Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations are close to zero statewide, after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels also fell to very low levels after they had spiked in January, with the exception of the Montpelier site, which still shows a moderate level in test results. There are also new charts on the full range of pathogens in three Vermont test sites (see below). RSV is high at the Montpelier test site. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,296 as of June 7, 2025, with 2 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that global COVID-19 deaths keep declining.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in introducing the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act, legislation to make it easier for individuals struggling with an opioid-use disorder (OUD) to access evidence-based treatment. The Senators’ legislation would eliminate costs for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance plans and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program, while increasing federal funding for Medicaid treatment programs.  

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is being recognized for the outstanding pediatric care it provides to patients, as well as the exceptional experiences and communication reported by family members and loved ones while at the hospital. Money magazine, which evaluated thousands of hospitals nationwide, has ranked UVM Children’s Hospital 16th on its 2025 list of Best Hospitals for Pediatric Care. The hospital received an ‘A’ grade overall and an ‘A’ grade for price transparency, which the magazine rates as part of its mission to empower people with education and information that helps them take control of their personal health care finances.

Vermont Business Magazine The charitable giving arm of National Life Group, the National Life Group Foundation, has awarded over $1.56 million in grants to 132 nonprofit organizations. This marks the largest single-year contribution in the Foundation’s history, following a board-approved increase in its giving budget to $2.8 million. Since its founding in 2006, the Foundation has focused on supporting community organizations in central and northern Vermont and the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where National Life Group maintains corporate offices. The 2025 funding prioritizes efforts to end childhood hunger and support youth mental health—two pillars of the Foundation’s mission.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine A federal judge in Burlington has ruled he wants to have a competency determination for an out-of-state man who is charged with torching a historic Vermont building that included the office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in Burlington last year. Shant M. Soghomonian, 35, formerly of Northridge, CA, is charged with maliciously setting an April 5, 2024, fire to the former Masonic Temple at 1 Church Street that housed several offices, including the law firm of Paul Frank & Collins. Soghomonian has not cooperated with authorities in other efforts to get a competency evaluation

Vermont Business Magazine Late Monday night, the Vermont House joined the Senate and voted to adopt the Committee of Conference report on H.454, advancing a major legislative package to begin transforming Vermont’s education system and deliver long-term property tax relief to Vermonters. While both bodies ultimately passed the measure by comfortable margins (less so on the Senate side with some party switching 17-12 with one absent), the debate was contentious, with some Democrats and Progressives objecting, particularly over the funding for independent schools.

Vermont Business Magazine Local emergency response and law enforcement agencies will participate in an emergency preparedness drill at University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center’s Primary Care – Vergennes office next week. The drill will run from Noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, at the practice’s 10 North Street offices in Vergennes, as well as in the facility’s parking lot and drive-up area. The office will be closed during this time. The drill will not impact vehicle or pedestrian traffic in the area, hospital officials said. Emergency preparedness leaders at Porter Medical Center said the primary goal of the exercise, which will simulate a realistic emergency scenario, is to test the hospital’s emergency response plans, communication protocols and interagency coordination in response to potential emergency situations. 

Vermont Business Magazine Congress is considering massive cuts to Medicaid that could devastate healthcare providers. Hospitals in Vermont would see a $1.5 billion reduction in spending over the next decade under the budget reconciliation proposal passed by the House of Representatives that the Senate is now considering, according to a new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Urban Institute.  At the same time, Vermont hospitals will be hit with a $200 million increase in uncompensated care—or care that they are required to provide to people without insurance but that they are not paid for. When you combine the projected spending cuts with the increase in uncompensated care, Vermont hospitals could see a $1.7 billion financial hit from this bill over the next decade.  Overall, the budget reconciliation bill would reduce healthcare spending in the United States by $797 billion over the next decade, with more than one-third (36%) of the cuts occurring in California, Florida, Texas, and New York, the new analysis shows.

Vermont Business Magazine Shelburne resident Gisele Kloeckner recently created and donated sixteen handmade quilts to the residents of Howard Center’s Lakeview House in Shelburne. Kloeckner was inspired when she learned about Howard Center’s construction of the new residential home late in 2023. Opened in 2024 and built to accommodate 16 adults living with mental health concerns, Lakeview House includes a private bedroom for each resident along with amenities like a library space, exercise room, and common dining room.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Northwest Vermont has announced $647,000 in subgrants to 17 organizations to support substance misuse prevention efforts in the Burlington, St. Albans, and Barre Health Districts. The funding comes from the State of Vermont, Department of Health Division of Substance Use Programs (DSU), and is part of the state’s relatively new framework for regional funding to advance a statewide system of substance misuse prevention. United Way is one of four Lead Prevention Organizations selected by DSU to lead regional strategies for substance misuse prevention and subgrant funds to community prevention partners. Funding applications were reviewed by a Funding Committee made up of local professionals representing diverse sectors including health care, designated mental health and substance misuse agencies, and regional planning commissions.  

Vermont Business Magazine New England Donor Services (NEDS), the federally designated Organ Procurement Organization responsible for the recovery of organs and tissues for transplant in the New England region, has announced the inaugural class of the Galen V. Henderson, MD Stimulate Equity, Education, and Diversity (SEED) Program. The program, running between June 2 and July 24, is an 8-week immersive experience developed for medical students of diverse backgrounds to learn more about and to improve fairness in organ donation and transplantation in healthcare. The program enables participants to gain a better understanding of the full scope of inequities in transplantation while learning about potential career paths in organ donation and transplantation.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today delivered his annual adjournment address to lawmakers. It’s only been about five months since we were all sworn in. In some ways, especially after today, it feels like a long session. But in other ways, it’s gone by quickly. I want to start by telling you how much I appreciate the time and effort you’ve made this session, and the effort the majority has made to hear my point of view and the view of the minority. This is especially true on difficult issues. In January I asked that we focus on four areas: public safety, affordability, housing and education because I believe those are the areas impacting Vermonters the most. And within these areas, we’ve made some meaningful progress.