
From left, Ronica Doyen, Gema Juarez and Rebecca Malone prepared for a patient’s appointment at the North Canaan health center’s nursing station on a recent weekday afternoon.
Debra A. Aleksinas
From left, Ronica Doyen, Gema Juarez and Rebecca Malone prepared for a patient’s appointment at the North Canaan health center’s nursing station on a recent weekday afternoon.
NORTH CANAAN — Since opening last summer, the new federally qualified health center serving the Northwest Corner has treated more than 1,000 patients seeking help for medical and mental health issues.
“It’s been going great,” Joanne Borduas, CEO of Community Health & Wellness Center’s (CHWC) regional North Canaan facility, reported during a mid-December interview.
“We have seen 800 patients for medical and mental health services, and 426 kids through our school-based clinics. We are seeing what we anticipated, and probably then some.”
Strong demand prompted the hiring of several additional providers at the new health center, which is expected to be at full staffing level in early 2025 and will help broaden the facility’s capacity for scheduling.
A full-time family nurse practitioner is expected to start in mid-January, and CHWC has tapped Sarah Humphreys to take on the role of Chief Medical Officer, whose area of expertise includes infectious diseases.
Humphreys is expected to join the North Canaan health center in early March.
“We’re very excited to have her and to bring that specialty to the area. She grew up in the Salisbury area and left to practice medicine in New York, and is now coming home,” said Borduas.
The newest hires will bring staffing to 15 at the North Canaan health center, which was two decades in the making and was unveiled with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting attended by elected officials and key funders on May 10. The next day, CHWC hosted an open house to introduce the two-story, 7,300-square-foot regional center to the public. By the end of June, practitioners were seeing patients.
A ’great need’ for mental health services
It didn’t take long before the need became apparent, said the facility’s CEO.
“In the surrounding towns we have had a great lack of primary care physicians over time, which had led to individuals living with a high number of medical conditions, and there is clearly a great need for mental health services,” Borduas explained. “The acuity of illness in that area is tremendous.”
The Northwest Corner is home to an aging population, and Canaan, in particular, has a significant low-income population, said Borduas. Those factors, she noted, “contributed to what people could do for themselves.”
Responding to the need, she noted, “We did bring on an additional physician which was not part of the original plan.”
Dr. Deborah Buccino, a board-certified pediatrician, was hired to enhance addressing pediatric needs for the community at the North Canaan facility. Borduas noted that Buccino specializes in evaluating and treating children with autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and other learning and behavior concerns.
The FHC is on track with its mission to offer integrated medical and behavioral health services aimed at addressing the region’s dearth of health care providers, limited access to care and transportation challenges impacting both financially stable families and those less fortunate.
“We are not just the doctor’s office,” said Borduas. “Our mission is to be part of the community.” As a recent example, CHWC recently hosted a sold-out Christmas show at the historic Colonial Theatre.
Aided by community partners
Since its inception decades ago, the new health center has been aided by a coalition of community partners to address what Borduas describes as a “healthcare desert” in rural Northwest Connecticut.
Residents living in healthcare deserts may face inadequate access to primary, emergency, mental health, dental care and experience food insecurity.
Just recently, she said, the Northwest Corner’s largest employer, BD, awarded a $20,000 grant to the North Canaan health center.
“We are using the funds to address social determinants of health. We are going to use that grant money to purchase gift cards at Stop&Shop so we can give them to individuals experiencing food insecurity.”
Through the use of the BD grant, another local employer, Lindell Fuels, Inc., will assist CHWC with providing fuel to families who need help keeping their homes warm this winter.
“We will supplement the cost for Lindell through the use of the grant dollars,” said Borduas. “It really has been a tremendous, generous gift.”
For now, the health center’s goal is to take care of the community’s immediate needs, and in the early spring, CHWC plans to conduct an updated Community Needs Assessment.
It has become clear that there are still healthcare gaps in the rural Northwest Corner.
