Month: January 2015

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra announced that Executive Director Audrey Szychulski will resign her post with the orchestra to accept the position of director of development with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.

Her departure will be effective March 3, 2015. The SSO will immediately initiate a search process for both a new executive director and a development director — two roles that Szychulski performed during the last year.

Members of the orchestra’s leadership responded to the news with gratitude for Szychulski’s accomplishments and with well wishes for her in her future role. “Audrey bought a great deal of energy and creativity to her work here in Springfield,” said SSO President John Chandler. “She was especially successful in strengthening our sponsor relationships and improving the business planning of the orchestra. We are fortunate to be able to navigate this transition with a strong staff, a deeply committed board, and a vibrant base of fans, sponsors, and contributors.”

Chandler further noted Szychulski’s efforts to build the profile of the Springfield Symphony during her time as executive director. “With Audrey’s help, we’ve built an excellent foundation for further outreach in the community. We are certainly grateful for the fact that the symphony is well-positioned to continue to expand our audience base — in no small part due to the quality and professionalism of both our musicians and Maestro Kevin Rhodes.”

According to Chandler, the orchestra will continue to operate under an interim director as the board of trustees begins a nationwide search for the two vacant positions.

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration announced the final design of a $30 million residential solar loan program to complement the nation-leading solar market in Massachusetts.

The Mass Solar Loan program, designed to make it easier for homeowners to finance solar-electric projects on their homes, will work with banks and credit unions to expand borrowing options through lower-interest-rate loans, while encouraging loans for homeowners with lower incomes or lower credit scores.

“Solar installations provide important economic and environmental benefits to Massachusetts,” said state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Bartlett. “The Mass Solar Loan program will provide opportunities for homeowners to control and reduce their energy costs and for local banks and credit unions to offer a new business product.”

The program, which has been in development since early 2014, follows a Department of Energy Resources (DOER) study that demonstrates lifetime net benefits to homeowners 10 times greater for direct solar ownership relative to third-party ownership. Beginning in early 2015, local lenders will be able to sign up to participate in the program, which is scheduled to begin providing loans in the spring of 2015.

“Massachusetts has seen incredible growth in the solar market, with installations in 350 of the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns,” said DOER Commissioner Meg Lusardi. “The Mass Solar Loan program will ensure that this growth continues at the local level, increasing opportunities for homeowners to take their energy future into their own hands.”

SPRINGFIELD — Rocky’s Ace Hardware, a family-owned business with neighborhood based stores in five states, announced plans to open a new store in the Greater Boston area.

A long-term lease on the 10,000-square-foot retail space was entered into contract in late December. The new store will be located along side the Teak Imports Furniture shop at 208 South Main St. near the center of Middleton. Conversion of the existing store into a new, state-of-the-art Rocky’s Ace Hardware is to begin immediately, and the new store is expected to open in early spring.

Rocky’s President and CEO Rocco Falcone II noted that “the new store will serve the project and everyday needs of homeowners and businesses alike in the Greater Middleton community. Soon a whole new audience of customers will acquaint themselves with our legendary customer service and enjoy the Rocky’s shopping experience we proudly offer.”

WORCESTER — William Crawford IV, CEO of United Financial Bancorp Inc. and United Bank of Glastonbury, Conn., announced that three bankers from Santander, N.A. have joined United’s Commercial Banking team in Worcester, leveraging its strong commercial presence to expand the bank’s market share in that area.

Coming from Santander to United are Tom McGregor, senior vice president and regional commercial banking executive; Mark McGwin III, senior vice president and commercial banking officer; and Todd Mandella, senior vice president and commercial banking officer. All three started at United Bank on Jan. 5.

“Whenever you build a team like the one we have in Worcester, you can’t help but to be very optimistic of what we will accomplish with their decades of commercial-banking expertise in this important market for us,” Crawford said. “This is a cohesive team of commercial bankers who share the same priorities we are known for at United: attracting new clients and taking care of existing ones we already have strong business relationships with, while positioning United as the bank of choice in the Greater Worcester market. They will make Worcester a commercial growth market for us.”

