Current News

Partners in Justice Fundraising Contest for Vermont Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice a Huge Success

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Bar Foundation ended its most successful Access to Justice campaign in terms of dollars and donors in February, 2021. The campaign got a boost this year by its inaugural Partners in Justice contest. The contest came about as a way to have some good-natured fun by having law firms compete against each to see which firm could raise the most money and which could have the highest percent of staff giving.

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations The House Health Care Committee came to consensus to extend the current coverage and reimbursement of audio-only telehealth until January 1, 2025. This means that an audio-only office visit will be covered and reimbursed in the same way as an inpatient office visit after the patient provides proper informed consent.

Vermont Business Magazine The LoveYourBrain Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization supporting people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) through mindfulness, yoga, and education, will host a worldwide MindfulMarch Meditation Challenge taking place during Brain Injury Awareness month. Each March, LoveYourBrain hosts a month-long Meditation Challenge - MindfulMarch - to raise awareness about brain injury and LoveYourBrain’s programs for people affected by TBI (including concussion). Meditation offers benefits for brain injury healing, and can help anyone reduce stress and increase resilience.

Vermont Business Magazine With overdoses on the rise, a pandemic keeping people in isolation and winter weather afoot, the Drug Abuse Prevention Team (DART) has partnered with Vermont CARES to offer community members a live interactive, online event to learn more about opioid overdose, fentanyl, and naloxone. In this online event, participants will learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, reduce overdose risks and hear from the people who have lived to tell their stories of loss and recovery.

by VAHHS President and CEO Jeff Tieman Last week brought some good developments in the COVID battle. Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted there will be “open season” on vaccines—enough to reach anyone in America who wants to be inoculated—as early as April. By the end of summer, said the chief medical adviser to President Biden, 75 to 85 percent of our nation is likely to be vaccinated. This is terrific news and I hope it becomes reality.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Health said because potentially heavy snowfall expected tonight through Tuesday will likely impact travel, people in the 75 and older age group who want to reschedule their appointments can call 855-722-7878 today until 5:30 p.m. Vermont’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics, except for the Essex fairgrounds, will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday, February 16. Calls are encouraged for today, because the call center will be busier on Tuesday when scheduling begins for the 70 and older age group.

Vermont Business Magazine Starting 8:15 am on Tuesday, February 16, people in Vermont who are age 70 and older will be able to make their appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Vermont Department of Health is also reporting on Monday that there are 126 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death since Friday, for a statewide total of 190.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 200 Vermont educators, business advisors, business leaders, and students gathered virtually on February 10, 2021, for the 12th annual Vermont Student Entrepreneurship Day event. A content-rich, exciting agenda included helpful advice and stories presented by business leaders from throughout the state, punctuated by interactive games, entrepreneur education, and a wealth of enthusiasm during the first virtual presentation of this event.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine Today, Governor Scott extended Vermont's State of Emergency another month. It was first invoked March 13, 2020, as the pandemic weighed down on the state. Scott extended the COVID-19 State of Emergency to March 15, 2021 as the State continues its distribution of vaccines to Vermonters most at risk of death. All previous addendums to the State of Emergency remain in place to continue to mitigate the spread of the virus and ensure economic protections remain in place. Scott said he will extend the emergency as long as is necessary.

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries today announced a strategic partnership with the US Department of Defense to provide a secure and reliable supply of semiconductor solutions manufactured at GF's Fab 8 in Malta, NY. These semiconductor chips will be used in some of the DoD's most sensitive applications for land, air, sea, and space systems. The new supply agreement builds upon the longstanding partnership between the DoD and GF to provide chips for defense, aerospace, and other sensitive applications. GF currently supplies the DoD with chips manufactured at GF's other on-shore facilities, Fab 10 in East Fishkill, NY, and Fab 9 in Burlington, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine When asked how the pandemic has directly impacted their business an overwhelming 85% have experienced a decrease in revenue (31% have decreased by more than 50%, 35% decreased between 20-50%). Only 13% of business owners surveyed have not had their revenue negatively impacted by COVID-19. All respondents agree that the pandemic has permanently changed how they do business. While everyone anticipates significant challenges for their business in 2021 no one is definitively planning to downsize in any way because of it.

Vermont Research News According to a report about US forest compositions, Vermont will experience a change in the types of trees present in its forests over the next 200 years. Red spruce and eastern hemlock populations are projected to decline, while Sugar Maple and American Birch trees will remain dominant species. Also, rural schools can be more expensive than non-rural schools for a variety of reasons. A recent article applied a new formula for calculating state-level school funding to schools throughout Vermont.