“We are trying to educate the community that we are not an emergency walk-in clinic and that we operate by appointment only,” said Borduas, who noted that even though people with urgent medical issues have not been turned away, that will not be possible to continue as the health center gets busier.
The closest urgent care center is in Torrington, she said, or for residents in the Sharon area, locations over the border in New York. The closest Emergency Rooms are at Sharon Hospital or Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.
“That speaks to the need that continues to exist there.”
Joanne Borduas, CEO of Community Health & Wellness Center (CHWC), has been appointed by Gov. Ned Lamont to the 38-member Health Care Cabinet (HCC) as a representative of community health centers across Connecticut.
Borduas will serve a four-year term ending in November 2028.
The HCC was created to advise the Governor and Lieutenant Governor alongside the Office of Health Reform & Innovation on health-related issues such as federal health reform implementation and development of an integrated healthcare system in Connecticut.
The nonprofit CHWC, which operates health centers in North Canaan, Winsted and Torrington, serves more than 7,000 patients and is the only Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) in the Northwest Corner providing comprehensive services.
In making the announcement on Nov. 21, Lamont credited Borduas for her extensive experience working within the healthcare community in Connecticut.
“Her appointment to this group will provide valuable insight in our efforts to strengthen and improve our state’s healthcare system. I appreciate her willingness to serve as part of this cabinet.”
Borduas said she is honored by the appointment, and intends to be the voice for patients, staff and community health centers across the state in addressing the challenges faced in the health care industry.
“I’m looking forward to tackling challenges like the rural health care crisis, pharmaceutical pricing and Medicaid reimbursements.”
The cabinet, which meets bi-monthly, convenes working groups to make recommendations regarding the development and implementation of service delivery and healthcare provider repayment reforms including multi-payer initiatives, medical homes, electronic health records, pharmaceutical pricing and evidence-based healthcare quality improvement.
Cabinet members include government officials, leaders in medical practice, insurance, labor representatives, small business leaders, mental health and addiction services and public health.
Through this group, the committee will put forth recommendations to address key healthcare challenges through legislation, funding initiatives or restructuring of current efforts according to the 2024 HCC report.
The report also details various subcommittees devoted to issues like the rural health care crisis, mental health and the affordability and accessibility of urban health care.
Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.
Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”
The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”
Partnerships with organizations like Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM), the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, and Community Access to the Arts (CATA) have helped bridge that gap. But for the Latinx community, there’s an even more targeted effort: the Spanish-language Community Advisory Network (SCAN).
“Six years ago, we started an advisory group of Spanish speakers in the community,” Bernal said. “They tell us what the community wants to see, how they’d like their culture represented. Today, SCAN has 12 members. We meet four times a year and are in constant communication. It’s because of them that we’ve hosted free Spanish-language film screenings and live performances.”
For Bernal, this work is personal. “When I first moved to the U.S. in 2003, it was because I got a Latin American scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. That first year, I went home to Uruguay for Christmas and saw Paquito D’Rivera perform at a jazz festival. I was determined to meet him, and I did. Later that year, Paquito came to Berklee and invited me on stage.”
Now, two decades and 16 Grammys later, Paquito D’Rivera is coming to the Mahaiwe on April 5, and there’s a chance history might repeat itself. “He saw a post we made about his concert and commented, ‘Ay, chica, que maravilla, are you gonna sing a song with us?’ I almost died,” Bernal laughed. “I don’t know if it will happen, but it would be a dream.”
About the possibility of a guest appearance by Bernal, D’Rivera said, “Natalia is a very dear, valuable colleague, and jazz is about improvisation, so the surprise factor is always part of the fun here.”
D’Rivera’s concert is just one example of how the Mahaiwe is making world-class performances accessible. “My whole day has been about offering ‘pay what you can’ tickets for this show,” Bernal says. “We also issued a 50% discount to our partners. We work with ESL teachers, public libraries, literacy agencies, anyone who can help us get the word out.”
