Current News

by Harold Dauerman, MD, UVM You may have a leaking heart if your mitral valve is damaged. What is the mitral valve you ask? It’s located between the left atrium (where blood enters the heart from the lungs) and the left ventricle of the heart (which pumps the blood to your entire body). Mitral valve regurgitation means that your mitral valve is letting blood leak backward into the atrial chamber of the heart.

Vermont Business Magazine Between February 27th and March 3rd, 2017, members of the Vermont Drug Task Force conducted arrest operations in Windham County after a several months of investigation. The Vermont Drug Task Force was assisted by the Westminster State Police Barracks, and the Brattleboro Police Department while executing these arrests. This enforcement action took place following numerous drug investigations into the distribution of heroin and cocaine.

Defendants were processed at both the Brattleboro Police Department and Westminster State Police barracks and issued criminal citations to appear at the Windham Superior Court of Vermont, Criminal Division on the dates and times noted above. Two defendants were lodged on Federal arrest warrants.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University presents the first lecture of the spring 2017 Todd Lecture Series with “Junior Officers Leading in the Fleet,” a presentation by Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander, US Fleet Forces Command, on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, at 7 pm in Plumley Armory. This event is free and open to the public and is the second Todd Lecture in Norwich University’s “Year of Leadership” of the bicentennial countdown.

Vermont Business Magazine The opioid crisis is well known here in Vermont and nationally. Opioid-related deaths have reached an all-time high in the United States. More than 47,000 people died in 2014, then 33,000 people in 2015. AIGA Vermont has decided to ask our community, “How does it impact day-to-day lives? And how can the creative community respond?”. We want to invite the community to a free event where they can listen to a moderated diverse panel consisting of individuals sharing their personal and professional experiences.

Vermont Business Magazine OneDigital Health and Benefits, a leader in the employee benefits space, has been named a “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” by the National Association for Business Resources. OneDigital has also been awarded Business Insurance’s “Best Places to Work,” placing seventh in the medium employer category.

Vermont Business Magazine Johanna Beliveau, BSN, MBA, RN has been named Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Compliance at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC). The newly created position is part of the Hospital’s Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to Dr. Joseph Perras, CEO. As director, Beliveau will be responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of quality and patient safety initiatives, and ensuring compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations.

MtAscutney Hospital and Health Center Announces Johanna Beliveau, BSN, MBA, RN as Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Compliance.Photo courtesy of MtAscutney Hospital and Health Center:

Vermont Business MagazineNational Life Group and Heartworks Preschools will celebrateon Wednesdaythe reopening of a day care on National Life’s campus. National Life has renovated the building at 24 Mountain View Street in Montpelier to make it more appropriate for modern day care. After seeking requests for proposals, National Life granted a lease to Heartworks to operate the Loveworks Child Care Center, which is already serving 21 children.

What:Celebration of opening of Loveworks Child Care Center

Where:National Life lobby, 1 National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604; followed by tours of Loveworks, 24 Mountain View St., opposite the main parking lots at National Life.

When:Wednesday, March 8, 9:30 am.

Who:National Life Senior Vice President Sean Woodroffe and Lisa and Paul Zengilowski of Heartworks.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) released the following statements Monday after President Donald Trump signed a new executive order blocking immigration from six majority-Muslim countries and suspending admittance of all refugees.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Thomas JDonovan Jr, today provided municipalities with a guide should they consider a response to recent changes in federal immigration policy and enforcement. The guide, which is a pamphlet produced by the Immigration Task Force and the Attorney General’s Office, gives cities and towns an overview of current federal immigration policy and model policies for municipalities. The purpose of the document is to promote public safety and ensure local law enforcement can protect vulnerable communities and persons, while complying with federal law.

Attorney General Donovan said: “The relationship of trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve is an essential part of safe cities and towns. This document is meant to protect that relationship and provide information to Vermont cities and towns as they review federal immigration policy.”

Vermont Business MagazineThe University of Vermont Health Network has announced the creation of a new grant opportunity that is open to any clinician or team employed by the network. The Safety and Value Grant program will award a two-year $50,000 grant to each of two winning proposals to implement innovative concepts that are designed to enhance safety and value across the UVM Health Network.

The grants will support multidisciplinary, cross-departmental or cross-organizational teams that identify areas of health care improvement. Proposals will be screened on criteria that include:

by David Coates, KPMG (retired) As promised in my previous commentary here, I will present in this article some possible solutions to the state'spension and retiree health care benefits crisis......and, yes,it is a crisis! Just to recap, as of June 30, 2016, the state and taxpayersare on the hook for $3.6 billion of unfunded liabilities for these benefit plans for around 32,000state workers and teachers.By comparisonthe state and taxpayers are also on the hook for about $650 million of bonds issued for basically infrastructure improvements that benefit our entire population of around 625,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Albany-based FirstLight Fiber, a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in the Northeast, today announced its intent to acquire Finger Lakes Technologies Group (“FLTG”), a subsidiary of Trumansburg Telephone Company (TTC). FLTG provides data, Internet and voice solutions to business customers in New York and Pennsylvania through its fiber network. FirstLight recently announced similar transactions with Oxford Networks and Vermont's Sovernet Communications.