PRESS RELEASE—ViM Berkshires Opens Second Location in Pittsfield
ViM’s free, comprehensive health care centers close the gap for patients throughout Berkshire County who are ineligible for health insurance, increasing access for central and North County residents.
Pittsfield, Mass — This week, ViM Berkshires treated its first patients at a newly-renovated second location, 199 South Street in Pittsfield. The Care Center will continue operating during a soft-opening phase until a grand opening on May 2, 2024.
Since leasing the space in October 2023, ViM completed extensive renovations, including a re-envisioning of the interior, a new HVAC system, accessibility updates, new exam rooms, and space for its essential team of Community Health Workers.
“This will impact the lives of so many people in our community,” says reception manager Mauricio Romero. “I can’t wait to start building a community here in Pittsfield with patients, businesses, and organizational partners, just like we have in Great Barrington.
ViM’s Pittsfield Care Center and its Great Barrington Care Center will operate in close coordination, with patients scheduled at the appropriate location depending on appointment availability, patient location, and needed services. Clinical Care Coordinator Christina deRis, FNP will manage care in Great Barrington, while Clinical Care Coordinator Jannell Hostetler, FNP, will manage care in Pittsfield.
Clinical services provided at the new location will include primary care, behavioral health and therapy, women’s health, optometry, chronic disease management, physical therapy, integrated pain management, nutrition counseling, and prescription management, as well as individualized health care plans.
In addition, because 80% of a person’s health is determined by social, economic, and other factors they experience every day, ViM will continue providing wraparound patient services with every visit to ensure patients have access to safe housing, employment, food security, childcare, and transportation.
“Creating relationships and seeking to understand the unique circumstances of each individual allows for the provider to meet patients where they are and to treat the whole person, rather than a disease,” says Pittsfield Clinical Care Coordinator Jannell Hostetler. “There is a huge demand for ViM’s services, and having an office in Pittsfield will ensure we have the appointments available to treat anyone who needs it.”
Those who are eligible for ViM’s services must be ineligible for health insurance in Massachusetts, age 18 and older, and income-qualified (below 300% of the federal poverty level).
Opportunities for volunteer positions are also now open at ViM’s Pittsfield Care Center. “We are so thrilled to start working with new volunteers,” says Ilana Steinhauer, Executive Director of ViM. “The sign-up list is full of patients who have been seeing us for two or more years, and their children. It’s beautiful to witness and a testament to the kind of community we can create when we ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to build a healthy life.”
About ViM
ViM Berkshires is a nonprofit committed to creating a society where everyone has an equal opportunity for a healthy life. We provide free, comprehensive, high-quality health care, free of judgment, for patients in the region who are income-qualified and ineligible for health insurance. With more than 170 clinical and nonclinical volunteers, ViM provides primary care, dentistry, women’s health, optometry, behavioral therapy, and more, all under one roof. ViM also collaborates with community partners such as schools, local government, and housing agencies to address non-medical factors that contribute to good health, including food security, safe housing, employment, and childcare.
By removing barriers to access and equity, ViM is creating a more integrated medical and social services ecosystem that keeps patients healthier and communities safer and more responsive. For more information, visit vimberkshires.org.