Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) urged the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) to approve hospital budgets as submitted ahead of the annual hearings before the regulatory body beginning this week. Hospitals are calling their FY2024 budget requests “recovery budgets,” as they continue to manage unprecedented pressures including staffing shortages, inflation and increased patient care needs. The hearings will take place over two weeks. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported August 2, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to a statewide total of 12, up from 7 from last week and from 9 the week before. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. There was 1 COVID-related death reported last week and 1 the week before, for a pandemic total of 996 as of July 29 (this is the most recent update). Fatalities have slowed. VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, 20 in April, 10 in May, 10 in June and 10 in July (these are fewest since the summer of 2021).

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center’s (AHEC) MedQuest program provides a guided career exploration process into the field of health. Recently, 20 high school students over a three-day period, converged upon Rutland Regional Medical Center to shadow health professionals, perform simulated activities like lumbar punctures, suturing with special kits, as well as monitored their own vital signs and those of their student partners. What is distinctive about MedQuest is these activities are meant to elevate and engage student interest in the pursuit of a health career.

Vermont Business Magazine Deploying a mobile battery-on-wheels, GMP helped Twincraft Skincare keep its manufacturing line in Essex going without disruption during routine power system maintenance. The scheduled maintenance disruption would have otherwise required a six-hour outage for line crew safety. These outages, while necessary for system testing and maintenance, can occasionally disrupt commercial operations such as manufacturing lines, potentially causing financial losses for commercial customers like Twincraft, a family-owned and operated custom contract manufacturer for personal care products. The use of the NOMAD Transportable Power System marked the first time the mobile battery was dispatched to support a commercial customer, and the system delivered.

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) We've been communicating to you that our supply chain services will be growing by leaps and bounds very soon - TWO WEEKS from today! To help manufacturers develop more reliable supply chains and find alternate suppliers, the CONNEX™ Vermont platform will help manufacturers identify potential suppliers within the state based on their capabilities, not just current production. Results can then be filtered using hundreds of unique criteria such as equipment, processes, materials and certifications to meet a manufacturer’s specific needs.

Dartmouth College Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and all six of his living predecessors will join President Sian Leah Beilock on campus next month for a panel discussion seeking solutions to the national mental health crisis. The moderated conversation, The Current and Former US Surgeons General Discuss the Future of Mental Health and Wellness, will begin at 1 pm on September 28, in a tent on the Lord Hall lawn on Tuck Drive and will be free and open to the public. The event will also be livestreamed and available to audiences outside Dartmouth.

Vermont Business Magazine On Aug. 5 and 6, more than 6,000 riders from around the globe, including 40 residents from Vermont, will pedal in the 44^th Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). These cyclists will come together with the common goal of raising a record-breaking $70 million for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber). If achieved, this would be the single-largest gift Dana-Farber has ever received, bringing the PMC’s total contribution in the fight against cancer to $970 million since 1980.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) recently bestowed honors on two members of their nursing team. Jim Follett, RN was awarded the organization’s June DAISY award while Adam Mann, LNA, received the PETAL award. According to Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVMC’s chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services, both awards are part of a national merit-based recognition program that recognizes individuals based on nominations submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues.

Vermont Business Magazine Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have awarded NFP a 2023 Make More Happen Award for its volunteerism with the Alzheimer's Association, Vermont Chapter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. The award includes an initial donation of $5,000 for the Alzheimer's Association, which can be doubled to $10,000 just by having community supporters vote online.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Curtis Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, in partnership with the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC), is pleased to announce an expansion of its scholarship program for Vermonters seeking to become early childhood educators. The Curtis Fund Commitment: A Comprehensive Scholarship for Early Childhood Educators is a pilot program that provides scholarships for the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, and a stipend of up to $12,000 that can be used for housing, food, and transportation) to students who wish to earn a childcare certificate at the Community College of Vermont (CCV).

Vermont Business Magazine Residents and businesses in the Southern Vermont Communications Union District (SoVT CUD) are invited to celebrate being named a “Gig Community” during a ribbon cutting event on Tuesday, August 8. Through a partnership with Fidium, SoVT CUD will reach universal service coverage just 18 months after forming. Construction of the all-fiber network is near completion and will make multi-gigabit service available to every home and business in its 14-town service area: Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Sunderland, Winhall and Woodford. 

by Ashley Bride, et al, United Ways of Vermont State officials repeatedly urged Vermonters to call 211 to report damages and get connected to resources in the days and weeks following July’s catastrophic flooding. Ten days before the disaster, Vermont 211, a program of United Ways of Vermont, cut back its hours and decreased staff due to lack of funding. Roughly 90 percent of Vermont 211’s budget comes from state contracts and funding has not increased for the past five years despite increased operating costs and high demand for services. As communities grappled with devastating damage and loss in the wake of historic flooding, Vermont 211 staff scrambled to respond to a record-breaking number of calls, emails, and text messages from Vermonters reporting damages and seeking help.