently worked at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, where her patient care incorporated medicine, nutrition,...
Lee Family Practice Under Construction Sept. 28-Oct. 11

Lee Family Practice Under Construction Sept. 28-Oct. 11

Construction to expand and improve the Lee Family Practice facility will require temporary closure of the practice, Sept. 27-Oct. 11. During this time, the office will be closed for patient visits, but staff will continue to care for patients in the CHP Mobile Health...
CHP Names Nutritionist Devyn Renzi to Care Team 

CHP Names Nutritionist Devyn Renzi to Care Team 

Devyn Renzi—the newest member of CHP’s nutrition team. Devyn Renzi, CNS, LDN,  has joined the CHP nutrition team and is now seeing patients at CHP practices in  CHP Neighborhood Center, Lee Family Practice, and Barrington OB/GYN. She is also available via...
CHP Annual Board Reorganization

CHP Annual Board Reorganization

The CHP Board welcomes new member Erik Bruun, elects Brian Drake as board president and Celia Clancy as vice president in the annual board reorganization.

Children’s Attic is Back! Consignment Sale runs September 10 & 11

Children’s Attic is Back! Consignment Sale runs September 10 & 11

After a 3-year hiatus, Berkshire County’s original tent sale of children’s clothing and accessories is back! The Children’s Attic Consignment Sale returns Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10 and 11, and sellers are invited to sign up to participate. “Now is the time to sign...
CHP Offering Bivalent Vaccines to Youngest Children

CHP Rolling Out Covid Vaccines for Young Children

Community Health Programs is now offering Covid-19 pediatric vaccines for children between 6 months through age 4. These vaccines have been clinically tested and approved for use in young children to prevent serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19. Full...

CEO Lia Spiliotes Stepping Down After 7 Years Growing CHP

Community Health Programs CEO Lia Spiliotes, who has led CHP since 2015 in its doubling of CHP patient numbers and expansion of health and family services in the Berkshires, has announced she is stepping down from CHP. In a statement to staff and colleagues, Spiliotes said she intends to refocus on family health priorities in Boston and New York. She stated she is also turning her professional attention to broader advocacy efforts around public and economic policy related to community health. […]

Lee Family Practice Welcomes New FNP

Family Nurse Practitioner Terrance “TC” Clarke has joined CHP Lee Family Practice. He will provide primary care for adults, and he has a special interest in caring for patients who may be struggling with substance use disorders. Clarke earned his master’s...

CHP Names New Dentists in Pittsfield, North Adams

Two dentists have joined Community Health Programs dental practices in Pittsfield and North Adams. Dr. Ankineedu Babu Dasari is a dentist at CHP North Adams Family Dental, where he sees patients of all ages. A graduate of Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences in...

Donor Spotlight: Ward’s Nursery Family

There’s a special family behind Ward’s Nursery – the Ward family, of course – and they are among CHP’s treasured financial supporters in the community. Greg, Eva and Sam Ward are regulars on the CHP donor rolls because they believe in CHP’s promise of accessible...

Safe Haven: Local motel partners with CHP

Kashmira Madhuwala’s immigrant experience brought her from her home in Gujarat, India to a series of stops in Chicago and Northern Berkshire. Finally, in2012 she took a job in Great Barrington, at a motel owned by her uncle. Soon, she met and married Krunal, and they...

CHP Names Behavioral Health Director

Sherri-Lee Ryanmann has been named as Community Health Programs’ director of behavioral health. A licensed independent clinical social worker, Ms. Ryanmann earned her master’s in social work from the State University of New York/Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public...

New Funding Helps Complete Phase 1 of CHP Dental Expansion Project

With the addition of clinical space in North Adams, Community Health Programs has completed the first phase of its countywide dental expansion project, and design work is now under way for a new dental practice facility in Adams. These steps are part of CHP’s...

CHP Names New Board Members: Arlene Schiff and Katherine Westgate

The Community Health Programs board of trustees has named two new members: Arlene D. Schiff and Katherine Westgate. A resident of Lenox, Schiff is the national director of LIFE & LEGACY® a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which assists organizations in...

CHP Names New Clinicians in Pittsfield, Great Barrington

Community Health Programs has named three new clinicians to CHP practices in Pittsfield and Great Barrington.  Susan Ray-Lamond, M.D., has joined CHP Berkshire Pediatrics in Pittsfield. A longtime pediatrician in the Hampshire County area, she owned and operated her...

