Current News

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas D Anderson issued the following statement in response to Governor Scott’s request that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) review its files for any previous investigation related to claims arising from or in connection with a trip to China in 2013 by then Governor Shumlin and others. Anderson said that the Vermont State Police investigated allegations made by Attorney Brady Toensing in 2014 that a Vermont state employee was arrested while on an official trip to China in September 2013. The issue came up again last week after Stowe Attorney Russell Barr made an allegation outside the Lamoille County courthouse that a state official had sex with a minor in China.

Vermont Business Magazine The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (“CLOUD”) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law last week. In February, the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter urging Congress to pass the Act, which updates the federal law known as the Stored Communications Act (“SCA”). The bipartisan letter was sponsored by Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and signed by the attorneys general of 34 other States.

The CLOUD Act addresses when and under what conditions law enforcement may obtain data that an electronic communications provider has stored in a foreign country. The Act solves a problem that has led to litigation in courts around the country, from the Vermont state courts to the United States Supreme Court.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement regarding Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe’s April 1 departure from the Agency of Education. He did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding this decision. In a statement, he praised her for her service. She was first appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the People’s United Bank announced that it was investing $15 million with Housing Vermont to create affordable apartments in several areas of the state. “People's United Bank has a long-standing and successful relationship with Housing Vermont, and we are pleased to provide this major commitment of low-income housing equity in support of affordable housing in Vermont,” said Art Casavant, Vice President and Community Reinvestment Officer for People's United. “The Bank is focused on economic development, support for low- and moderate- income communities and the well-being of the communities where we do business. This important extension of capital will allow us meet community needs and support an important partner,” Casavant said.

Vermont Business Magazine The VA Medical Center in White River Junction has recently initiated a joint venture with Excision Biotherapeutics to develop a curative therapy for hepatitis B virus infection. More than 2 billion people are infected with the hepatitis B virus worldwide, and of these, more than 350 million develop a chronic liver infection characterized by liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and ultimately liver cancer. The US veteran population is disproportionately affected by hepatitis B virus, and rates are even higher in homeless veterans compared to the general veteran population. Thus, developing approaches to cure hepatitis B infection is a critically important area of research for the VA.

Vermont Business Magazine As the national opioid crisis worsens, eight community health practices and regional hospitals in northern New England have teamed up to produce an online toolkit to help maternal child health providers keep women with histories of substance use and their babies healthy. This resource is the result of collaborative work funded by a three-year grant that March of Dimes awarded in 2016 to the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network (NNEPQIN) and Dartmouth–Hitchcock’s (D-H) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Vermont Business Magazine For the second consecutive year, total payments to care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias will surpass a quarter of a trillion dollars ($277 billion), which includes an increase of nearly $20 billion from last year, according to data reported in the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report released last week. In 2018 Medicaid costs for caring for Vermonters living with Alzheimer’s will reach $106 million.

New findings from the report show the growing burden of Alzheimer’s on people living with the disease, their families and caregivers, as well as society at large. The number of older Americans is growing rapidly, so too is the number of people living with Alzheimer’s and the subsequent impact to the nation’s economy. By 2050, the total cost of care for Alzheimer’s is projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion.

Vermont Business Magazine Michelle Wade APRN defines excellence. As one of Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region’s (CHCRR) Nurse Practitioners she is known for her thorough understanding of how critically important the work of a nurse practitioner is in caring for the elderly and the most vulnerable patients. CHCRR recognizes Wade’s unique skills, and now the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) does too! AANP named her recipient of the 2018 Award for Excellence in Vermont, naming her the top nurse practitioner in the state. She’ll receive the award this summer in Denver, Co. during the AANP’s National Conference June 26-July 1 when statewide nurse practitioners and advocates will be honored from states around the country.

Vermont Business Magazine US News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and civic journalism, in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna, has announced the inaugural Healthiest Communities rankings. The new report evaluated nearly 3,000 communities nationwide across 10 categories, from education and population health to infrastructure and economy.

by John McClaughry The Legislature is debating how fast to propel the state into the new adventure of universal coverage for primary health care services, “whether the services are publicly financed or covered by health insurance or other means … [made] affordable for all Vermonters, such as through income-sensitized, State-funded cost-sharing assistance.”

The current proposal (S.53) directs the Green Mountain Care Board and the usual “stakeholders” to deliver a report by January 2019, followed by a “draft operational plan” a year thereafter. The single payer advocates are furious that the bill doesn’t decree single-payer primary care right now.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Outdoor Recreation Conference, to be held in Burlington, April 23 to 26, 2018, confirmed its schedule of keynote speakers and award recipients for its 2018 conference that include US Congressman Peter Welch, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.

Vermont Business Magazine GlowAesthetics has opened its new state-of-the-art medical spa and beauty boutique at the Shelburne Square Shopping Plaza in South Burlington on 41 IDX Drive. The medical spa opened for business on March 19, 2018 and will be open 6 days/week. Owners/Aestheticians Maria Gould and Christine Keelan said their vision was to create the ultimate one-stop beauty destination where their clients could escape and rejuvenate while experiencing transformative results.