Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Veterans Outreach Team worked in conjunction with the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation and Massachusetts Military Support Foundation. Locally, the Vermont Veterans Outreach Team worked with several organizationsto organize and distribute winter jackets to include; VA Homeless Teams, WestCanal Street Transitional Housing, Veteran's Place, Bradford House, Open DoorMission, Dodge House, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

The distribution of winter jackets will occur over the next several weeks andas the need arises.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Granite State Power Link (GSPL) and the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) today announced a partnership and benefits package to support economic growth and opportunities to the Northeast Kingdom. The proposal to transmit power to Massachusetts faces fierce competition, however, from at least one other project in New Hampshire and another in Vermont. That other Vermont project is favored by Governor Phil Scott.

Vermont Business Magazine A statewide teacher health plan first proposed last spring and which ultimately led to a budget veto has now received the blessing of a statewide commission that was formed as a compromise resolution last summer. In April, Governor Phil Scott presented a proposal for a statewide health benefit for school employees designed to save taxpayers up to $26 million a year while investing nearly $50 million to keep school employees out-of-pocket healthcare costs level. The governor said his proposal would have also introduced equity and sustainability in healthcare coverage for school employees across all districts, and simplified negotiations for school board members.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation made $63,668 in grants to 21 organizations in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties this year. The Fund was established in 2011 by the Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region. This year’s grantmaking was supported in part by donors from across Vermont. The support of these donors demonstrates the importance of philanthropic collaboration and partnership in advancing the good work in communities in the Northeast Kingdom.

Vermont Business MagazineInReady or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, 25 states scored a 5 or lower on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness.Alaskascored lowest at 2 out of 10, andMassachusettsandRhode Islandscored the highest at 9 out of 10. Vermont, along with several other states, received a 6 out of 10. New Hampshire received a 4.

Vermont Business MagazineHonoring ski resorts fromVermonttoWest VirginiaandColoradotoCalifornia, Liftopia -- the largest online and mobile marketplace for lift tickets and mountain activities -- has unveiled the2017-18 Best in Snow Awards, Powered By Liftopia, recognizing the most beloved ski areas inNorth America. Unlike other ski awards, the Best in Snow Awards is the only ranking that calculates survey feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders and incorporates the largest dataset in the industry to determine the ski areas consumers are most passionate about. The Best in Snow Awards bring uber-local, relevant and must-know intel to beginning skiers as well as ski and snowboard aficionados.

Vermont Business MagazineGifford Health Care’s Community Health Team is partnering with Vermont Blueprint for Health to offerthe CDC-approved PreventT2 diabetes prevention program, which can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes (when blood sugar levels are higher than normal) puts people at risk for developing serious health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Medical Center has earned reverification as a Level I Adult Trauma Center, the highest category of trauma services, by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The hospital has also been reverified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. The UVM Medical Center is the only Level I Trauma Center in Vermont, and shares this status with just 102 of the 5,000 hospitals in the United States.

Studies show that being treated at a Level I Trauma Center increases a seriously injured patient’s chances of survival by an estimated 20 to 25 percent. The UVM Medical Center admits approximately1,300 trauma patients per year. It has been designated a Level I Trauma Center since 1994.

Verified Level I Trauma Centers must provide:

byDrCarrie Wulfman My career as a family practice physician working in Vermont spans nearly two decades. I have been a practicing physician at Porter’s Brandon Primary Care Office (formerly Neshobe Family Medicine) for 18 years and I have seen many changes in medical practice over these years. One of the most positive changes I have seen is the creation of OneCare Vermont, a collaborative initiative between the University of Vermont Medical Center and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. One of the key aspects of OneCare is to reward primary care providers like me to work with our patients to keep them healthy rather than treating them only when they are sick. This approach is an effort to move away from the current fee-for-service system and move us to a value-based system focused on improving quality and promoting wellness by focusing on primary care for Vermonters.

by John McClaughry A recent announcement from the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) brought back vivid memories of a long- forgotten legislative episode of 25 years ago. The announcement came two weeks ago in a webinar sponsored by VPIRG and its ally the Vermont Natural Resource Council. The purpose of the webinar was to build support for their most recent plan to lay millions of dollars of new taxes on gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas and heating oil, some of which would, the advocates said, be returned to everyone through lower electric rates and assorted rebates (The ESSEX Plan).

Vermont Business Magazine The 4th Annual Jingle Bell on December 2 at the Hermitage Club in Wilmington, VT, hosted a sold-out crowd of more than 200 people and raised $130,000 for Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC). The evening began with a cocktail reception and a raffle for a pair of Von Bargen’s Jewelers diamond hoop earrings. The excitement continued with an elegant dinner and a live auction of eight premium packages, including court-side VIP box seats for the U.S. Open of Tennis in New York donated by Richard and Pamela Ader and a 7-day trip to Las Cabos, Mexico, donated by Dr. and Mrs. John and Marie LaPenta. Finally, the Putnam Challenge, a call to emulate the generosity of hospital founders Henry W. Putnam and his son, rounded out the evening’s program before hours of fun-filled dancing to the New York Players.

by Christine Hallquist With smart grid improvements and the increasing penetration of renewables, Vermont’s electric grid continues to transform in exciting ways. Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), Vermont’s largest not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility, will continue to embrace these changes and challenges in the New Year. But before we look at 2018, let’s take stock of some of 2017’s highlights.