BMC Medical Staff Leadership
Robert Wespiser, MD, Chief of Staff, Berkshire Medical Center 
A respected internal medicine provider with over two decades of service in the Berkshires, Robert Wespiser, MD, serves as the Chief of Staff at Berkshire Medical Center. Dr. Wespiser is board-certified in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Wespiser has practiced at Suburban Internal Medicine since 1986 and is a physician advisor to the case management department at Berkshire Medical Center. He is the founding medical director of the School Health Clinic in the Lee Public Schools, where he has provided direction for six providers and two nurses in the delivery of free medical care and health education at two campuses since 1992.
Dr. Wespiser previously served as Medical Director of Health Services for the former Berkshire Physicians and Surgeons from 1998 to 2001. He was the associate medical director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in Boston from 1995 to 1998, and Health New England from 2001 to 2004. Dr. Wespiser has chaired the Lee Board of Health since 1992, is medical advisor to the Lee Youth Association and is a school physician in the Lee public schools.
Dr. Wespiser is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he also received his Medical Degree. Dr. Wespiser has an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also served his residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In 2004, Dr. Wespiser was the first recipient of Berkshire Medical Center's Most Patient-Centered Physician Award.
BMC Department Chairs
Anesthesiology - Mark Vanden Bosch, MD
Dr. Mark Vanden Bosch has served as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Medical Director of the Operating Rooms at Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital since 2005. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency in Anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined Berkshire Health Systems in 2004 after serving as Director of Anesthesia for a number of hospitals and practices in Pennsylvania. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Emergency Medicine - Ronald Hayden, MD
Ronald Hayden, MD, has been the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at BMC since October of 2000 and is a native of the town of Adams. He came to Berkshire Medical Center from Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, where he was co-director of the Department of Emergency Medicine.
Board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Dr. Hayden received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati - College of Medicine, completed his residency training at the University of Illinois-affiliated hospitals in Chicago, and was a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
In 2007, he was named the Most Patient-Centered Physician at Berkshire Medical Center.
Maternal/Child Health - Herbert Kantor, MD
Dr. Herbert Kantor has served as Chair of the Department of Maternal and Child Health since 2001 and was Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1992 to 2001. He received his Medical Degree from Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University and completed his residency at Stamford Hospital. Dr. Kantor is an assistant professor in the Department of OB/GYN at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is certified in advanced operative hysteroscopy and advanced operative laparoscopy by the Accreditation Council for Gynecologic Endoscopy.
Medicine - A. Gray Ellrodt, MD
Dr. Gray Ellrodt is Chief of Medicine and Director of the Internal Medicine training program at Berkshire Medical Center, a major teaching affiliate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is a cardiologist and practicing hospitalist and intensivist, with a long-standing interest in applied health services research (the science of translating evidence from the literature into day-to-day practice).
Born in Bronxville, NY, Dr. Ellrodt attended Princeton University and graduated AOA from New York Medical College. He did his clinical training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he served as medical resident and Chief Medical Resident, while also doing his critical care fellowship and later as a clinical fellow in cardiology. Dr. Ellrodt is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Critical Care Medicine.
In 1980, he became the director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Cedars and the Special Care Step-down unit. From 1986-1996, he was the Director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Internal Medicine Training Program and Vice-chairman of Medicine for Clinical Affairs. He has won several teaching awards from UCLA, including the Golden Apple Award in 1985 for outstanding clinical teacher.
From 1990-1991 he was a Pew Fellow in Healthcare Policy at RAND. Following his Pew Fellowship, Dr. Ellrodt returned to Cedars. In addition to his departmental administrative activities, he co-chaired the Department of Medicine's clinical resource management efforts. In 1993, he was promoted to Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine.
In 1996, Dr. Ellrodt became a senior clinical consultant with CSC Healthcare and was elected partner in 1997. In 1998, he became a consultant at Zynx Health, a subsidiary of Cedars-Sinai Health System, and continued to work closely with CSC Healthcare. His consulting engagements focused on the development of comprehensive evidence-based programs to improve clinical and economic outcomes within integrated delivery networks. During this time he continued to practice at Cedars as an intensivist and hospitalist. In November 1999, Dr. Ellrodt became Chairman of Medicine at Berkshire Medical Center and Director of the Internal Medicine training program.
He has authored over 60 articles, 40 of which focus on clinical effectiveness, outcomes management, clinical guidelines, evidence-based medicine and disease management. He frequently presents at national and international meetings.
