Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center today released its Form 990 for fiscal year 2017. The annual filing, which is required for all nonprofit organizations, includes information about community benefit investments and other details about the UVM Medical Center’s governance. The form includes revenue and expense figures, compensation of top wage earners and provides a glimpse into the organization’s work to fulfill its mission as the region’s only academic medical center, Level 1 trauma center, children’s hospital and the community hospital for Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.

In FY 2017, the UVM Medical Center’s community benefits totaled $193 million – up approximately $20 million from FY 2016 – and includes free care, grants to community organizations, and underpayments in Medicaid and other programs. This represents approximately 16.2% of total expenses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Housing Trust announced today that it has acquired a 15-acre property with 105 apartments on Dorset Street in South Burlington. Dorset Commons, which was originally built in the late 1970s. It was sold by Catic Exchange.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced 239 Vermont schools have been awarded school safety grants totaling $4 million, which will fund infrastructure upgrades designed to improve school safety. This funding is possible through a $5 million funding package proposed by Scott and passed by the Legislature this spring. An initial $4 million in grants will fund 560 separate projects in 239 schools to help tighten security and notification infrastructure. An initial $4 million in grants will fund 560 separate projects in 239 schools to help tighten security and notification infrastructure. Purchases will include interior and exterior door locks, indoor and outdoor public address systems and other infrastructure upgrades to improve safety. Schools were eligible for up to $25,000 and will be responsible for a 25 percent grant match. The average award is around $16,000. The funds will be distributed by the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

Vermont Small Business Administration The IRS encourages everyone to use the Withholding Calculator, https://apps.irs.gov/app/withholdingcalculator/, to perform a quick “paycheck checkup.” This is even more important this year because of recent changes to the tax law for 2018. The Calculator helps you identify your tax withholding to make sure you have the right amount of tax withheld from your paycheck at work.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) today announced its decision to reduce the 9.6 percent rate increase requested by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) for insurance plans offered through Vermont Health Connect (VHC) to 5.8 percent, with the rate increase to be felt by Vermonters averaging 3.2 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine Small Dog Electronics’ founder and CEO Don Mayer announced today that the company is seeking new ownership or partners. The company, located in Waitsfield with stores in South Burlington and Key West, Fl, generates about 50 percent of their revenue from sales to the government and the balance from retail and on-line sales. The company is an Apple Premier Partner and specializes in Apple products and services as well as home automation products. Mayer and Small Dog have been longtime leaders of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) is pleased to honor three outstanding individuals and organizations who are pushing new ideas and initiatives forward, leading by outstanding example, and developing successful socially responsible business models. Our 17^th Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner will recognize Jen Kimmich, Co-Founder of the Alchemist, with the Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The VBSR Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement (formerly the Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business) honors an outstanding individual in honor of Terry Ehrich, late owner of Hemmings Motor News, founder of the First Day Foundation and a founding member of the board of directors of VBSR. The award is given annually to a person exemplifying Terry’s commitment to community, the environment, progressive public policy, and the workplace.

Vermont Business Magazine This month, as student athletes and their coaches prepare for the fall season, Gifford Health Care and Randolph Union High School (RUHS) make official an agreement to provide athletic training in the coming year for all high school and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA)-required middle school sports. Per the agreement, a Gifford athletic trainer will cover RUHS home games and events and provide training room hours for athletes.

Vermont Business Magazine Castleton University Associate Professor of Biology and Biology Program Coordinator, Dr Preston P Garcia, has secured a competitive research grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF) which will fund his research until 2021. The grant entitled "RUI: Collaborative Research: Understanding the role of a modified phosphotransferase system and a unique two-component signal transduction system in regulating gene expression," is under the direction of Dr Garcia at Castleton, in collaboration with Dr Catalina Arango Pinedo at St Joseph's University in Philadelphia. They will study genetic processes of bacteria that are important in agriculture.

Vermont Business Magazine CAQH CORE in a nationwide report has announced that state agencies and health plans covering 44 percent of all Medicaid enrollees have achieved some level of CORE Certification. This compares to 78 percent for commercial health plans and 75 percent for Medicare Advantage plans. Medicaid agencies and health plans can save more than $4.8 billion annually by fully adopting CAQH CORE Operating Rules for electronic transactions as verified by certification. Vermont alone could save $18.4 million, according to the nonprofit CAQH CORE.

Vermont Business Magazine “Best Place to Work”, “Best Physical Therapy”, and “Best Doctor” were the three categories for which Townshend's Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital took home top honors in the 2018 Brattleboro Reformer Readers Choice Awards. All winners were recognized in the July 21^stedition of the Windham County publication. This is the second consecutive year that Grace Cottage received the “Best Place to Work” and “Best Physical Therapy” awards. The “Best Doctor” award this year was shared in a three-way tie between Grace Cottage primary care physician Dr. Maurice Geurts, and Dr. Denise Paasche and Dr. Tom Evans of Brattleboro.

Director of Rehabilitation Services Crystal Mansfield said the physical therapy award was well-deserved by her staff and that if there was an award for occupational therapy, she’s confident her team would have won that, too.

Vermont Business Magazine Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett visited Louisiana today to announce that USDA is investing more than $124 million to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure in 23 states. Coventry Fire District No. 1 is receiving a $298,000 loan and a $992,000 grant to upgrade their water system. The project includes replacing deteriorated water lines and an arsenic, iron and manganese removal system. The improvements will address health and safety issues and put the system in compliance with the Vermont Water Supply Rule. The system serves 60 customers. The State Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund is providing $40,000 in additional funding.