CHICOPEE — The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will present its first CEO luncheon of 2015 on Feb. 11, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Collegian Court Restaurant, 16 Park St., Chicopee.

The speaker will be Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. Barajas-Román has been a leader in progressive movements, including advocating at the national level for the health and rights of immigrant women and their families. Most recently, she was a manager at the Pew Charitable Trusts, where she directed a portfolio of partners that campaigned for state and federal policy change to improve government performance on issues that impact children’s health.

Barajas-Román brings a background in impactful philanthropy, data-driven strategy design, fund-raising through philanthropic partnerships, creating coalitions, and mobilizing partners. Previously, she served as the director of Policy at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and directed the organization’s Washington, D.C. office.

Barajas-Román was frequently invited to be a voice in national-policy discussions at the White House and on Capitol Hill. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and received her master’s degree in international policy from Harvard University.

To register for the luncheon, visit ‘Upcoming Events’ on the chamber’s website, www.chicopeechamber.org. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $30 for non-members.

WARE — Even though millions of people have diabetes, many people feel very much alone when they receive their diagnosis.

“Joining a diabetes support group can also help you gain a new outlook,” said Kelly Slattery, registered dietitian and nutrition educator at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital. “Attending a support group and talking to other people with diabetes can offer fresh perspectives on something that may be troubling you, like meal planning, medications, or starting insulin.”

The Diabetes Support Group at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital meets on the first Thursday of each month from 5 to 6 p.m. in the hospital’s Main Conference Room, located on the second floor. However, due to the New Year’s holiday, this month’s meeting will be held this Thursday, Jan. 8.

“During our January meeting, we will discuss carbohydrate counting and menu planning,” Slattery said. Carb counting is a meal-planning technique that helps manage blood-glucose levels,” she added. “Finding the right amount of carbohydrates depends on many things, including how active you are and what, if any, medicines you take. Some people are active and can eat more carbohydrates. Others have to watch the amount of carbohydrates they eat more carefully.”

Foods that contain carbs include grains like rice, oatmeal, and barley; grain-based foods like bread, cereal, pasta, and crackers; starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas, and corn; fruit and juice; milk and yogurt; dried beans like pinto beans and soy products like veggie burgers; and sweets and snack foods like sodas, juice drinks, cake, cookies, candy, and chips. “Finding your carbohydrate balance is important so you can feel your best, do the things you enjoy, and lower your risk of diabetes complications,” Slattery said.

Diabetes Support Group meetings are open to community members who have diabetes, their families, and anyone who is interested in learning more about diabetes. Registration is not required. For more information, call Michelle Holmgren, Public Affairs specialist, at (413) 967-2296.

HOLYOKE — For the first time, the Leapfrog Group has named Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) to its annual list of Top Hospitals. An elite distinction awarded to hospitals nationwide for demonstrating excellence in hospital safety and quality through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Leapfrog Top Hospital award is given to fewer than 7% of all eligible hospitals.

“Earning the Leapfrog Top Hospital award tells us that we are succeeding in our mission to set a new standard in patient care,” said Spiros Hatiras, HMC President and CEO. “We believe that being a premier medical institution requires a commitment to safety and quality, as well as a fundamental respect for the patient. At Holyoke Medical Center, we treat patients with authentic compassion and empathy, as we would our own families.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, noted that the Top Hospital award “is widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions any hospital can achieve in the United States. It recognizes institutions for their excellence in quality of care and patient safety, as well as their commitment to transparency. By achieving Top Hospital status, Holyoke Medical Center has proven it’s a premier institution and deserves to be recognized for its dedication to the families and patients in Western Massachusetts.”

Holyoke Medical Center was one of 94 Top Hospitals recognized nationally, including academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, and community hospitals, and children’s hospitals in rural, suburban, and urban settings. The selection is based on the results of the Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use, and management structures established to prevent errors. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including rates for high-risk procedures and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors.

