Donald C. McGraw Foundation Makes $1M Leadership Gift to Fairview Hospital

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L-R: Fairview Chief of Staff and Medical Director Alec Belman, MD; Fairview Medical Director, Emergency Medicine Joshua Pacheco, MD; Fairview Chief Operating Officer Anthony Scibelli; Elizabeth, (Buzz) McGraw; Robert L.W. (Robin) McGraw; BHS President & CEO Darlene Rodowicz; BHS Development Committee Chair Kate McCormick; Fairview Chief of Surgery Mark Taylor II, MD (Provided Photo)
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — On Monday, Nov. 3, Elizabeth "Buzz" and Robert L. W. McGraw "Robin" presented Fairview Hospital with a $1 million leadership donation from The Donald C. McGraw Foundation, Inc. in support of a campus revitalization plan that includes construction of a new 44,000 square-foot outpatient building adjacent to the current hospital.
 
This gift continues the decades-long partnership with The Donald C. McGraw Foundation in support of Fairview Hospital.
 
"Berkshire Health Systems and Fairview Hospital are deeply grateful to Robin and Buzz and The Donald C. McGraw Foundation for their extraordinary leadership gift to support this vital capital investment towards our beloved critical access hospital," said Darlene Rodowicz, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) President & CEO.
 
According to a press release, Philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations is essential to realizing the Fairview campus revitalization plan. As a major donor to Fairview Hospital for over 20 years and a member of the BHS Development Committee, McGraw is playing a pivotal role in leading the fundraising effort for this project.
 
"Robin's leadership as both a donor and volunteer illustrate the power of community members having a voice and a stake in shaping the future of their community hospital," said Tony Scibelli, BHS vice president and chief operating officer of Fairview Hospital. "I am honored to work alongside Robin on this transformative project and to celebrate The Donald C. McGraw Foundation's enduring commitment to ensuring exceptional healthcare closer to home."
 
A federally designated Critical Access Hospital, Fairview Hospital serves the Southern Berkshire region, and modernizing the campus has been a long-term priority. Earlier this year, the BHS Board of Trustees approved plans for the outpatient building designed with flexible clinical spaces that reflect today's standards of care and anticipate the needs of future patients.
 
The new facility will include expanded surgical and imaging suites, a state-of-the-art MRI, and a larger, modern emergency department. The building is slated for completion by the end of 2028. Once open, the hospital's existing medical/surgical inpatient unit will be renovated into private, updated patient rooms. These enhancements will expand capacity for advanced treatment and technology, ensuring that Fairview Hospital continues to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community it serves.

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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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