Current News

​Vermont Business Magazine At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, our mission is to help you and your family live happier, healthier lives. We recognize that dental health is an important part of your overall health and well-being. We are proud to now offer Vermont Blue Dental, comprehensive dental plans, and coverage, to large employer groups.

by Michael Del Trecco, Interim President and CEO, VAHHS As I write this, we are in the middle of one of the most beautiful Vermont summers I can remember. The weather seems to be perfect every weekend, giving those who work weekdays time to enjoy beaches, rivers, trails and creemees. Hospital workers don’t necessarily break on the weekends, however, and right now, our hospitals are quite busy. Emergency departments are seeing the fallout from recreational mishaps; people who have put off care due to COVID are now receiving it—often requiring higher levels of care—and the ranks of our health care workers are shrinking, leaving the remaining staff with ever-growing caseloads.

Vermont Business Magazine Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) and Umbrella are excited to announce the recipients of the 2022 NEK Prevention Center of Excellence Grant (NEK-PCE) program’s sub-awards. The awards were granted to local partners whose missions increase supports for LGBTQ+ youth, increase mental health supports for youth and create a community where youth feel valued and connected.

Vermont Business Magazine This past May, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation called on America to sip from their hearts on Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Day and help bring joy to kids in local hospitals across the country. Dunkin’ of Vermont and northern New York is proud to announce that $15,000 will be granted locally to The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital (UVMCH) in Burlington through the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. Local Dunkin’ franchisees have now given $100,000 to UVMCH since the start of the Iced Coffee Day partnership with the hospital eight years ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Esther Sternberg, MD, is an expert in neuroimmunology and how our physical surroundings affect our health. She will be a guest on Medical Matters Weekly at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. Viewers will learn about how they can improve their wellbeing through changes to their environment. Dr. Esther Sternberg is internationally recognized for her discoveries in the science of the mind-body interaction in illness and healing and the role of place in wellbeing. She is a pioneer and major force in collaborative initiatives on mind-body-stress-wellness and environment interrelationships.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center has announced Kelly Watson, DNP, MHA, RN, FACHE, as the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Watson was previously the CNO for UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital, a 93-bed hospital located in Colorado. Watson holds a doctorate in nursing practice from Regis University as well as a BSN and a master's degree in healthcare administration.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, July 8, J.K. Adams’ Company President Daniel Isaac and the company’s Creative Director Sean Osborne traveled from their Dorset factory to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), in Bennington. They delivered a gift of 1,000 infection prevention shields manufactured at the factory. Through rigorous testing, the company developed the shields and began manufacturing them shortly after the pandemic began. The production served two aims: to help provide a local supply of shields for essential workers and to give J.K. Adams’ employees a sense of purpose.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department for Children and Families announced today that many 3SquaresVT households will continue to receive a higher benefit in July and August. This extra help is part of the federal Coronavirus Relief Bill. It will not permanently change a household’s monthly benefit. It is a temporary increase from the federal government to help those affected by the pandemic. Households at a zero benefit will not receive a benefit. Everyone else will receive the maximum benefit for their household size.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) today announced that Vermont will receive $57.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to provide more access to capital for Vermont entrepreneurs and small business startups. Vermont's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program will include access to low interest loans and early-stage venture capital investments. Vermont’s SSBCI program will receive nearly $29 million allocated to venture capital that will focus on seed fund investments; leveraging accelerator programs to make small investments in rural, pre-seed stage companies; and investments in high-growth, technology innovation companies in the healthcare sector.

Vermont Business Magazine With summer in full swing, cyanobacteria blooms are occurring on more waterbodies and beaches across the state. Health officials want you to know what these potentially hazardous cyanobacteria blooms look like so you can avoid them. Cyanobacteria are tiny microorganisms that are a natural part of freshwater ecosystems. Under certain conditions, cyanobacteria can multiply quickly, creating blooms on the water’s surface and wash up along shorelines. They can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. Swimming or wading in water with a cyanobacteria bloom may cause skin rashes, diarrhea, a sore throat, stomach problems, or more serious health concerns.

Vermont Business Magazine The electric-assist Greenride Bikeshare system, operated by Bolt Mobility, in the cities of Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski is no longer in operation due to Bolt Mobility ceasing its business operations effective July 1. CATMA, along with the cities of Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski, executed an agreement in May 2021 with Bolt to deploy 200 electric-assist bikes throughout these jurisdictions and on the medical/ academic campus district. In May 2022, an addendum to this agreement was executed to better respond to community priorities for an electric-bikeshare system and to update the timeline of the system expansion.

by Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos As we watch new information emerge from the January 6 Congressional hearings, one truth has been made crystal clear. Whether it’s insurrection at the Capitol or violent threats against election officials, these acts are a consequence of a single insidious lie: that voter fraud altered the outcome of the 2020 General Election. Despite the complete lack of evidence, this lie has gripped certain groups in the electorate and is at the center of the divisiveness driving a wedge between Americans.