Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for September was 4.2 percent. This reflects a decrease of six-tenths of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate of 4.8 percent. The Labor Force again decreased, accounting for most of the rate decline. The number of unemployed also fell. Meanwhile, the total number of employed was down by 707. The comparable US was 7.9 percent. Vermont has the third lowest rate in the nation, behind Nebraska (3.5 percent) and South Dakota (4.1 percent).

Vermont Business Magazine Peregrine Design/Build has announced that Jillian Bartolo and Griffin Allen, two long-time employees, will be taking over ownership of the company upon Tim Frost’s retirement in 2024. Collectively, Jillian and Griffin bring 20 years of design & construction experience to this leadership role.

Vermont Business Magazine VSECU is announcing the annual launch of We Care 2, a member-directed giving program that distributes $50,000 to Vermont nonprofit organizations. Now through November 25, VSECU is accepting applications from Vermont-based nonprofit organizations that make a positive and direct impact on issues of food, shelter, heat, financial education, or the environment. Programs or organizations that are specifically focused on COVID-19 relief efforts will be given priority consideration.

Vermont Business Magazine For the second year in a row, Rutland Regional Medical Center is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data, and outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 16 states.

Vermont Business Magazine Flex-A-Seal, Inc, based in Williston, and Houston-based Momentum Engineered Systems, Inc announced Monday a merger to provide a unified mechanical seal and systems approach to the fluid sealing market. The two companies will each commit their assets to the new entity and the combined group will operate under the name Flexaseal Engineered Seals and Systems, LLC. Financial terms were not disclosed. The new company will maintain operations in Williston, VT, Houston, TX and Gonzales, LA with the corporate headquarters in Williston.

Vermont Business Magazine On October 1, the North Central Vermont Recovery Center (NCVRC) launched the Moms in Recovery Support Program and appointed Johnson resident Crystal Bolio as the program’s coordinator. The Moms in Recovery Support Program is a groundbreaking suite of services tailored to the specific needs of pregnant and parenting mothers in need of support through their journey in recovery from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) as well as their families.

Vermont Business Magazine The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region has been awarded $4,680.00 through the Rotary Foundation COVID-19 Recovery Global Grant to help purchase much-needed technology to help the agency adapt to the changing realities of providing home health care and hospice during an epidemic. A $35,000 Global Grant was secured by Rutland City Rotary, Rutland South Rotary, Killington Pico Rotary, and West Rutland Rotary in partnership with the Rotary District and Rotary International and distributed to eight local organizations.

Health insurer is one of four in the nation to offer the innovative Medicare plan

Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care today announced that Vermont seniors can now, for the first time, sign up for the MVP SmartFund MSA Plan during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period, which runs from October 15 to December 7, 2020. This innovative new plan offers seniors additional financial flexibility when choosing a health plan.

“With nearly a quarter of Vermont’s population enrolled in Medicare–the fourth greatest percentage of state Medicare patients in the nation–it is important that each individual has access to a health insurance plan that meets their unique needs,” said MVP Health Care’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Del Vecchio. “MVP Health Care is proud to be the first health insurer in Vermont to offer this pioneering insurance option to seniors.”

Vermont Business Magazine Business Resource Services (BRS) announced Monday that over 80 percent of businesses covered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s (BCBSVT) Blue Edge Business health plans are on track to earn money back on their 2020 premiums. Blue Edge Business health plans officially launched in January 2020, and are available to Vermont businesses with as few as 5 enrolled employees.

by John McClaughry Senator Patrick Leahy and five of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee have repeatedly stoked fears that a conservative Supreme Court, including Justice-to-be Amy Coney Barrett, will destroy the Obama Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. That, they say, would leave 20 million Americans without health care coverage, especially coverage for preexisting conditions.

This is rank partisan fear-mongering, and anybody willing to bet that will happen should demand hundred to one odds. Let’s look at how things got to this point.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting nine new cases of COVID-19 today and 31 since Friday. One way we can measure how much testing is being done in Vermont is by “tests per positive case” of COVID-19. The number of tests per positive case has grown over time, showing how Vermont has gotten better at finding cases.

Vermont Business Magazine COVID-19 test clinics are being held this week by the Vermont Department of Health and Central Vermont Medical Center, as part of the response to an outbreak of the virus in central Vermont. The Health Department has been investigating cases associated with adult and youth hockey leagues and an adult broomball league. Each of the teams practiced or played at the Central Vermont Memorial Civic Center in Montpelier earlier this month. At this time there are 30 confirmed cases associated with the outbreak.