Current News

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations Much like the weather, April in the legislature often brings its share of chaos and frenzy as we head into the home stretch. While it’s usually exciting, the unpredictability of the legislature hits a bit differently this year. Under COVID, every time our hospitals get their feet under them, another operational challenge presented itself—procuring PPE, creating negative pressure spaces, suspending services, testing and screening, resuming services, and administering community vaccinations. As the prevalence of variants rise, we continue to see outbreaks that fill ICUs and other hospital beds. Hospital budgets statewide have only a $3 million operating margin on a $2 billion dollar system.

Vermont Business Magazine The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports presents the Vermont Business Wellness Leader award annually to a Vermont business leader who goes beyond his/her occupational duties to foster wellbeing in the community. This person leads by example with motivational role modeling and generous service to the community. This person exhibits strong leadership in sustaining a culture of wellbeing. This person’s zeal for worksite wellness raises the bar for other employers.

by Jeff Tieman, VAHHS President and CEO In month 14 of COVID-19, almost 400,000 doses of life-saving vaccine have been administered in Vermont. Nearly 30 percent of Vermonters have completed vaccination. Some counties are at or near 50 percent in overall progress. It is worth pausing on these statistics. Flash back to one year ago this week: Growing case counts and hospitalizations, health care providers scrambling for PPE, staff levels depleted as schools shuttered, surge capacity sites activated, incident command in full effect across government and public health.

Vermont Business Magazine Applications are now being accepted for the 16h Annual Eileen Austin Neal Nursing Scholarship of $1,000. This scholarship is open to any student who has been accepted into a nursing program of study. Applicants will be judged on interest in and commitment to the field of nursing. Determination will be based on merit and need. Eileen Austin Neal was a registered nurse at Springfield Hospital for 64 years, retiring in 2005.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 14,000 Vermonters age 30 and older made appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine through the state registration system Monday, the first day that age group became eligible. The VDH is also reporting another 91 cases of COVID-19 or 476 since last Friday (with two more deaths for a statewide total of 231).

Vermont Business Magazine In 2019, the Vermont General Assembly passed Act 21, which, among other actions to protect Vermonters from the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), directed the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to complete a comprehensive analysis to assess the feasibility of regulating PFAS as a class in public water systems. Regulating PFAS as a class would help protect Vermonters and provide greater regulatory certainty for municipalities and businesses. Following a multi-Agency review, DEC has concluded it is not feasible to regulate PFAS as a class at this time.

Vermont Business Magazine Hundreds of Vermont families have received a surprise gift of warmth thanks to the Split the Ticket Fund, a Vermont 501c3 non-profit organization. This innovative program matches cash donations with donations of heating oil, kerosene and propane from Vermont’s fuel providers. The delivery ticket is split with the fuel company. Every $1 donated buys $2 worth of heating fuel.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger, the Burlington Electric Department, and other city team and community leaders today jointly announced that Burlington is off to a great start toward meeting its ambitious Net Zero Energy city by 2030 goal and that continuing to stay on track will require strong action during the rest of 2021 and beyond. The update to the 2019 Net Zero Energy Roadmap, the first since the 2018 baseline numbers were presented by Synapse Energy Economics and Resource Systems Group, concludes that the city is on the right path to reach its 2030 goal with reduced fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in both 2019 and 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced Vermont State Police Trooper Robert Zink, 39, of Arlington, Vermont, was arraigned in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Bennington on one count of Simple Assault. Trooper Zink is accused of striking an individual during an arrest that occurred on February 23, 2021 while the individual was in handcuffs on the ground.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation has granted $10,000 through the VT COVID-19 Response Fund to Voices Against Violence, a program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). This program addresses domestic and sexual violence and stalking through direct service, education, and systems change. This includes Laurie’s House, a shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children, transitional living apartments, hotline and chat line, supervised visitation, advocacy, and education programs for the general public on domestic and sexual violence.

The VT COVID-19 Response Fund is designed to support nonprofits that are particularly equipped to address basic needs and community impacts of the pandemic in Vermont, for which Voices is a great match. The Fund is supported by VCF’s own grant making resources as well as by generous contributions from funders.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that it has concluded its review of the non-fatal officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on December 6, 2020, in West Haven, Vermont. The Attorney General’s Office is declining to prosecute Vermont State Police Trooper Craig Roland for charges related to the discharge of his firearm at Reginald Book, 70, of West Haven, Vermont, based on the facts and circumstances and consistent with Vermont law. In reaching this decision, the Attorney General’s Office reviewed all materials provided by the Vermont State Police, Major Crimes Unit, who conducted the investigation.

by Maura Collins As a white kid from suburbia growing up in the ‘80s, I thought everyone was in the middle. I assumed, probably rightfully, that my neighborhood, my church, my classmates, and my extended family all fell in the same middle place as my own family. As a child I knew I couldn’t get everything I wanted, but I didn’t worry that there wouldn’t be enough.