Baystate Mary Lane Hospital Honored

WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, a 31-bed community hospital in Ware, and a member of Baystate Health, was named as a 2008 PRC Five-Star Hospital in a number of clinical areas for scoring in the top 10% nationally. BMLH is one of only 27 hospitals in the nation to receive four five-star awards. Professional Research Consultants Inc. (PRC) is a health care marketing research company headquartered in Omaha, Neb. PRC is the organization that Baystate Mary Lane Hospital uses to gauge patient-satisfaction levels. PRC’s Five-Star Excellence Award is a designation given annually to health care facilities that score in the top 10% of PRC’s national hospital perception database for the prior year. It is based on the percentage of patients who rate the hospital’s service in a particular area as “Excellent.” The Five Star Awards received by BMLH were:

• Five Star Excellence Award Med/Surg — for scoring in the top 10% nationally for ‘excellent’ responses for inpatient medical/surgical overall quality of care;
• Five Star Excellence Award Ob/Gyn — for scoring in the top 10% nationally for ‘excellent’ responses for inpatient ob/gyn services overall quality of care;
• Five Star Excellence Award BMLH — for scoring in the top 10% nationally for ‘excellent’ responses for outpatient surgery services overall quality of care; and
• Five Star Excellence Award BMLH — for scoring in the top 10% nationally for ‘excellent’ responses for inpatient services overall quality of care.

Whalley Wins $18 Million State Contract

SOUTHWICK— Whalley Computer Associates (WCA), one of the leading independent computer hardware and software resellers and system integrators in Massachusetts, was recently selected by the state to supply products under the ITC36 state contract. The state anticipates that $18 million of technology peripherals will be conducted through this contract. One of only two vendors selected, the contract allows WCA to provide IT supply and accessory products such as hard drives, memory, system boards, and more that will support the statewide contract for IT computer hardware and services for state organizations.

ESB Supports Food Bank, Recycles for a Cause

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank recently contributed $5,000 to the Food Bank of Western Mass. The gift is part of ESB’s continuing $25,000 commitment to help the Food Bank feed people in need. “With the rising costs of food, we’re aware that more people are relying on the food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, elder programs, and child care centers that the Food Bank supplies,” said William Hogan, president and CEO of ESB. “We are gratified that our pledge can help the food bank reduce hunger here in Western Mass.” In other news, the ESB systems department donated several hundred dollars from its recent employee computer-recycling day to the Easthampton Council on Aging Enrichment Center for its technology needs. Bank employees donated a small fee to bring in their old computers, monitors, and printers to the bank for recycling.

Spalding Introduces Rookie Gear

SPRINGFIELD — Spalding is introducing Spalding Rookie Gear, a sporting-goods line of youth-sized basketballs, footballs, and soccer balls that weigh 25% less than standard youth products. Specifically engineered for the more than 40 million children ages 8 and under, Spalding Rookie Gear’s authentic, innovative product line is designed so kids can shoot, rebound, kick, and throw more easily and successfully, and with better form. “We want kids to enjoy, embrace, and achieve early success in sports,” said Bob Llewellyn, director of Consumer Marketing for Spalding. “Spalding Rookie Gear is all about keeping young athletes in the game because playing with a lighter ball builds confidence, enables sound fundamental skills, and keeps a child active. The end result is making sports more fun to play.” According to Llewellyn, youth products are traditionally made smaller in size but not appropriately weighted, which can lead to improper form, lack of success, and eventual frustration, which ultimately takes the fun out of play.

Berkshire Bank Featured in American Banker Article

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank has been featured in the July 8 issue of American Banker, the financial-services newspaper focused exclusively on the banking and financial-services industry since 1835. The article discusses the bank’s 2007 introduction of its brand identity as “America’s Most Exciting Bank.”

