Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Lisa Hango as Representative for the Franklin-5 district serving Highgate, Franklin, Berkshire, and Richford in the House of Representatives. Hango, a Republican, will serve the two-seat district along with Representative Charen Fegard (D). Hango, a resident of Berkshire, was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Joshua Aldrich, also a Republican.

“Lisa has dedicated a great deal of time to supporting her Franklin County community, serving on numerous boards, including the Berkshire school board and now serving as the vice chair of the Northern Mountain Valley Union District,” said Governor Scott. “She will be a great addition to the Legislature and represent the people of Franklin-5 well.”

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford Health Care seeks applicants for the 2019 Philip D. Levesque Memorial Community Award, a $1,000 grant given annually to a local organization involved in the arts, health, community development, education, or the environment. The Gifford Board of Trustees established the award in 1994 in memory of Levesque, Gifford’s beloved president and chief executive officer from 1973-1994.

“Philip Levesque was an admired leader who was dedicated to serving our communities in the White River Valley,” said Ashley Lincoln, Gifford director of development and public relations. “His legacy of generosity continues through this award, and we look forward to reviewing applications from the many community-focused organizations in our area.”

Vermont Business Magazine Alpine Telehealth, a new Brattleboro, Vermont company, aims to tackle the ongoing crisis in the mental health system in Vermont using telemedicine to provide remote access to mental health treatment. Telemedicine is the practice of remote diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions video-conferencing technology to remotely connect health care professionals with individuals in need of care. 

Vermonters in the midst of a mental health crisis often wait days, even weeks in hospital emergency departments without receiving needed treatment while they await placement in one of the limited inpatient psychiatric beds throughout the state. Additionally, many primary care providers lack the medical expertise to provide the most effective mental health treatment,​ ​which results in many individuals with a mental illness not receiving the quality care they require. 

by John McClaughry Last summer the Joint Fiscal Office awarded a legislatively-mandated contract to Resources for the Future, a Washington consulting firm, “to analyze the costs and benefits for Vermont of adopting and implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by Vermont’s consumption of fossil fuels.”

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) and Community Care Network – Rutland Mental Health Services today announced a new partnership that provides free caregiver counseling to family caregivers in Rutland County in 2019. The program, which will focus on reducing caregiver stress, will help participants learn and implement strategies for stress reduction, limit the physical and emotional impacts of caregiving, encourage caregivers to engage in better self-care, improve overall mental health and expand their support systems. In an effort to accommodate the needs and schedules of caregivers, the counseling service will be offered in-home as well as at SVCOA’s administrative office in Rutland.

Vermont Business Magazine Did you know that heart disease affects one in three women? That’s one in three of our mothers, wives, aunts, sisters, and best friends. Go Red for Women Day, February 1, kicked off American Heart Month. In recognition of the risks of heart disease for women, and to support central Vermonters to make heart-healthy choices, Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) is celebrating seven CVHHH employees.

Vermont Business Magazine Copley Hospital’s Care Coordination program in the Emergency Department is attracting national attention. Three of Copley’s clinical leaders involved in launching the program were invited to speak at the American Hospital Association's 2019 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference in Arizona. The conference brings together top practitioners and thinkers to share strategies and resources for accelerating the shift to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system.

Vermont Business Magazine Two longtime business partners are on a mission to help diversify the University Mall and educate the public about Vermont history with a first-of-its-kind shop and museum. Tim Camisa and Mike Rooney, both of Chittenden County, are inviting the media and public to see their latest venture, Antiques At Vermont History & Health, located at the University Mall in South Burlington. Camisa and Rooney have opened the new, 2,800-square-foot shop adjacent to Kohl’s.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain United Way has announced that Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has joined the Working Bridges program and will be bringing this program to its employees. Working Bridges, a program of Green Mountain United Way, is designed to foster the shared understanding that barriers such as childcare, food insecurity and acute need for emergency financial assistance get in the way of continuous employment and derail good employees.

The program brings Resource Coordinator Laurie Kelty on-site weekly at CVHHH to provide assistance to employees in order to navigate local resources. As a trained K.E.E.P. Financial Coach, Kelty is also available to coach employees who are navigating complicated financial situations. In addition to Resource Coordination, Working Bridges™ provides Income Advance Loans to employees, Mobile Volunteer Tax Preparation Program, and on-site classes based on employee needs.

Vermont Business Magazine Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines celebrated its arrival in Vermont on Saturday with the start of service from Burlington International Airport (BTV) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). The new route provides the only non-stop service from Vermont to Florida. Additional connections will be available to select cities across Frontier’s network. Officials marked the day with a launch party at the Frontier gate. To celebrate the start of this new low-cost service, Frontier is offering fares as low as $49 which are available now at FlyFrontier.com.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that workers’ compensation insurance will continue to cost less for most Vermont employers when new rates approved by the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) become effective on April 1, 2019. This is the third straight rate decrease since Governor Scott took office and represents $10.5 million in pricing relief for Vermont employers. When coupled with the two prior decreases, Vermont employers are paying about $40 million a year less in workers’ compensation premiums.

Vermont Business Magazine Castleton University has received notice from the New England Council on Higher Education (NECHE) that it is approved to operate at Killington Resort. The University will offer an accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in Resort Hospitality Management delivered under a cooperative education model starting this fall.