Pathology - Rebecca Johnson, MD
Rebecca Johnson, MD, is the Medical Director of the Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital Laboratories. In addition to her hospital appointments, Dr. Johnson holds the position of Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is also the pathology residency program director and medical director of the School of Medical Technology at BMC.
Dr. Johnson was nationally recognized by the College of American Pathologists with the 2003 William L. Kuehn, PhD, Outstanding Communicator Award. The award is presented to a member of the College who has made outstanding communications contributions, strengthening the image of pathology and educating the public about vital wellness issues. Dr. Johnson was honored for her exceptional effort and allegiance to clarifying and enhancing the image of pathologists.
Dr. Johnson, a fellow of the College of American Pathologists, holds positions with several professional societies. She is a trustee of the American Board of Pathology and the current chair of its Neuropathology Exam Committee. Dr. Johnson served as president of the Berkshire District Medical Society and is currently a member of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Pathology. She is also a charter member of the Society of Hematopathology.
Dr. Johnson has worked on a number of public service projects, including video news releases and documentaries designed to inform the public about pathologist's role in important health issues. A member of the College since 1983, Dr. Johnson received the Lansky Award from the CAP in 1993, and was a President's Honor recipient 1997. She is also an inspector for the Laboratory Accreditation Program.
Dr. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and completed her doctoral degree at Southern Illinois University. She served residencies at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. Dr. Johnson completed fellowships at Hartford Hospital and the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. She is certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic and clinical pathology, with special qualifications in hematopathogy and immunopathology.
Psychiatry - Alex Sabo, MD
Dr. Alex Sabo is the Chairman of the Berkshire Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. In Berkshire County from 1994 to the present, he has played a leadership role in the integration of mental health and substance abuse services and the outreach of those services to primary care medicine. In addition to being Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Sabo is the Director of Psychiatry for the Joint Venture of BMC and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of the Berkshires, whose combined acute units and outpatient clinics served approximately 9,500 residents of the county last year.
He takes an active role in consumer, medical student, residency and medical staff education, delivering many lectures on topics ranging from suicide risk assessment to identifying core processes in health and illness. He has lectured regularly for the Berkshire Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and in 2000 was awarded the "NAMI BC Citizen of the Year Award".
Dr. Sabo completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard College and taught middle school English and ancient history and coached football, basketball and baseball teams for three years before starting his medical studies at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He served his psychiatric residency at the Cambridge Hospital and a Fellowship at the Austen Riggs Center.
Dr. Sabo is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His book with Leston Havens, "The Real World Guide to Psychotherapy Practice," was published by Harvard University Press in November, 2000. He is nationally recognized, having received the American Psychiatric Association's 12th annual Nancy C.A. Roeske, MD, Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education.
Radiology - Curtis Brasseur, DO
Dr. Curtis Brasseur is Chairman of the Radiology Department and specializes in interventional radiology.
Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology with an advanced certificate in angiography and interventional radiology, Dr. Brasseur practiced in Michigan with Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Malkani, and before that at Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan and Harper Hospital in Southfield, Michigan.
Dr. Brasseur completed a fellowship in interventional radiology at Wayne State University/Harper Hospital and did his residency and internship training at Michigan State University/Genesys Regional Medical Center. After graduating from Central Michigan University, he received his Doctor of Osteopathy from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Maryland.
Surgery - Timothy Counihan, MD
Dr. Timothy Counihan, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and the Surgical Residency program came to BMC in late 2006, having previously served as the Chief of Surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester. A specialist in general surgery and colon and rectal surgery, Dr. Counihan is board certified in both general and colon and rectal surgery.
He completed his general surgery training at the University of Massachusetts and was fellowship trained in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Minnesota. In addition to his leadership role at St. Vincent's, he had served as Program Director for the general surgical residency program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He has been in practice for over nine years and has attained the rank of Associate Professor of Surgery at University of Massachusetts Medical School. His clinical interests include colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, minimally invasive colorectal surgery and anorectal disease.
Dr. Counihan has served for seventeen years in the United States Army Reserve, most recently as a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the 912th Forward Surgical Team. A decorated veteran, he has received numerous decorations and service medals, including the Bronze Star and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. As a surgical educator, he has also been honored and is recipient of the Outstanding Medical Educator Award for 1995 and 1996, Resident Teacher of the Year for 1996, the George R. Dunlop, MD Award for Excellence in Surgery and the Brian C. Bednarz, MD Award, all from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He has published over twenty peer review publications and book chapters.
