Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Matthew Vernon, MD—a radiation oncologist, medical director of the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, and an avid road and adventure racer—will be the next guest on Medical Matters Weekly at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15. The show is produced by Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can see Medical Matters Weekly on facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington. The show is also available to view or download as a podcast on svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters.

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford’s largest fundraising event of the year returns for a 17th summer. The Last Mile Event benefiting end-of-life care patients and their families will be held over two weekends. Saturday, August 13 features a bicycle ride. Friday, August 19 is a 5K and 1- or 2-mile walk and the 80-mile motorcycle ride takes place on Saturday, August 20. 2021’s Last Mile Event saw new participation and fundraising records. A total of 519 people participated and $165,000 went to Gifford’s palliative care program.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Center for PTSD is encouraging veterans, service members and civilians who are trauma survivors to take a simple self-screen for posttraumatic stress disorder for PTSD Screening Day on June 27. The self-screen tool is a short, five-question screen that can be answered alone, with a friend, family member or health care provider. The White River Junction VA Healthcare System has a number of psychotherapists and mental health prescribers located across Vermont and New Hampshire who are expertly trained in the treatment of PTSD from all types of trauma.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Vermont University Professor Dr. Gina Mireault was recently awarded a prestigious research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was named a Vermont State Colleges Systems (VSCS) Faculty Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year. Dr. Mireault’s research has focused on various aspects of emotional development in childhood for more than 20 years, and her current research focuses on the perception and creation of humor in infants from three to twelve months old. She has presented at major peer-reviewed conferences and her work has been cited in national and international publications.

​Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont this week received the Blue Apple Award for the highest percentage of timely prenatal care for their Federal Employee Program members, compared to Blues plans across the country. This is the third time Vermont has received this award from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which represents 36 plans across the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine The Athena Giving Circle, a group of ten Brattleboro area women, made their third annual award in the amount of $5000 to Garden Path Elder Living, the organization that runs Bradley House, a residential home providing community living for elders in Southern Vermont. Bradley House can house up to 35 residents. While the stately mansion was recently renovated and updated, it became apparent during the pandemic that its internet service required a major upgrade in order to support the needs of residents and staff.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, June 7, members of the Castleton University Men’s Hockey team presented providers, administrators, and staff at Rutland Regional Medical Center with a supersized check representing proceeds raised from the first ever Breaking the Ice on Mental Health event to benefit Behavioral Health programs and services offered by Rutland Regional. More than $9,000 was raised at the first event on February 4, 2022, at Spartan Arena.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 60 Vermont-based employees joined their KeyBank teammates across the nation in leaving their offices to volunteer for local nonprofits across the state during KeyBank’s Neighbors Make The Difference Day last Tuesday, June 7th. Neighbors Make the Difference Day is one of KeyBank’s most visible community volunteer initiatives. The company-wide day of service is a long-standing annual event that demonstrates KeyBank’s commitment to helping its neighbors and communities thrive.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger announced today that for the first time the City of Burlington will observe Juneteenth, June 19, as an official municipal holiday this year, and add the holiday to the municipal holiday schedule in years to come. Last year on June 17, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act and Congress acted nearly unanimously to make Juneteenth a national holiday, the first time a new national holiday has been created in almost 40 years.

Vermont Business Magazine The Addison County Economic Development Corporation recently assisted two Bristol businesses in securing financing for commercial development projects. ACEDC provided a $100,000 loan to Stoney Hill Properties, LLC (SHP) to support their vision of building worker housing and providing commercial and light industrial space in Bristol. ACEDC has been working with Kevin Harper on the Stoney Hill Properties Project for three years, primarily to identify funding and financing resources. ACEDC advised SHP to apply to the Northern Borders Regional Commission (NBRC) and wrote a letter of support for their application. ACEDC also provided $50,000 to V Smiley, owner of V Smiley Preserves, LLC to support plans to transform from a majority wholesale business to a majority direct sale business.

Vermont Business Magazine Recognizing the continued need and importance of workforce development efforts in the state, the Vermont Legislature allocated $1.8 million in funding to Serve, Learn & Earn in fiscal year 2023. Serve, Learn & Earn is a workforce development collaboration of Vermont Works for Women, Audubon Vermont, ReSOURCE, and Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. With a variety of creative program models, this group of workforce development nonprofits shares a vision for every Vermonter to have a viable pathway to employment and affordable education.

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Housing Trust announced a suite of initiatives and financing options to help Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) become homeowners through its signature shared equity program. One notable component is $25,000 in down payment assistance designed as a 0% interest, forgivable loan after three years for buyers who are BIPOC. CHT, a licensed lender, has developed the loan as a Special Purpose Credit Program, and the result will make homeownership more accessible and will help buyers build equity faster. This program is likely one of the first of its kind in the nation.