Briefcase Departments

Briefcase

North Adams Regional Hospital Closes
NORTH ADAMS — The board of trustees of Northern Berkshire Healthcare (NBH) approved a resolution late last month to close North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH), the Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice of Northern Berkshire, and three medical practices owned by NBH. The decision was made in response to NBH’s worsening financial status. The organizations closed on March 28, but a court order kept the hospital Emergency Department open for the time being. “In the six years that I have been on the board, we have investigated every possible avenue and exhausted all options as we searched for a way to continue operating the hospital and its affiliates,” said Julia Bolton, board chair. “Board members, management, physicians, and employees have worked together with dedication and commitment to prevent this outcome. But now, given our finances and the daunting challenges that small rural community hospitals are facing in this healthcare environment, we can no longer continue.” More than 500 affected employees received layoff notices and assistance in filing for unemployment benefits. Northern Berkshire Healthcare Physicians Group includes Northern Berkshire Family Medicine, Northern Berkshire Ob/Gyn, and Northern Berkshire General Surgery, all in North Adams. “The implications of this decision are far-reaching, but our primary concern is for our patients,” said Timothy Jones, president and CEO of NBH. “We are working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition to other care providers including other hospitals in the region.” Patients of Northern Berkshire Family Medicine and the VNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire are being transitioned to other practices and agencies. “North Adams Regional Hospital opened 129 years ago in 1885, and as an institution we have served the people of this area with dedication and pride,” Jones said. “Many of those who work here have served our patients for decades, and today’s news is a shock. We wish it could be different.” Meanwhile, lawyers working for the state are seeking to keep emergency services operating for at least 90 days during any ownership transition or closure. Lawmakers are also discussing the possibility of merging NBS with a larger, more stable partner, most likely Berkshire Health Systems in Pittsfield.

Springfield Armor to Bolt for Michigan
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Armor, the NBA Developmental League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have signed a deal with the Detroit Pistons to become that team’s minor-league affiliate and moves to Grand Rapids for the 2014-15 season. Owner Michael Savit’s decision to sell, first reported by Michigan-based mlive.com, came as a surprise to Springfield officials. The team has played at the MassMutual Center for the past five years. The new Grand Rapids franchise has an undisclosed multi-year affiliation agreement with the Pistons in place, and the sale has met league approval, according to mlive.com. It will play home games at The DeltaPlex Arena in Walker, a Grand Rapids suburb. The franchise will be locally owned, and the Pistons will establish a single-franchise affiliation with it. Currently, 14 of the 17 D-League teams have single-franchise affiliations with NBA parents. Detroit currently is one of six NBA teams sharing the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Mad Ants. D-League teams follow one of two ownership models — exclusive ownership by the parent NBA club, or a hybrid affiliation in which local ownership controls day-to-day and business operations while the parent club controls basketball operations. The Grand Rapids franchise will follow the hybrid model, whereby the Pistons will pay players’ and coaches’ salaries and run basketball operations, but local owners operate autonomously in other business areas, including marketing and merchandising.

UMass Football to Leave Mid-American Conference
AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts has announced that it will end its football affiliation with the Mid-American Conference (MAC) following the 2015 season. Athletic Director John McCutcheon said the decision was made after the MAC President’s Council elected to exercise a contract clause that offered UMass a choice of becoming a full member for all sports in the MAC or opting to remain a football-only member for just two more years. The university has been conducting a study of its current and potential conference alignments with the assistance of Carr Sports Consulting. “While the report is not complete,” McCutcheon said, “we believe full membership for all sports in the MAC is not a good fit for us. Because most of the MAC schools are in the Midwest, the additional travel would strain our athletic budget and pose considerable time-management challenges for our student athletes. We are confident that, within the next two years, we will find a more suitable conference for our FBS football program.” Currently, UMass Amherst has 21 varsity athletic teams (10 for men, 11 for women). Football plays in the MAC, and the other 20 teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Hockey East (men’s ice hockey), and the Colonial Athletic Assoc. (men’s lacrosse). UMass began playing as a football-only member of the MAC in 2012. McCutcheon added that “we remain committed to FBS football. Many institutions have successfully navigated this challenging period of conference realignment, and we will do the same.” Football coach Mark Whipple expressed confidence in the future of the university’s football program. “I was aware of this possibility when I accepted the position of head coach, and I believe this move is in the university’s best interest,” he said. “My focus is on building a program that we all can be proud of and that provides a great experience for our student athletes.” Whipple, the coach with the most wins in UMass football history, returned to the helm of the program this year. The Minutemen’s 2014 home schedule includes three games at refurbished McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst and three games at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

