Health care workers in Hampshire County are under strain. Across Massachusetts, nursing vacancy rates approach 17% and turnover in many health care settings is nearly 29%. Seventy-eight percent of nurses report that care quality has declined in the past two years due to understaffing and unsupportive conditions.
In the Berkshires, these challenges are compounded by geographic isolation and sparse populations. Large swaths of our region function as health care deserts — areas where basic services, specialty care, or behavioral health supports are difficult to access without long travel.
When a clinician in a remote area is overwhelmed or burned out, there’s no backup nearby. The emotional burden exacerbates already limited capacity.
That’s why GPS’s MASStrong program matters. Through funding from the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Trust Fund, GPS Group Peer Support offers free, evidence-based, trauma-informed peer support groups and facilitator training to individuals and health care teams statewide, including those in Hampshire’s most isolated settings. They are led by people who understand the pressures of health care work because they experience them every day.
By adopting MASStrong, Hampshire hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies can help staff reconnect with purpose, reduce burnout, and build resilience. In a region where health systems operate on thin margins and workforce scarcity is a constant challenge, investing in the well-being of caregivers is essential. I encourage local health organizations to explore how MASStrong can strengthen your teams. Visit www.grouppeersupport.org or contact info@grouppeersupport.org to learn more.
Liz Friedman, CEO & co-founder, GPS Group Peer Support
Northampton