Current News

Vermont Business MagazineBrattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the United States by iVantage Health Analytics and the Chartis Center for Rural Health (CCRH). Published annually, the list expands on the research presented by a study from CCRH:Rural Relevance: Vulnerability to Value.

The hospitals included on the list are noted as top performers in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers.

Vermont Business Magazine Two partners of the Chittenden County Opioid Alliance have joined in a new effort to improve access for Chittenden County residents to dental care. On March 9, The University of Vermont Medical Center will host a dental clinic at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County. Using materials purchased by CCOA and donated by The UVM Medical Center, the dentists will screen patients, refer them to treatment for urgent needs, and offer education about oral health.

“This is an exciting way to support our community members in recovery, while at the same time providing dental care, which has been identified as an important health care need in our community,” said CCOA Project Director Cathy Aikman.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday reintroduced legislation to restore the rights of Americans who too often are forced out of the courthouse and into mandatory arbitration in civil rights cases, employment disputes, and other lawsuits. Leahy was joined by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.), who is the lead cosponsor of the legislation. A House companion bill was introduced by Congressman David Cicilline (D-R.I.).

Leahy announced the reintroduction of his legislation at a Capitol Hill press conference featuring television journalist Gretchen Carlson, whose Fox News employment contract would have barred her from speaking publicly about her allegations of sexual harassment against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.

Vermont Business Magazine Sterling College has received a STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), ranking first in sustainability performance in Vermont and fourth in North America. AASHE is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information on a college or university’s sustainability performance.

Sterling’s STARS score increased from 75.2 in 2016 to 78.97 in 2017. Aiding the higher score under STARS 2.1—an updated, more rigorous survey—was a new installation of a solar array on the campus and Sterling’s #1 rating for the third year in a row from the Real Food Challenge.

Vermont Business MagazineArticle One Partners has announced that former President Peter Vanderheyden has been promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 2017.AOP, based in Williston, is the world's largest intellectual property research community and pioneer in crowd-based prior art searching.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont will host an international conference on March 20 highlighting the historical, cultural and economic contributions made by French Canadians from Quebec who migrated to Vermont and New England. The conference, called French Connections/Franconnexions, will take place from 9 am to 3:30 pm in the Davis Center on the UVM campus. Registration is required. Between 1830 and 1930, some 900,000 immigrants from Quebec poured into New England

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Elijah E Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is scheduled to meet with President Donald J Trump on Wednesday to discusslowering prescription drug prices. Cummings will be joined by Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a senior Democrat on the Oversight Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Dr Redonda G Miller, President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“The President promised—both during the campaign and after—that he would support efforts to stem the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs, so I am looking forward to discussing ideas he said he supports,” said Cummings. “Our hope is that the President will make good on his promise and join us in convincing congressional Republicans to finally start helping American families who rely on these life-saving medications.”

Vermont Business Magazine Sugarbush, Vermont, and Snowbasin, Utah, have joined The Mountain Collective as full partners for the 2017-2018 season. These two classic North American ski mountains offer challenging terrain and plenty of variety for every level of skier or rider. This is the latest news in a trend toward multi-resort agreements that allow for skiers to venture far and wide on a single pass. Vail announced last month it was buying Stowe Mountain Resort, which will also allow for a single passholder to roam coast-to-coast and into Canada. The Mountain Collective is led by Aspen, Vail's chief Colorado rival. This year's agreements with major Vermont resorts is the first for Vail and Aspen, as they reach out toward the heavily populated East Coast market.

Vermont Business Magazine Join Champlain College and the US Department of Justice for a free one-day conference outlining key current cyber threats to businesses, nonprofits, and organizations of all sizes, as well as what tactics you should be using to prepare and to respond to those threats. The conference will also include guidance on how to proceed when you are targeted - and conversations about real-life scenarios in Vermont and lessons learned from organizations across the country.

Presenters will include representatives from local organizations as well as government experts from the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice and Vermont investigators, as well as Vt. Gov. Phil Scott and Burlington Electric CEO Neale Lunderville.

What: Understanding Digital Threats:A Cybersecurity Briefing for Businesses and Non-Profits
When: Friday, March 10, 2017

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) is alerting Vermont residents that a scam usually aimed at distribution utility customers has grown to now include VELCO - the electric transmission grid operator. Callers claiming to be representing VELCO have targeted at least one Vermont business demanding credit card information to pay an account balance or face disconnection.

As the owner and operator of the electric transmission grid, VELCO does not manage accounts for any residential, commercial or industrial customers. Those customers are instead served by local electric distribution companies. Further, Vermont utilities do not demand credit card information or other payment mechanisms over the phone or in person. Anyone receiving such a call should not give out personal information, including account or credit card numbers and should contact the police.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Thomas J Donovan, Jr, filed a motion to intervene as a party in the Vermont Public Service Board’s review of the sale of Vermont Yankee. Entergy is requesting the Board to authorize the sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant and its decommissioning trust fund to New York based NorthStar Group Services, Inc.

The Attorney General’s filing identifies significant environmental and financial issues that are at stake in this case. The sale impacts not only ratepayers, but all Vermonters, given the magnitude of the clean-up required to restore Vermont Yankee to unrestricted use. The filing also notes the Attorney General’s Office current litigation against Entergy’s use of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Vermont Business Magazine On March 3, his final day as Vermont’s health commissioner, Harry Chen, MD released the Health Department’s "Healthy Vermonters 2020" midterm report card. The report summarizes where we’ve made significant progress (eg, lower smoking rates, insurance coverage), what challenges we still face (eg, teen suicide plans, maternal weight, drug use), and where we’ve met our targets.