The Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington is ready to serve more patients after the closing of a nearby Massachusetts hospital, officials at the Vermont hospital said. The financially troubled North Adams Regional Hospital closed last week and now the Bennington hospital, about 18 miles from North Adams, is the closest hospital for many people in northwestern Massachusetts. Bennington hospital medical director Dr. Trey Dobson says the hospital is preparing to expand service immediately in its emergency department. Dobson said his hospital can treat more emergency room patients, but expanding primary care services will be more difficult.
