Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain under 5 cases statewide, after a spike last winter. Overall COVID trends are declining in Vermont and across the US. The Vermont COVID-19 pandemic death total stands at 1,300 as of July 12, 2025, with 0 reported death from the previous week. Wastewater testing indicates that COVID-19 virus levels in Vermont also fell to very low levels after they had spiked in January. 

Vermont Business Magazine This year’s National Life Group Do Good Fest welcomed a sold-out crowd to its Montpelier campus on Saturday, July 12, raising more than $214,400 to support the Vermont Foodbank in its mission to end childhood hunger. With an estimated 2 in 5 Vermonters facing food insecurity, the need for support is urgent. Thanks to the Foodbank’s efficiency, every dollar raised translates into four times its value in food and resources—bringing the total impact of this year’s event to over $840,000 in community support.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) is the Region 2 Vermont Prevention Lead Organization (VPLO) and has announced the selection of the third-year grant awardees for VPLO funding. The Region 2 service area includes Addison and Rutland Counties. These sub-grants will enhance and expand prevention efforts throughout the region, in all substances and populations, from July 2025 to June 2026. 

Vermont Business Magazine A new treatment hub for opioid use disorder is now open in Bennington, marking a significant expansion to the state's network of services for people recovering from substance misuse. The site is operated by BayMark Health Services – known as BAART Programs in Vermont – which is North America’s largest provider of medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. BAART Bennington began providing services in June and will celebrate a grand opening on July 23.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College has received a $240,736 grant from a private family foundation to launch a new Emergency Services Program, building on the College’s strong legacy in emergency medical services and the nationally recognized, student-run Saint Michael’s Fire and Rescue. The new program, led by Kate Soons, Director of Health Sciences, will create academic degree and certification pathways that address growing workforce demands while expanding partnerships with regional emergency service providers.

by DVHA Commissioner DaShawn Groves For the better part of a year, I have had the privilege of serving as Commissioner for the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA), which administers Vermont Medicaid and the health insurance marketplace through VT Health Connect. At a time of great uncertainty in our health care landscape, Vermont continues to be a nationwide leader in health coverage. According to the recent Vermont Household Health Insurance Survey, 97% of Vermonters are enrolled in health coverage and Vermont’s “underinsured” rate dropped significantly since 2021. The survey results show that our brave little state, amazingly, emerged from the pandemic with stronger, more stable coverage than we had going in.

by Kristen Munson, UVM Gender-diverse individuals not only fear losing their access to gender-affirming care but may resort to self-harm or questionable alternatives if it disappears, according to new research from the University of Vermont (UVM) published July 16 in JAMA Network Open. Teresa Graziano, a professor of nursing at UVM and lead author of the study, surveyed 489 gender-diverse Americans 18 and over about their expectations for medical care after President Donald Trump campaigned on rolling back protections for the nearly two million trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals in the United States. Gender-affirming care (GAC) includes surgical procedures, hormonal treatments, or mental health services for individuals with gender dysphoria. 

Vermont Business Magazine Renalytix Plc, a precision medicine company focused on chronic disease, and MVP Health Care, a regional, not-for-profit health insurer serving the Northeast, announced last Thursday a groundbreaking partnership designed to expand access to innovative kidney care and improve health outcomes for individuals living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. By combining advanced diagnostics with MVP's commitment to equitable, high-quality care, the collaboration aims to identify patients at higher risk for progressive decline in kidney function earlier, enabling clinicians to target resources, therapeutic options, and care plans more appropriately. This approach will increase the chance for slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes, including those associated with cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.

Vermont State Police At about 2:30 a.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, the Townshend Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire involving a residence at 1458 State Forrest Rd. The Townshend Fire Department responded to the scene, where crews observed the structure fully involved with fire. Suppression efforts were conducted, however due to the volume of fire, the structure was unable to be saved and is considered a total loss. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no reported injuries.  

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine The gun-toting woman that is accused as part of the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in the Northeast Kingdom in January will not get a six-month extension for her defense team to try to block consideration of the death penalty in her case. Vermont’s chief federal judge, Christina Reiss, issued a ruling Friday afternoon rejecting the defense request on behalf of Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Washington State. “The overwhelming majority of courts have held that a federal court, due to the separation of powers doctrine, has no authority to interfere in the Attorney General’s Capital Case Review or dictate the protocol for that process,” Reiss wrote in her two-page decision.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Mark McClintock, 64, of Hartford, Vermont, was arraigned on four felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and one count of promoting a recording of sexual conduct. The charges brought against Mr. McClintock are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hartford Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration to stop its unlawful attempt to restrict access to critical health, education, and social service programs. Earlier this month, in a chaotic reversal of agency policy, the Administration issued notices prohibiting state safety net programs from serving all residents, regardless of immigration status. The change threatens access to critical services like Head Start, Title X family planning, adult education, mental health care, and Community Health Centers. Attorney General Clark and the coalition are asking the court to halt the new federal rules and act quickly to ensure continued access to some of the nation’s most crucial social services programs.