Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott is one of 12 governors who today sent a letter to Congress advocating for quick action to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance program (CHIP). "We believe covering children and pregnant women without disruption is one thing we can all agree on."

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat today announced it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.

Vermont Business Magazine KSV, a marketing and advertising agency with considerable expertise in sustainable energy marketing, recently won recertification as a B Corporation, meaning the Burlington-based company voluntarily meets a higher standard of public transparency, legal accountability and verified performance. Certified B – the B stands for “Benefit” – Corporations use the power of business to solve social, environmental and economic problems. Benchmarking and measuring the company’s social impact lets consumers, clients and employees know that a company is serious about doing good and doing well.

Vermont Business MagazineDue to considerable interest, Governor Phil Scott has moved the location of his, Monday, December 18Education Summit to Plumley Armory at Norwich University in Northfield. The venue was changed to accommodate the large number of registration requests, and the capacity of Plumley Armory ensures everyone who RSVP’d will be able to participate.

​Vermont Business MagazineNational Life GroupannouncedTuesdaythat the annual budget of its charitable foundation will double to $2 million next year, reflecting the company’s strong sales and earnings growth over the past decade.Part of theNational Life Group Foundation’sincreased funding will go toward launchingMain Street Grants, a new project designed to support revitalization of downtowns. Another new initiative targeting ways to combat childhood hunger is currently being developed and will be announced in coming weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is pleased to announce the selection of a contractor to conduct the first phase of the Lake Carmi In-Lake Phosphorus Management Project. The objective of this phase is to identify the most cost-effective strategy to reduce in-lake phosphorus. The three-phase project is a key part of the larger strategy to reduce phosphorus-laden runoff in the watershed. The selected contractor will evaluate a variety of options for management of the phosphorus that has accumulated in sediment in Lake Carmi, which has been plagued by extensive and prolonged cyanobacteria blooms that limit recreational use.

Vermont Business Magazine Lund, the family assistance agency in South Burlington, has been awarded a five-year, $3 million Regional Partnership Grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families. Over the next five years, Lund will use this funding to develop and implement the Vermont Family Recovery Project (VTFRP), to provide intensive home-based services for at-risk families in Burlington and Newport.

Senator Patrick Leahy is greeted at Lund’s Hoehl Family Building at 50 Joy Drive in South Burlington on Monday afternoon. Lund photo.

Vermont Business Magazine E4H Environments for Health Architecture, an architecture firm focused exclusively on healthcare, today released seven predictions for healthcare facility design trends in 2018. “From Emergency Departments to micro-hospitals, to the amenities in and locations of hospitals, the year ahead will see continued changes in how healthcare providers are designing and equipping their facilities to meet both patient and market needs,” said Jason Carney, AIA, E4H Partner. “Add in the pressures of rapidly evolving regulations and payment models, and healthcare design has never been more dynamic than it is now.”

Following are seven top design trends in healthcare for 2018, as envisioned by E4H partners from across the country:

Behavioral Health Drives Emergency Department Reconfigurations

Vermont Business Magazine After months of working on a solution to a breast cancer screening impediment, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) wants all Vermont women to know that a state law passed in 2013, which eliminated out of pocket cost sharing for screening mammograms and any “call-back” mammograms, is now fully operational.

Despite being state law for four years, some Vermont women were still being billed when they had to go back to the doctor’s office for a “call-back” or follow up mammogram. Approximately 10 percent of women who have screening mammograms are “called back” or asked to return to their provider for additional imaging. After a thorough analysis, in which ACS CAN worked with Vermont providers and Vermont insurance carriers, it was determined that the way call back mammograms were coded was the reason women continue to face bills for the follow-up imaging.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) reminds Vermonters of its high-ranking Medicare Part D prescription drug plan options. BCBSVT, in a joint venture with three other New England Blue plans, contracts with the federal government to offer prescription drug coverage, calledBlue MedicareRx^SM(PDP). Earlier this fall, the company reported that Blue MedicareRx (PDP) is the only individual prescription drug plan (PDP) in Vermont, and greater New England, to achieve a five-star rating^[i]for 2018 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The five-star rating means the highest possible ranking for quality, access and member satisfaction. (See disclaimer 1.)

Vermont Business MagazineOn December 1, 2017 community members, chaplaincy volunteers, and staff gathered to celebrate the dedication of the new Chun Chapel at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. The original chapel, created in 1996 to honor the memory of beloved Gifford Surgeon Kwang Ho Chung, was relocated during hospital renovations in 2015 that created new private patient rooms.

The new chapel is located near the hospital’s inpatient unit and is available for patients, visitors, and staff.It features a stained glass window from the original chapel, built by Jim Kennedy and Laudel Slack, and new glass side panels especially created for the new space by Randolph artist Phil Godenschwager.

Vermont Business Magazine Led by Physical Education Professor Steven Lulek, Castleton University students will be giving back to the local community while learning valuable hands-on training skills by teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to local Castleton Elementary School children.“Teaching is a great way to ensure your skills are solid, save someone’s life, instill confidence, and show that life is bigger than us,” said Lulek.

Castleton students will be educating the elementary children on the importance of knowing CPR, as well as demonstrating the proper techniques to perform the skill. The process, which Lulek hopes to continue to incorporate regularly into his teachings, will be an integrated learning experience for both the Castleton University and Elementary School students.