The article reports on the bank’s success in winning over and engaging new customers and energizing its staff. Sean A. Gray, senior vice president of Retail Banking, stated that the theme of excitement “allows us an emotional connection to our customers.” He added, “I really do believe we have the ability to be exciting because of the autonomy we have in the workplace.” Michael P. Daly, president and CEO, added, “we always believed that if employees feel good about what they’re doing, it will be contagious.” The article reports on the bank’s strong deposit growth and higher earnings in the first quarter of 2008. It also reports on the bank’s largest market share in its traditional Berkshire County market, and on its expansion into contiguous markets in Springfield, Albany, N.Y., and Southern Vermont. It also noted the importance of safety and solidity in bank marketing.

Baystate Medical Center Is Again Named One of America’s Top Hospitals

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Medical Center garnered national recognition as one of the country’s best hospitals for the second year in a row, as the annual hospital rankings compiled by U.S. News and World Report placed Baystate in the top 173 of more than 5,400 medical centers nationwide. Baystate’s medical and surgical endocrinology programs led the hospital to the distinction, placing alongside some of the top endocrinology programs in the U.S. “This honor serves as a tribute to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of the doctors, nurses, and staff in our endocrinology and bariatric surgery departments — as well as our pathology and clinical laboratory colleagues — and to those who laid the foundation for this success in years past,” said Dr. J. Enrique Silva, chief of the Baystate Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. “It’s very gratifying to receive this national recognition, especially in a specialty as important as endocrinology to the community we serve. In addition, it’s an added stimulus to continue our mission, to reach out to the community for preventive interventions, and to continue to develop groundbreaking research in this field of medicine.” Dr. Loring S. Flint, senior vice president, Medical Affairs, Baystate Health, said the rankings demonstrate Baystate is a clinically excellent hospital. “We’re proud to be part of such a select group of care providers,” he said. “It means even more that our programs in endocrinology and obesity surgery are being particularly honored, since their work is so integral to our mission of improving the health of the people in our communities.” The U.S. News & World Report rankings, which honor Baystate for the second consecutive year, weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In 12 specialties, including endocrinology, hospitals have to pass through several gates to be ranked and considered a ‘best’ hospital. Baystate Medical Center is the only medical center in Western Mass. to be recognized by U.S. News this year.

GCC Receives ‘Promise of Nursing’ Grant

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College announced that it has received $25,000 from the Foundation of National Student Nurses Association’s ‘Promise of Nursing’ program. The funds will be used to develop and implement a recruitment effort directed at licensed practical nurses who are eligible to enroll directly into the second-year nursing program and graduate with their associate’s degree in Nursing (ADN) at the end of that year. “The LPN-to-RN bridge is the shortest route to becoming a registered nurse and, with enhanced advising and counseling support during the program, the most efficient and successful route to full employment in the nursing profession,” said Terri Mariani, GCC’s Nursing program director. GCC will collaborate with area long-term-care facilities, including Amherst Extended Care in Amherst; Buckley Nursing Home and Charlene Manor in Greenfield; Farren Care Center in Turners Falls; Heritage Hall Extended Care Facility in Agawam; Linda Manor, Northampton Nursing Home, and the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Northampton; and SunBridge Care & Rehabilitation in Hadley, to identify LPNs in their employment and assist with the transition to nursing school. GCC will use a two-pronged approach to recruit and support the targeted LPNs: first, develop and disseminate a variety of recruitment materials, such as brochures, flyers, mailers, and recruitment fair props, for the GCC ADN program that will market the program and make the case for moving from LPN to RN credentials. Secondly, GCC will extend the enhanced first-year student-retention activities, such as counseling and tutoring support, to the newly recruited second-year students. The LPNs may have completed their schooling many years in the past and may require additional support for math and science coursework, or their level of comfort with being back in school may be low — or both circumstances may be true, requiring the full range of academic and counseling support services. All GCC nursing faculty and staff will work to identify and assist each entrant to the second-year program with both their transition to college and their ongoing scholastic work.