Current News

Vermont Business Magazine May is Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate older adults across the country and the network of organizations who work with them. The 2022 theme is Age My Way, an opportunity for us to explore the many ways older adults can remain in and be involved with their communities. Vermont’s demographics are changing. One in 4 Vermonters are over the age of 60. Are Vermont’s communities able to meet our changing needs and goals as we all age? What will it take to ensure all Vermonters have the opportunity for financial security, health and wellness, social connection, affordable housing, transportation and more?

Vermont Business Magazine Adam Cohen, MD, the chair of Emergency Medicine and the medical director for the Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), will discuss the renovation and expansion of the emergency department and why emergency services are essential for a community on the next Medical Matters Weekly at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4.

Vermont Business Magazine Williston residents in need can sign up for a free smoke alarm installation from American Red Cross Vermont Chapter and the Williston Fire Department on May 14. Residents of Williston, St. George and Hinesburg who need assistance are encouraged to visit RedCross.org/EndHomeFiresNNE to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation during the Red Cross Sound the Alarm event on Sat., 5/14. During the 20-minute home visits, Red Cross volunteers and members of the Williston Fire Department will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

Vermont Business Magazine Eight F-35A Lightning II fifth generation fighters from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing have arrived at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, May 2, to continue NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission along the Eastern flank. As part of NATO’s plan to bolster its collective defense posture, the Vermont Air National Guard team will take over the mission for Hill Air Force Base’s 388th Fighter Wing, which has been executing the coalition’s air policing mission since their initial arrival on February 16.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute The Vermont House, Senate, and governor’s office are thrashing out their differences over state appropriations for the coming fiscal year that will total roughly $8.3 billion. We’re all aware that a massive amount of federal aid has poured into the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s worth pausing for a moment to grasp the magnitude and the potential of all of that aid. In the five years prior to COVID, Vermont’s annual spending averaged about $6 billion a year. Since COVID, the budgets have been: $6.3 billion (FY2020), $7.2 billion (FY2021), $7.9 billion (FY2022), and $8.3 billion (FY2023, pending).

Vermont Business Magazine On May 2, Governor Phil Scott returned without signature and vetoed S.286, the pension relief bill. Both the Senate and House passed the bill without opposition. Scott acknowledged his veto will likely be overridden, but he said the bill is just a "Band-Aid" on a $5.7 billion retirement problem. According to JFO actuarial estimates, the bill is expected to reduce Vermont’s long-term unfunded retirement liabilities for state employees and teachers by approximately $2 billion by prefunding other post-employment benefits, modifying the pension benefit structure, and making additional state and employee contributions into the retirement systems. The governor wanted new state employees to have a defined contribution option, as many private company workers do.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 98 cases of COVID-19 for Sunday, which tends to have the fewest reported cases. There were 294 cases on Saturday, 323 on Friday and 417 on Thursday. VDH also reported two additional deaths from the virus. The total death toll is now 639 lives lost. Hospitalizations were elevated in April and today were 66 (up 6 from Friday).

​Vermont Business Magazine Today Brenda Siegel of Newfane entered the Democratic primary for governor. She made the announcement from the State House Steps in Montpelier, where last fall she and Josh Lisenby slept for 27 nights to successfully demand that the current administration reinstate the GA Motel program that shelters Vermonters experiencing homelessness.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger announced today that Burlington has been named as having the “Best Public Square” in the United States for 2022, according to USA Today’s “10 Best” Readers’ Choice awards. Burlington was nominated by USA Today’s panel of judges, but the final ranking of the top 10 public squares was selected by readers after four weeks of voting.

Vermont Business Magazine Building Bright Futures through Vermont’s Early Childhood Data and Policy Center has released a new Data Brief on Exclusionary Discipline in Vermont to document and disseminate the existing data on suspensions and expulsions of children under age 9. The brief also lays out the limitations of the available data, implementation challenges, and policy considerations for Vermont’s Early Childhood System. Students ages 5-8 from lower-income families are more than twice as likely to be suspended from school in Vermont (as compared to students from higher-income families). Special education students ages 5-8 are more than twice as likely to be suspended from school in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Another healthcare leader is leaving the state. Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems announced today that president and CEO Jeff Tieman will depart the organization in June to lead the hospital association in his home state of Colorado. Tieman has led the association representing Vermont’s non-profit hospital system for almost six years, successfully navigating the country’s most complex regulatory environment, and serving as the key point of contact for Vermont hospitals in the state's pandemic response. NMC recently announced that its CEO, Dr Dean French, is leaving for a position in Kentucky.

Vermont Business Magazine The CEO of Northwestern Medical Center is leaving for a job in Kentucky. NMC and ScionHealth have announced that CEO Dr Dean French has accepted a position at the Louisville-based health system. This August, Dr French will become the Chief Medical Officer at ScionHealth, a 79-hospital healthcare system spread across 25 states.

In a statement to staff and medical staff, NMC Board President Jake Holzscheiter said that although this change was unexpected, the Board of Directors is pleased with the dramatic progress NMC has made in the past year and a half under Dr. French’s leadership. He was named NMC CEO in October 2020.