Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Medical Society Education & Research Foundation (VMSERF) has announced the 2023 cohort of the Physician Executive Leadership Institute (PELI) Foundational Course, which commences remotely this January. The VMSERF leadership course is offered in partnership with the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Lumunos Clinician Well-Being Services with funding from the Physicians Foundation. Perhaps more than ever before, physicians are being asked to step up and skillfully lead rapid change to ensure the best outcomes for Vermont patients.

Vermont Business Magazine Those heading out on the road for the holidays will receive the gift they’ve been waiting for all year: lower gas prices. Holiday prices this year will be $1.83 per gallon lower than they were just six months ago, according to GasBuddy. The national average price of gas is forecast to be $2.98 on Christmas Day, likely to drop below the critical $3 per gallon mark on or before Christmas Eve for the first time in nearly 600 days. In Vermont, today's average price is $3.42 per gallon, down 8 cents from last week, down 49 cents from last month, but still 6 cents higher than a year ago. However, the lowest price in Vermont is $2.99/g in West Dover. The highest price is $3.89 in Killington.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont announced today that they will forego a contract with OneCare Vermont (OCV) for the 2023 plan year. Despite having collaborated with OCV every year since its inception, Blue Cross is unable to reach an agreement this year due to the lack of tangible quality outcomes, inability to bend the cost curve, and the new data approach that introduces concerns about security and privacy. For nearly a decade the local non-profit health plan has led in the development of the commercial health insurance component of the Vermont All Payer Model (APM). As the first APM model is revised, improvements must be incorporated to better serve a diverse commercial population. Meanwhile, Governor Scott said he believed an agreement could still be negotiated.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that last Thursday, Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, California, and Berk Eratay, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy and the January 6, 2018 kidnapping and death of Gregory Davis, a resident of Danville, Vermont. The wire fraud charge was added to existing murder for hire conspiracy charges against Gumrukcu and Eratay and Jerry Banks, 35, of Fort Garland, Colorado, and kidnapping charges against Banks. The defendants’ arraignment on the second superseding indictment is scheduled for December 29, 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The omnibus includes $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion – a 22 percent increase – for VA medical care, and $858 billion in defense funding. To combat the pain of inflation felt by American families across the country, the bill makes significant investments in our communities, funds critical programs supporting America’s middle-class families, cares for our veterans, and invests in our national security. The bill includes $44.9 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies and $40.6 billion to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes, flooding, wildfire, natural disasters and other matters.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., President Pro Tem of the Senate, and chair of the Appropriations Committee) will deliver his farewell address on the Senate Floor TODAY (Tuesday, December 20) at about 11:15 am LIVE on C-SPAN 2.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is joining with Vermont’s Congressional Delegation to call on the FCC to push back its deadline for challenges to its map and release the $100 million state minimum immediately.

by Jill Olson, VNAs of Vermont The holiday season provides us with an important opportunity to reflect, and to give gratitude for the home health and hospice workers who allow us to be with our loved ones in their homes during this special time. Home health and hospice workers around Vermont care for our family members, friends, and neighbors at a time when their need for comfort is at its greatest.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center is partnering with the Center for Health and Learning to provide Vermont businesses and community members with up-to-date information on suicide prevention. Year after year, Vermont has more suicides than the national average. In response, Howard Center continues to work to reach underserved populations, expand prevention programming and enhance intervention efforts. Howard Center is also expanding the availability of tools and best practices employed in the response after a suicide death or other tragedy to support healing and recovery.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) leaders and staff gathered last month to honor employees for their service to the organization’s mission. One award every year is presented for each of the organization’s five core values: quality, empathy, safety, teamwork, and stewardship. The employees who received the awards are noted standard bearers and role models within the organization.

Vermont Business Magazine Age Well has announced that it has been included in the Network Development Track of the Community Care Hub National Learning Community (NLC) in partnership with Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Age Well is one of 58 organizations selected for participation in the Community Care Hub National Learning Community (NLC). The organizations, representing 32 states, will engage in one of two learning tracks to bring together organizations serving as Community Care Hubs that are either in development or interested in expansion.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine What's it like to make history? “A moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life was waking up the morning after the election, on very little sleep, and hearing my wife say, 'Good morning, Congresswoman,'” our new Democratic Congresswoman-elect, Rebecca A. “Becca” Balint, 54, told me after the election. The enormity of what she's accomplished is still sinking in.