Dentist Joins CHP Neighborhood Dental

Community Health Programs has named Dr. Alexandre Dias to the CHP dental team. He will be based at CHP Neighborhood Dental Center in Pittsfield. Dr. Dias’ appointment reflects CHP’s plan to expand its dental health network in Berkshire County, in order to...

CHP Berkshire Pediatrics Honored by Health Quality Group

CHP Berkshire Pediatrics  in Pittsfield has been selected to receive a 2021 Massachusetts Health Quality Partner (MHQP) Experience Award. Berkshire Pediatrics received the award in the category of patient-provider communications. MHQP introduced this award program in...

Intuitive Eating: Guidance from

By Annie Schwartz, MS, RDN, LDN Typically, New Year’s resolutions revolve around a renewed resolve to embark on a new diet or exercise regimen, but as the reality of our busy lives sets in, our resolve inevitably breaks down over time, and we’re back to our old...

SAD? CHP Nutrition Tips for Seasonal Affective Disorder

By Chrissy Garner MS, CNS, LDN, CPT The “winter blues,” also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that’s related to changing seasons and longer nights. Typically, symptoms begin to worsen around the fall and peak during the winter....

CHP Launches Dental Practice Expansion

Community Health Programs is launching a $6 million, multi-year expansion of its dental care services, in order to serve more area residents who rely on MassHealth (Medicaid) coverage to pay for their oral health care. Just over 25,000 Berkshire County residents...
Open Enrollment Ends Jan. 23; CHP Available to Assist

Open Enrollment Ends Jan. 23; CHP Available to Assist

The deadline for enrollment in state-subsidized ACA health insurance plans is Jan. 23, and the Community Health Program enrollment team is available to assist customers with the enrollment process. Unlike in previous years, the Open Enrollment period will not be...

CHP Names Director of Dental Medicine

Community Health Programs has named John W. Brazill, D.M.D. as director of dental medicine. Dr. Brazill will oversee CHP’s dental practices in North Adams, Pittsfield and Great Barrington. He will also see patients at CHP North Adams Family Dental. A dentist for more...
Donor Spotlight: Foundations of Support 

Donor Spotlight: Foundations of Support 

Peter Spina of Denver and sister Michelle Schmidt of Boston. Both grew up in Lenox, and their family foundation is a generous CHP contributor.   Peter Spina and his sister Michelle Schmidt have left the Berkshires to live in Denver (Peter) and the Boston area...
Physician Joins CHP Berkshire Pediatrics

Physician Joins CHP Berkshire Pediatrics

Dr. Laura Need has joined the pediatric care team at CHP Berkshire Pediatrics in Pittsfield. A graduate of Harvard Medical School and Wellesley College, Dr. Need practiced at Yogman Pediatric Associates P.C./Mount Auburn Pediatrics in Cambridge before moving to the...
CHP Offers 11/18 Developmental Screening for Young Children

CHP Offers 11/18 Developmental Screening for Young Children

CHP Family Services invites parents with young children to participate in the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a free developmental screening tool for children up to age 6. The ASQ will be offered Nov. 18, 10:30-noon at the Stockbridge Library. To register, email...

RFP: Community Health Programs Mobile Health Unit

Purpose Community Health Programs (CHP) requests proposals from qualified contractors for the design, construction, staff training and delivery of one (1) new Mobile Health Unit (MHU). CHP intends to award a one-time contract to the Contractor whose proposal is...
Dentist Joins Great Barrington Family Dental

Dentist Joins Great Barrington Family Dental

CHP welcomes Dr. Taphaphene Young to the dental team at Great Barrington Family Dental, where she is caring for patients of all ages. Dr. Young received her doctorate of dental medicine from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, a...

In the News: Farm to ‘Able’

Farm to ‘Able’: CHP Nutrition Club provides access to local people with an eye toward pregnant, new moms and people with diabetes Berkshire Eagle, Sept. 1, 2021, by Francesca Paris Read online or below “At CHP in Great Barrington, qualifying clients...
Nutritionist Joins CHP at Lee, Great Barrington Practices

Nutritionist Joins CHP at Lee, Great Barrington Practices

Community Health Programs has named Annie Schwartz, MS, RDN, LDN, to its nutrition team. She is seeing clients at CHP Lee Family Practice and Great Barrington Health Center. She has a particular interest in working with people seeking to resolve disordered...
CEO Message: On Track at Family Services

CEO Message: On Track at Family Services

Friends, This summer, we have some important reasons to celebrate, and to thank you for your ongoing financial support for CHP. CHP is on track for in-person services for some of our most important clientele: children and families. Our Family Services facility in...
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