CHP Affliates with North County Medical Practices| 01:50PM / Friday, December 11, 2015 | |
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Community Health Programs, working to improve primary-care access in Northern Berkshire, has expanded to include and grow two medical practices in Adams and North Adams, as of Dec. 1.
The CHP expansion northward brings another 5,000 patients under the umbrella of Community Health Programs, reflecting 15 percent of the county’s population.
CHP North Adams, formerly Northern Berkshire Family Medicine, opened Dec. 1 on the third floor of the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center (formerly North Adams Regional Hospital). The practice will be anchored by Dr. Anping Han and Marguerite Vardman, nurse practitioner; CHP is also working to recruit two additional physicians for the North Adams practice. Berkshire Health Systems has recently renovated the third floor practice area (Third North) to accommodate CHP North Adams.
On Dec. 8, the former Adams Internists practice at 19 Depot St. began operating as CHP Adams Internists, with longtime internal medicine physicians Allen Joslin, Chi Cheung, Benjamin Rudin and nurse practitioners Kaitlyn Roberts and Candice Smith. A $300,000 renovation of that property has recently been completed as well, funded by Berkshire Health Systems. BHS also funded the renovation of the CHP location in North Adams.
"We are rebuilding access to care in Northern Berkshire, and we know that the patients will come," said Dr. Thomas Irwin, interim medical director of CHP. "We are looking forward to improving health care in Northern Berkshire, alongside Berkshire Health Systems."
The two practices in Northern Berkshire will gradually begin accepting new patients as new health care providers are added.
CHP has been exploring a North County expansion since 2011, but plans were interrupted by the abrupt 2014 closure of North Adams Regional Hospital by its parent organization, Northern Berkshire Health Systems. Berkshire Health Systems immediately stepped in and supported the primary care and OB/GYN practices in North Berkshire when the hospital closed, and has since purchased the former hospital property, where it has been restoring and expanding health-care services and supporting primary-care initiatives in the area.
Based in Great Barrington, and with practices and family services in South County and Pittsfield, CHP is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) providing health care, nutrition and family services to Berkshire County residents.
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