To see the full list of institutions honored as a 2014 Top Hospital, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.

NORTHAMPTON — Avital Levy Carlis has joined Cooley Dickinson Hospital as administrative director of the Massachusetts General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and service-line development.

Carlis earned a master’s in public health, with a concentration in health policy and management, from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds bachelor’s degrees in both biology and international history from the University of Rochester. Most recently, she served as director of Finance for the Mass General Cancer Center and was the administrative director for the division of Hematology and Oncology at Mass General.

Cooley Dickinson and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center have collaborated in providing cancer care since 2009. In 2015, the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital will open.

According to CDH administrators, cancer is complex, and it takes a coordinated relationship between community hospitals and academic medical centers to create a new cancer-care paradigm where the right approach to care and treatment is delivered to the right patient at the right time and in the right place. That philosophy will be reflected in the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Through this collaboration, Western Mass. residents will experience a combination of the Mass General Cancer Center and Cooley Dickinson ways of working: a blend of powerful, sub-specialized care — focused around the needs of people living with cancer and their families — and a neighbor’s understanding of the community’s needs.

WARE, PALMER — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital and Baystate Wing Hospital were named among the nation’s top performers on key quality measures for 2013 by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America. The Joint Commission honors hospitals that consistently demonstrate excellent performance on evidence-based processes of healthcare.

Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing were recognized for excellence in measures shown to improve care for pneumonia and surgical care, and are two of only 1,224 hospitals in the U.S. and 25 in Massachusetts to achieve the distinction of a 2013 Top Performer.

“This honor recognizes our efforts to address patient safety and quality healthcare by improving upon our evidence-based care processes in the Eastern Region,” said Dr. Charles Cavagnaro III, president of Baystate Health Eastern Region. “We are so proud to be named a Top Performer. Every one of our talented and dedicated team members delivering patient-centered care every day contributed to this achievement.”

Cavaganaro said data-driven monitoring of the quality of care provided is an essential step in hospitals’ efforts to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care for their condition. “Our aim is to provide exceptional-quality care as well as exceptional coordination and efficiency. That’s value in healthcare, and it’s something we’re striving for throughout Baystate Health.”

Baystate Health’s Eastern Region comprises Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, Baystate Wing Hospital, and the employed medical practices and medical centers in the region. The two hospitals provide inpatient medical, surgical, gynecological, and behavioral health services; emergency services; and a range of primary-care and other outpatient services for about 80,000 people in the region.

NORTH BROOKFIELD — For the second year running, North Brookfield Savings Bank is resolving to support all of its communities. In 2015, this includes support of the new NBSB communities of Ware, East Brookfield, and Three Rivers, as well as North Brookfield, West Brookfield, Belchertown, and Palmer.

The “Our Communities are Where It’s At” fund-raiser, taking place during the months of January and February, has a goal of raising $2,000 for the North Brookfield chapter of Hearts for Heat, which helps residents pay for heating fuel, and $500 for each of the senior centers in East Brookfield, West Brookfield, Ware, Belchertown, and Palmer.

The bank is kicking off the fund-raiser with a $250 pledge to each senior center and has pledged a matching donation of up to $1,500 to Hearts for Heat. NBSB hopes to raise the additional funds via donations from employees, community members, and customers. Suggested donations of $1 may be made at any NBSB branch in exchange for a special ‘community emblem,’ which will be hung in the branch where the donation was made and display the contributor’s name. Donations may also be made using collection jars at each location.

The bank has already provided an additional incentive for employees to contribute during three casual Fridays. Many NBSB employees made a $5 donation to their branch’s organization in order to dress down on the last Friday of December, and they will also have the chance to make two additional $5 donations in exchange for dressing down on the last Friday of both January and February.

“The support we received for last year’s community fund-raiser was truly inspiring,” said NBSB President and CEO Donna Boulanger. “We are looking forward to engaging with the community once again in order to support Hearts for Heat and our senior centers. These organizations do incredible work on behalf of our friends and neighbors.”