Current News

by Cheryl Casey and Lucia McCallum As the country prepares to elect its 47th president, the biggest choice on the Election Day ballot happens to be depicted along a quiet street in Duxbury. Next-door neighbors on both sides of the presidential race decided to put some time and creativity into supporting their candidates this campaign season. The result is juxtaposed displays that boldly present the choice at hand by neighbors who have remained friendly despite their competing views. It began with a single Trump 2024 sign at Tonya and Brian Boudreau’s house. Next door while mowing the lawn in September, Sara Whitehair contemplated campaign lawn signs and whether she wanted to display one ahead of the election, too. Given her home’s spot in her neighborhood, the Whitehairs’ yard is in a good location for signs and her family has placed various signs near the road over the years. In the past, though, Whitehair said they have struggled with signs going missing. 

Vermont Business Magazine Norfolk & Dedham (N&D) and Union Mutual announced today that they have received approval from the Massachusetts and Vermont Departments of Insurance to affiliate the Companies, which are each rated A (Excellent) with a Stable outlook by AM Best. Existing leadership at the respective companies will remain in place with Joel Murray remaining in the position of President & CEO of The Norfolk & Dedham Group companies and Lisa Keysar, as President & CEO of Union Mutual. Murray will also serve as Board Chair of the newly created Group. The companies stated that they will engage in a collaborative process to assess opportunities for integration and profitable growth. Although it will take time to fully realize all the advantages of the affiliation, immediate benefits will occur through the Group’s increased scale and geographic diversification. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending October 26, 2024, the Vermont Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations fell again, while the number of fatalities also decreased. Vermont cases are now under 100 and lower than they were a year ago. Hospitalizations also saw a drop in admissions. Hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases decreased to just over 5 cases statewide for the week. The VDH reported 2 COVID-related fatalities, even as COVID deaths are higher this fall than last so far. The number of COVID cases fell last week to 98. Cases had been falling in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May. 

by Bill Schubart Vermont’s most intractable financial challenges are healthcare, education, and housing. Costs for all three have skyrocketed in the last two decades. According to an analysis by Rees Partners, LLC, based on National Academy for State Health Policy data, Vermont could save as much as $350M annually by simply managing operating budgets to established Medicare reimbursements, as some 70% of comparable academic medical centers do, and doing so profitably or on a break-even basis. This simply means controlling non-clinical management and administrative expenses in a way that enables the hospital to break even annually on the amount Medicare reimburses for the procedures they perform. On the education front, a school construction task force was created in 2023, mandated by Act 72, to envision a new, more-affordable network of Vermont schools, one that would look at alternatives to spending the projected $300M annually over the next 20 years on deferred maintenance and updating outdated school facilities.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network (UVMHN) and Vermont State University (VTSU) partnered last year to breathe new life into the state’s only Respiratory Therapy (RT) program—a program that continues to thrive and has once again added new students this year. Respiratory therapy is a key function of the medical field. RTs do everything from treating patients with asthma to providing life-saving procedures to patients suffering from acute respiratory distress due to injuries or illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or COVID. Yet, there are not enough RTs in Vermont to care for all who need them and, until last year, not enough programs to train them. The VTSU/UVMHN partnership provides students with free tuition and has a 100 percent job placement rate since 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University, respected for over two centuries of practical education that seamlessly merges outdoor activities with educational pursuits, just concluded the annual three-day Legacy March. The practice of experiential education was championed by Captain Alden Partridge, Norwich University’s founder. Undertaking a hike through quaint localities and historic covered bridges is not merely the recreation of an institutionally significant moment or an educational exploration of nature, but also serves as a fundraiser for The Veterans’ Place – a Northfield-based transition home and support center for homeless veterans. Following the devastating fire of 1866 at the Norwich, VT, campus, Captain Partridge led the cadets on a march as the institution relocated to its present location in Northfield, VT. As a tribute to this significant event in school history, an annual march is conducted, memorializing the pivotal post-fire movement. During the march, cadets partook in enriching lessons concerning local and regional history, public policy, significant historical sites, and the resting place of Alden Partridge. 

Vermont Business Magazine For Woody Kissel of Champlain, N.Y, last year’s National Lung Cancer Screening Day couldn’t have been more significant. The screening, held November 11, 2023, at University of Vermont Health Network — Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s (CVPH) Valcour Imaging, led to further testing and a diagnosis of stage three lung cancer. After receiving chemotherapy at the University of Vermont Cancer Center, his scans this summer all came up negative. “I’m 99% certain that screening saved my life,” says Mr. Kissel. Nov. 9 Is National Lung Cancer Screening Day.

Vermont Business Magazine For the ninth consecutive year,  Champlain College and its Esports Program teamed up to support the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, with a 48-hour marathon Extra Life event, which raised over $3,700. Starting Friday, November 1st, and running nonstop for two days, the on-campus gaming event will bring together players and the community to raise funds for critical life-saving treatments, innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, and child life services. Throughout the event, there were casual, competitive, and open-play gaming events for all to enjoy. They also had raffles and prizes for attendees and donors.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekend, beginning the evening of Friday, November 8 until the evening of Sunday, November 10, CHC will be updating our Electronic Health Record. During this time, we will not have access to electronic prescribing. Some things to know: If you need to request medication refills, please do so before this weekend! Don't forget, you can do this on the Patient Portal; There will be no Saturday clinic on November 9; Our on-call provider(s) and nurse answering service will still be available during this time, but they will have limited access in reviewing chart details.

Green Mountain Care Board Board Members and presenters will participate remotely through Microsoft Teams. Members of the public can attend board meetings by using the links or call-in phone numbers listed below.

by Tova Brickley, Community News Service Watching adults vote can educate children, but fewer Vermont students may be getting the opportunity to see democracy in action this November. Since 2016, the number of Vermont schools serving as polling places has decreased by more than half. That’s according to a comparison of polling places by Community News Service based on data from the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. This Election Day, 41 schools will serve as polling places, down from 102 schools eight years ago. It’s not entirely clear what’s behind the trend. With many Vermonters now voting by mail, it’s possible to hold elections in smaller buildings, like town offices. Another reason may be school safety. That’s what caused a struggle over where to vote within one Vermont community this fall.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont has announced that on Friday, November 1, 2024, Nasir Hussain, also known as “Sonu”, 31, of Orlando, Florida was convicted in U.S. District Court in Rutland of wire fraud conspiracy after a four-day jury trial. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante ordered that Hussain remain in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Hussain has been held without bail since his arrest in July 2023. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Hussain recruited a number of people to open bank accounts using false information. Those bank accounts were used to funnel proceeds from defrauded victims who lived in Vermont, California, and elsewhere in the United States. Under the fraud scheme, the victim would receive calls, emails or both – purportedly from well-known retail establishments about charges to the victim’s account. The victim was asked to call a certain number and eventually download software to enable the caller to view the screen of the victim’s computer to “refund” the charge if the victim desired.