Current News

Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified contractors for research and writing services related to grant management. The areas of opportunities that the grant services will identify include health information exchange, clinical data warehousing and analytics, and health information technology. Proposals may be submitted for either one or both services, as the decision for each will be made independently.

“VITL is a growing and independent nonprofit that operates Vermont’s health information exchange, and assists health care providers with adoption and use of health information technology,” stated VITL President and CEO John K. Evans. “In order to fund continual development of this technology, we are seeking grants from private organizations, research institutes, and state and federal sources.”

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org The Vermont Veterans’ Home remains underutilized and overstaffed, lawmakers learned last Wednesday. The facility is licensed for 171 patients, staffed to handle 150, but averages only 125 to 135 patients, state officials told the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee. The Civil War-era estate in Bennington has served Vermont veterans for 130 years, and it was originally funded through a $10,000 state appropriation. The Vermont Veterans’ Home was financially self-sufficient until a few years ago when the state filled a gap in the facility’s operational funds. The state gave the home $2 million in support from the General Fund in each of the last fiscal years, according to Veterans’ Home administrator Melissa Jackson.

Governor Peter Shumlin announced today in Berlin that he will appoint Sue Minter to lead the Vermont Agency of Transportation effective January 1, 2015. Minter, who currently serves as Deputy Secretary, will take over from Secretary Brian Searles who has been planning to retire and will do so at the end of the year. Chris Cole, currently Director of Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development at VTrans, will replace Minter as Deputy Secretary.

The Vermont Cheese Council (VCC), an organization dedicated to the production and advancement of Vermont Cheese, announced that Vermont took home 17 medals from the 26^th annual World Cheese Awards, which were held in London, England, November 14-16. The standout among the impressive list of Vermont awards was Cellars at Jasper Hill’s trophy for the World’s Best Unpasteurized Cheese for its Bayley Hazen Blue. The World Cheese Awards is the leading and most diverse cheese competition in the world. At this year’s event, more than 250 cheese experts from 26 nations travelled to London to evaluate more than 2,600 cheeses from 33 countries. Judges ranked cheeses into Gold, Silver, Bronze and “no award.” From those medaled cheeses, an intimate group of 62 were chosen for Super Gold Awards and then judged again to carve the final list to 16 cheeses.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said today that it would be “insane” to construct the Keystone XL pipeline to ship the dirtiest oil on the planet from Canada’s tar sands region to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. “The scientific community is telling us that we have a narrow window of opportunity to address the crisis of climate change and to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” Sanders said in prepared remarks. “This legislation would move us in exactly the wrong direction toward not only more dependence on fossil fuels but on some of the dirtiest fossil fuel imaginable. That is insane.”

The Middlebury Board of Trustees today named Laurie L Patton, dean of Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Robert F Durden Professor of Religion, as Middlebury’s next president. Patton will take office on July 1, 2015, succeeding Ronald D Liebowitz, who has served as president since July 2004. Patton, a distinguished religion scholar and translator of classic Indian Sanskrit texts, joined Duke in her current position in 2011. Patton will be Middlebury's first woman president.

In fiscal year 2014 Vermont companies earned 519 government contracts worth $103 million dollars — close to a 300 increase over FY12 and a 25 increase from FY13. This was thanks to the outstanding quality of Vermont products and services and the hard work of the Vermont Technical Procurement Center (PTAC) in matching Vermont businesses with government needs. The PTAC program, housed in the Department of Economic Development, has been helping business with the often-complicated contracting process since 1992.

“I have been with this program since 1994 and we work with a wide range of companies that make everything from handmade flutes to clothing to spare parts for military aircraft and ships,” said Vermont PTAC Director Robin Miller.

Senate floor statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) in opposition to S2280, the bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, Tuesday, November 18, 2014: "Later today, the Senate will vote on whether to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. I strongly oppose the fast-tracking of this process. This pipeline poses considerable safety and environmental risks here in the United States, and it threatens the natural landscapes that are in the heartland of America.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org The open enrollment period for people to purchase health insurance from the Vermont Health Connect exchange started quietly over the weekend. Clear sunny weather and the start of rifle deer-hunting season were probably on the minds of many when the Web portal launched at 5 am Saturday, but by late morning, the site had seen some traffic and was operating without issues, according to officials. The exchange processed 32 new coverage applications by 11:30 am, officials reported. By the close of business Monday, that number climbed to 306.

“We have not had any problems reported today,” said Lawrence Miller, chief of Health Care Reform, on Sunday.

The application questions and user interface, which tripped up thousands of applicants last year, are much improved, according to state officials, and should create fewer problems going forward.

Nobody likes to go to the emergency room or to need a hospital stay. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s Transitional Care Program and a $400,000 Vermont Health Care Innovation Project grant awarded to SVMC at the end of last month mean that more local patients will be able to improve management of chronic diseases and avoid hospitalization. The program calls upon the skills and experience of advanced practice nurses, who follow high-risk patients from primary care through their medical transitions.

“It’s really confusing for many patients to navigate their own way through the different care settings,” said Billie Lynn Allard, RN, administrative director of Outpatient Services and Education. “A Transitional Care Nurse improves patients’ and care providers’ access to the information they need.”

In a feat that has not been replicated by any other hospital in Vermont, Gifford Medical Center in Randolph announced that it has achieved its state approved operating margin for the 15^th straight year, by managing its expenses and the budget process. In a “reality TV” video announcement sent to staff on Monday, November 3, President Joseph Woodin and CFO Jeff Hebert announced what auditors have confirmed - Gifford closed the books with a 3.2 percent margin for the 2014 fiscal year.

“This is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff,” said Woodin. “Without their diligent focus, always trying to manage quality and costs, we would not be able to have accomplished this.”

by Laura Krantz vtdigger.org A Rutland man who was quarantined for the past three weeks since he returned from West Africa was released Monday, the state health department said. Peter Italia, 61, was transported Monday to an undisclosed location, he said via a private Facebook message. Italia said will not live in Rutland because of the negative publicity he has received there. People at his new home asked him not to allow reporters to visit and Italia offered no further information. Tracy Dolan, the acting health commissioner, said Monday that Italia is free to go and is not required to return for monitoring. She said his new living arrangements are temporary but she could not provide specifics.