That kind of grassroots effort has been transformative. “Last year, we screened ‘Florencia en el Amazonas,’ the first opera written in Spanish ever performed at the Met,” Bernal said. “I sat in the Mahaiwe in tears. As someone who loves opera, it was the first time I heard one written in my own language. It was so powerful.”
Natalia Bernal, Mahaiwe’s education and community engagement managerPhoto by Martin Cohen
For Bernal, it all comes back to representation, on stage and in the audience. “My son is eight. I bring him to everything I can. Spanish shouldn’t just be something that happens at the dinner table. It should be in the world, in all these shapes and forms.”
And that’s what SCAN is helping build: a future where Latinx voices aren’t just included, they are central. “Our SCAN advisors are volunteers, cultural ambassadors,” Bernal said. “They help us distribute surveys, talk to the audience, and strengthen the community. Nobody should feel alone. Everybody should feel like they belong here.”
Education and outreach are central to D’Rivera’s work as well. He said, “It is an important part of our mission to plant and nurture the seed of quality music in our communities.” He continued to say, “Using our visibility and influence in favor of justice is always a very effective vehicle in denouncing violations of human rights around the world.”
This shared mission of education and social justice extends beyond the Mahaiwe. “We are one of the few arts organizations in a monthly meeting with BASIC (Berkshire Alliance for Immigrant Services). We have direct ties to the Berkshire Immigrant Center, VIM, and others so that we are well-informed and ready to serve,” said Bernal.
That commitment to community, culture, and access is why Bernal’s dream panel—Women in the Music Business—would feature Paquito’s wife and longtime manager, Brenda Feliciano. “She’s a tower of power. She’s been managing his career for at least 45 years. If I could organize an event one day, she would be the cherry on the cake.”
Until then, Bernal will keep doing what she does best: making sure the Mahaiwe is a place where everyone, regardless of language, income, or background, feels at home. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find herself back on stage with Paquito D’Rivera, just like that first time, all those years ago.
For more info and tickets to Paquito D’Rivera, visit mahaiwe.org
There is magic in a home filled with the things we love, and Mary Randolph Carter, affectionately known as “Carter,” has spent a lifetime embracing that magic. Her latest book, “Live with the Things You Love … and You’ll Live Happily Ever After,” is about storytelling, joy, and honoring life’s poetry through the objects we keep.
“This is my tenth book,” Carter said. “At the root of each is my love of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and living surrounded by things that conjure up family, friends, and memories.”
The creative director at Ralph Lauren for almost four decades, Carter began writing this book during the pandemic, a time of rediscovering comfort. “I found more time to appreciate those special things that give our homes warmth and connection.” Working with Ralph Lauren, she learned that the best spaces tell a personal story. “His desk was filled with toy cars, miniature shoes, superheroes, English dandies, cowboys on horseback. The walls? A gallery of his children’s paintings, iconic photos of Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Everything told a story.”
Carter acknowledges how homes can become overwhelmed with stuff but sees a difference between clutter and collection. “To live happily, create environments that inspire and comfort rather than encumber you! Look around and ask, ‘What is truly meaningful? What makes you smile? What recalls the people and places you cherish?’” Then, she added, “weed out the rest with discipline and courage!”
Provided
Each home in Carter’s book reflects its inhabitant’s spirit. “The first time I walked into Bethann Hardison’s apartment, I knew right away how authentic it was to who she is.” Hardison’s walls are lined with artwork from friends Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Haitian paintings, testaments to a life well lived. “Though her mantra is, ‘the lighter the load, the freer the journey,’ she also admits some things ‘delight your environment’ and can’t be parted with. Amen to that!”
Having survived two childhood fires, Carter deeply understands what truly matters. “It’s not the things, but the people and memories they evoke.” She loves her collections, but they don’t possess her. “They make me happy, but they do not define me.”
She delights in how people showcase treasures. Paula Grief, for instance, lives in a ten-foot-wide house and had to part with many books. “She tucks the ones she can’t live without through the rungs of her staircase. I love that ingenuity!”
