The Berkshire Health Systems Career Pathways Program is a groundbreaking initiative focusing on a variety of career training and development programs addressing healthcare workforce shortages in the Berkshires. This features a new Respiratory Therapy component offering career opportunities for people in the community, including many first generation immigrants seeking to improve their livelihoods and give back to the community. BHS partners with Berkshire Community College on the Respiratory Therapy program
Launched in 2022 with an initial $7 million investment, the BHS Career Pathways Programs have expanded to include a two-year course of training with full-time pay and benefits in the field of respiratory therapy (RT). Once a relatively unrecognized specialty in the healthcare field, the RT profession came into prominence and great demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of patients suddenly needed the airway rescue and breathing treatments RTs are uniquely trained to administer.
"Until COVID, no one really knew RTs existed," said Joanna Schwartz, the manager of respiratory therapy at Berkshire Medical Center who oversees the training program. "The pandemic hit and we made our mark, because we are the ones who manage the ventilators and make sure we're oxygenating properly."
The current staff of 24 RTs at BHS are assigned to departments throughout the BHS network, including Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington and the North Adams Regional Hospital. They work on all patient floors, emergency departments, Family Birthplace, intensive care, the sleep disorder clinic, pulmonary function testing labs and other sections of those facilities.
RTs treat multiple breathing-related conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, asbestosis and other forms of pulmonary fibrosis. Long COVID, a chronic version of the pandemic condition, and the emerging effects of vaping on those who use those smoking devices are among the newer conditions RTs are treating.
The employment need for respiratory therapists nationally is projected to grow 13 percent by 2033 - about 8,200 openings each year - much faster than the average for all occupations. Yet, not enough people are choosing the profession to meet patient demand.
The RT training program at BHS is a proactive move to build interest in the occupation locally, and indeed, seven students newly enrolled in the program this year will graduate in 2026 and continue to work at BHS for at least another three years after they finish. A new class of RT students will begin the same year those students graduate.
For all pathways programs, BHS covers the full cost of education and pays them full-time plus benefits for working 8 to 16 hours a week at BMC. Depending on their field, students attend classes two to three days a week at Berkshire Community College or McCann Technical School in North Adams.
"It's a truly innovative program," said Elizabeth Kirby, director of medical education at BHS. "You can't recruit staff if there's no one trained to do the job. So, what do you do? You go out there and find the people in the community and train your own workforce."
"The program has helped to diversify our workforce," said Courtney Warren, manager of talent development at BHS. "We've seen a lot of first-generation immigrants and others come into the program who are helping to build new relationships in our community. When you're a patient going into the hospital, it helps to see people who look like you, sound like you, and understand you better."
The pathways programs have graduated more than 150 students who have stayed on as full-time employees, including 24 Registered Nurses, 22 Licensed Practical Nurses and 104 Certified Medical Assistants. Dozens more are enrolled in those and other fields, including the RTs and surgical and radiologic technologists.