Leadership Pioneer Valley Seeks Applications for Fall
SPRINGFIELD — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LVP) is now accepting applications for its 2015 class, which begins in late September. LVP is a regional leadership-development program for 40 existing and emerging leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. It helps businesses retain employees; enhances leadership skills, including collaboration, team building, confidence, and cultural competency; builds wider and more diverse networks; and increases community and regional understanding. The 10-month program immerses participants in an inspiring and results-driven curriculum that teaches hands-on leadership skills while examining critical issues that impact the region. LVP combines seminars and experiential learning at different locations throughout the Valley to foster the skills, collaboration, networks, and commitment needed to build the next generation of area leaders. The competitive application process prioritizes diversity by employment sector, geography, race, gender, and sexual orientation. “I have had the opportunity to work with some of the Baystate graduates of LPV,” said Steven Bradley, vice president of Government and Community Relations and Public Affairs at Baystate Health. “They are taking their learning seriously and upped their leadership within their departments and in the organization as a whole. It was a great experience for them and Baystate.” To find information about tuition, upcoming open houses, the 2014-15 program schedule, and how to apply, visit www.leadershippv.org. The application deadline is July 1.

Ted Hebert to Sue Big E Over Casino Fallout
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield resident Ted Hebert, owner of Teddy Bear Pools, who was opposed to the Hard Rock Casino proposed for the Big E fairgrounds and defeated in September by West Springfield voters, recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and Teddy Bear Pools against the Eastern States Exposition, claiming his West Springfield casino opposition has led to Big E management to exclude Teddy Bear Pools from the 2014 Fair after 28 consecutive years as an exhibitor. “We filed suit today [March 31] in Hampden County Superior Court seeking injunctive relief that would allow Teddy Bear Pools, an exhibitor at the Eastern States Exposition for the past 28 years, to have a continued presence,” said Hebert’s attorney, Paul Rothschild of the Springfield law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. “Prior to the referendum and after Ted Hebert expressed his personal opposition to a proposed West Springfield casino, documents we are prepared to submit in a hearing before the court will show that Big E management suggested Hebert ‘be a team player’ and withdraw his opposition to the casino. Since the referendum this past September, Ted Hebert has repeatedly reached out to fair management and members of the exposition’s board of trustees to maintain the long-standing relationship between Teddy Bear Pools and the Big E, and to continue a presence on the fairgrounds for this year’s fair. Hebert learned his company would not be welcomed at the 2014 Big E, and Teddy Bear Pools was omitted from the standard exposition communication about leasing space for the fall fair.” Big E President Gene Cassidy told the Republican that he was not aware of the lawsuit until he was asked about it by the newspaper. Rothschild said he planned to seeking a hearing in Superior Court based on the Massachusetts Civil Rights Statute, claiming that Hebert’s civil rights were interfered with by “threats, intimidation, or coercion” and exclusion from the upcoming Big E by fair management. The lawsuit will seek reinstatement as an exhibitor and an award of damages.

Business Confidence Up Slightly in March
BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index, continuing to hold close to a neutral 50 on its 100-point scale, rose slightly to 51.1 in March. “Business confidence in Massachusetts has been in neutral range for a year, dipping below neutral when there was a threat of federal default and when the  government shut down in October, but otherwise with not much upside,” said Raymond Torto, global chairman of research at CBRE and chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors. Torto pointed to several factors that are holding the confidence index down. “One is a generally negative view of national conditions, attributable in part to deadlocked politics. The confidence numbers are persistently low in relation to the actual performance of the economy. Another, as we noted last month, is particularly weak confidence among small employers, who face severe competitive pressures and feel the weight of regulatory burdens. Finally, hiring trends are built into our index, and among employers participating in our survey, the ability to contribute to job creation has been less hearty than might be expected during a recovery period.” AIM’s Business Confidence Index has been issued monthly since July 1991 under the oversight of the Board of Economic Advisors. Presented on a scale on which 50 is neutral, its historical high was 68.5, attained in 1997 and 1998; its all-time low was 33.3 in February 2009.