A $1 million reconstruction of CHP Lee Family Practice has cleared the way for the gradual addition of primary care patients in the coming years.
The renovation added new exam and consult rooms and improved workflow, allowing CHP staff to see more patients. Over time, the practice anticipates bringing another 1,500 patients into the fold.
“Finding a primary care provider in the Berkshires can be a challenge, as I’ve learned myself from recently relocating to the area,” said CHP CEO Bethany Kieley. “But primary care is the doorway to better health, and CHP is a great place to step inside. And we’re not done with improving access to care. Next year, we will open two new dental practices in Adams and in Great Barrington.
“Now, when people call looking for a new primary care home, we can say ‘yes,’ and we can provide new-patient appointments in a reasonable time frame,” said Miriam Gluck, senior practice manager at Lee Family Practice. “Our longtime patients are also pleased with our more welcoming setting, and for our staff, working conditions are much improved and more collaborative.”
The practice will add new patients gradually, in keeping with staffing levels, over the next 24 months.
State Sen. Paul Mark said: “There is a significant shortage of health care professionals, especially primary care physicians, in Berkshire County and throughout western Massachusetts. I congratulate CHP on its expansion with a community-centered practice that will utilize grant funding effectively and open the doors to better healthcare outcomes for so many local residents.”
(Left) Drs. Melanie Levitan and Michael Kaplan hold a photo of the original Lee Family Practice groundbreaking in 2004.
(Right) Past CHP Board Member, Catherine Miller, and CHP CEO, Bethany Kieley
CHP Lee Family Practice accounts for more than 5,000 of the 30,000+ patients served by CHP at practices in Great Barrington, Lee, Pittsfield, and North Adams and its Mobile Health practices.
During construction, the practice remained most open for business. However, during the temporary closure, staff and patients were dispersed to other CHP practice locations in the county. Lee staff and even some patients pitched in with some work, such as painting and decorating.
The original Lee Family Practice, which was co-owned by physicians Michael Kaplan and Melanie Levitan, merged with CHP in 2012. Primarily due to space constraints, patient numbers remained steady for many years until the current expansion.
Levitan, who with Kaplan is still with the practice, said, “We welcome all patients to CHP Lee Family Practice, and now we look forward to providing more care for more people.”
The Lee project was funded by a $1M grant from the Health Services Resource Administration.
