WILLIAMSTOWN — Northern Berkshire County is getting its own urgent care facility.

Berkshire Health Urgent Care North, officially opening on Tuesday, will be located in the Williamstown Medical facility at 197 Adams Road. The facility, owned and operated by Berkshire Health Systems, will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to noon, according to Director of Media Relations Michael Leary.

The urgent care is the hospital system's third in the county. An urgent care in Lenox opened earlier this year and a Pittsfield location opened in 2015.

“We are thrilled to officially open Berkshire Health Urgent Care North to patients seeking care for minor illnesses and injuries, complementing the services provided at our highly successful Pittsfield and Lenox locations,” said Darlene Rodowicz, BHS President and CEO.

Rodowicz added that opening the urgent care center is a "demonstration of BHS’s commitment to providing accessible care and services for patients across North County and Southern Vermont, keeping care close to home.”

This will be the first urgent care facility in Northern Berkshire County.

North Adams Regional Hospital, which was revived by Berkshire Health Systems in 2024, has an emergency department. However, some residents needing treatment are unsure if they should go to an urgent care center or the hospital's emergency department. Insurance costs and co-pays at urgent cares are generally lower than at emergency departments.

Leary said he did not know the total financial investment Berkshire Health Systems put into the new facility, but because it's an existing hospital medical building with exam rooms, he expected it would be less than the full build-outs in Lenox and Pittsfield.

In 2017, Berkshire Health Systems shuttered a walk-in care clinic in the same building, citing low patient volume about a year after opening. Leary said this time around is different in that the facility will be more accessible and offer more services.

"I think there is a need in Northern Berkshire for urgent care services," he said. "The walk-in clinic we ran previously was under different circumstances and a different model of care. This urgent care model will be the same model we provide at Pittsfield and Lenox, so it's a much broader range of care and the hours of operation are more expanded to go into the evening."

The center will treat minor injuries and illnesses, test for common illnesses, administer vaccinations and offer X-rays. Leary didn't have estimates for how many people would visit daily, but he said the facilities in Lenox and Pittsfield see about 60 patients per day.

On site, patients are treated by an advanced practice professional, like a nurse practitioner or physicians assistant, a radiologic technologist and they will have access to a physician to answer any questions, Leary said.

“We have outstanding staff across BHS Urgent Care, local providers, which the community has trusted for over 10 years,” said Robert Shearer, RN, Administrative Director of Urgent Care. “That community commitment will expand to serve those living in and visiting the North Berkshire area.”

Leary said the urgent care is part of the same "care coordination" as the rest of Berkshire Health Systems, making treatment streamlined for patients.

"If they need referral for additional services, those are easily facilitated through urgent care," he said.

An open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 14 for the public to tour the facility and meet the staff.

"We welcome everyone to come and visit," Leary said.