When asked about her most cherished possession, Carter tells a story of loss and serendipity. A childhood portrait of her in a blue velvet dress was lost in a fire. “Years later, the artist’s daughter found another version. Now, it hangs in our apartment, surrounded by flea market art and one of my favorite saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
Adding to the cozy feeling of this book, Carter’s son, Carter Berg, took the photographs, and her sister, Cary, contributed the illustrations. “Cary once stayed in our apartment and painted a dozen objects from our cluttered kitchen. I hung them immediately. When I started this book, I knew she had to capture my favorite objects.”
Four of the featured homes are local to the Northwest Corner, including Carter’s in Millerton, Joan Osofsky’s in Lakeville, Robin Bell’s in Salisbury, and Paula Grief’s in Hudson. They all gathered at the White Hart/Oblong Speaker Series on March 27.
After perusing the richly colored pages of this book, you may feel tempted to shop. “You don’t need money to create a meaningful home,” Carter insisted. “Some of my favorite paintings cost no more than $10 or $25. Value is personal. It’s not about provenance but the story an object tells you or the one you make up.”
Carter’s advice? “Fall in love with the wackiest thing. Surround yourself with what matters, and you’ll live happily ever after.”
On Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m., The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and Jacob’s Pillow, the dance festival in Becket, Massachusetts, are presenting a special benefit screening of the cinematic masterpiece, “The Red Shoes,” followed by a discussion and Q&A. Featuring guest speakers Norton Owen, director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, and dance historian Lynn Garafola, the event is a fundraiser for The Triplex.
“We’re pitching in, as it were, because we like to help our neighbors,” said Norton. “They (The Triplex) approached us with the idea, wanting some input if they were going to do a dance film. I thought of Lynn as the perfect person also to include in this because of her knowledge of The Ballets Russes and the book that she wrote about Diaghilev. There is so much in this film, even though it’s fictional, that derives from the Ballets Russes.” Garafola, the leading expert on the Ballets Russes under Serge Diaghilev, 1909–1929, the most influential company in twentieth-century theatrical dance, said, “We see glimpses of that Russian émigré tradition, performances we don’t see much of today. The film captures the artifice of ballet, from the behind-the-scenes world of dressers and conductors to the sheer passion of the audience.”
Hailed as one of the greatest films about ballet, “The Red Shoes,” 1948, is a dazzling fusion of dance and cinema, featuring a mesmerizing 17-minute ballet sequence performed by Scottish ballet dancer and actress, Moira Shearer. Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film’s breathtaking use of Technicolor and evocative storytelling continues to captivate audiences, including legendary filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and Steven Spielberg all of whom have cited the film as an influence on their work.
Garafola recalled seeing the film as a young dancer. “I remember being more taken with the plot then, but seeing it again recently, it was the color, the fantasy, and the glamour that struck me. Given how gray England was after the war, the film’s vibrant costumes and settings create an almost dreamlike escape.”
Owen echoed Garafola’s sentiment. “It’s magical. Color was their thing, and this latest restoration makes it even more breathtaking.”
The film underwent an extensive digital restoration at the UCLA Film and Television archive between 2006 and 2008 and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. This is the version of the film which will be screened at the Triplex.
Owen said, “I love the depiction of young ballet audiences racing to their seats. That kind of enthusiasm is contagious. It’s what draws young dancers in.” Both Owen and Garafola epressed hope that young dancers will attend the event, sharing in the film’s enduring inspiration.
Owen and Garafola’s Q&A is sure to be lively and educational as they delve into the film’s legacy in both dance and cinema. “It’s not just a film for dance lovers. It’s a filmmaker’s film, too,” Owen added.
Join The Triplex and Jacob’s Pillow for this rare opportunity to experience “The Red Shoes” on the big screen, a film that continues to enchant, inspire, and ignite artistic passion.
Tickets are available for $75 at www.thetriplex.org.