Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A new population health initiative at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) is developing innovative ways of delivering care, and accelerating the process for implementing those innovations, in a “collaborative living laboratory.” The Population Health Collaboratory at D-H leverages the care provided through the clinical delivery of the D-H health system, the academic strengths of Dartmouth College and its graduate and professional schools, the work of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and the financial and workforce resources of D-H and community health organizations, all to create solutions to high-cost and complex patient care, says the Collaboratory’s inaugural director, Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation has announced the appointment of Kathryn Brooks of Dorset, VT, and Scott Seidel, of Arlington, VT, to its Board of Directors. “The SVHC Foundation will certainly benefit from Katie’s and Scott’s enthusiasm, their experience, and their understanding of both SVHC and the region,” said SVHC’s Vice President for Corporate Development Leslie Keefe.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Monday issued the following joint statement ahead of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Tuesday markup of legislation introduced by Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) that would block Vermont and other states from requiring labels on foods containing genetically engineered (GE, aka/GMO) ingredients or seeds that are genetically engineered. Leahy is a leader and former chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and Sanders is a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over food labels. Leahy also is the “father” of the national organic standards and labeling program, which also advances consumers’ right to know.

Vermont Business Magazine The ALS Association of Northern New England has awarded a $37,500 grant to the ALS Center at the University of Vermont Medical Center to support patients and families struggling with Lou Gehrig's disease. The funds will be used to purchase equipment for home use, support continued therapy after insurance coverage runs out, and provide respite for caregivers, among other things.

Wounded Warrior Project A special gathering for wounded veterans who endured the elements to learn a new, unique skill in Vermont. Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) invited a group of WWP Alumni to tighten their ice leashes, pull on the gloves, and brave the chill to learn the basics of ice climbing. WWP's Alumni program is one of 20 free programs and services offered to injured service members, their families and caregivers. Through social gatherings like these, WWP works to help wounded veterans find each other so they can heal through the power of bonding and camaraderie. Many returning service members face similar challenges readjusting to civilian life; spending time with other combat veterans who have shared experiences is a significant part of their recovery.

Zekiel Brunketurner, Army veteran and WWP Alumnus, said the event went very well. "It was a lot of fun. I had never gone ice climbing before," Zekiel said.

Vermont Business Magazine A television phenomenon will come to a close on Sunday, March 6, as Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey airs its final episode, and Vermont PBS is celebrating the acclaimed series with a same-day gala finale event at Burlington’s Flynn Center. “A Proper Cheerio to Downton Abbey,” will feature a theater screening of the full final episode just hours before its broadcast premiere. Also featured: dancing to the Jazz Era with music by the Vermont Jazz Ensemble, a “virtual Downton Abbey” experience, door prizes, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Vermont Business Magazine PipelineRx, a leading medication management technology company focused on clinical telepharmacy, today announced that Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) Medical Center has selected the Company's PowerGridRx technology platform to help optimize pharmacy workflow and improve patient care. Beginning today, D-H and its Center for Telehealth will be deploying PowerGridRx in support of D-H's telepharmacy coverage to patient care facilities across New England. More than a dozen facilities across D-H's telehealth service area will go live, with further growth potential across regional, national and international markets. This telepharmacy capability elevates D-H's efforts to integrate telemedicine innovations with its commitment to population health, quality and value; and supports the expansion of D-H telehealth service offerings.

Vermont Business Magazine Finalized results confirm that ISO New England’s annual capacity auction concluded at a lower price than the previous auction and with sufficient resources, including three new power plants, to meet demand in 2019–2020. ISO New England Inc. filed the finalized results today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The 10th Forward Capacity Market (FCM) auction (FCA #10), which was conducted on February 8, procured 35,567 megawatts (MW) of capacity to meet the 34,151 MW Installed Capacity Requirement (ICR) for 2019–2020. The region can meet system-wide demand by acquiring more or less than the ICR, depending on the reliability requirements and price. In all, 40,131 MW of resources, including 6,700 MW of new resources, qualified in advance to compete in the auction.

Vermont Business Magazine Peter Drescher, Education Technology Coordinator for the Vermont Agency of Education, today announced the launch of a new statewide #GoOpen initiative, joining the inaugural group of states across the country committing to support school districts and educators transitioning to the use of high-quality, openly-licensed educational resources in their schools. Vermont will be recognized for its leadership in this arena by the US Department of Education at the #GoOpen Exchange, a gathering of state and district leaders, innovative education technology platform providers, and non-profit organizations working together to share knowledge and experiences to help educators transition to using openly licensed educational resources.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin today provided an update on the situation in North Bennington. Test results received last Thursday indicated that while there is no contamination of the public water source, five private wells in North Bennington showed varying levels of a potentially harmful chemical called PFOA. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) plans to test an additional 80 to 100 private wells located in a 1.5 mile radius surrounding the former Chem Fab plant in North Bennington. Officials are still working to determine the exact cause of the contamination, but concerns in North Bennington were sparked by reports of contamination caused by a similar plant in Hoosick Falls N.Y. The issue will be discussed at Town Meeting tonight (February 29).

Vermont DEC officials will travel door to door to collect testing samples in the coming days. The test to determine PFOA levels takes approximately two weeks.

by Tom Torti It’s not often that you hear the Chamber of Commerce supporting an increase in taxes, or an increase in fees. It’s kind of genetically against our DNA. However, when research shows that even the smallest contribution to a child’s savings account dramatically increases their chance of attending college, raising Vermont’s mutual fund registration fee to fund such an initiative just makes sense. The current registration fee Vermont charges to mutual funds selling products in this state are the lowest in New England. By doubling this fee to $1,200 dollars, an amount still half of what Massachusetts charges, Vermont would raise an estimated $13 million per year. We should also understand that any increase in fees is shared by anyone who owns these funds regardless of where they live so increases are much less likely borne by Vermonters

Vermont Business Magazine Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sandersand  Republican Donald Trump should sweep Super Tuesday primaries, according to the Presidential Promo Polls on bumper sticker preferences released today by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). With an eye on Tuesday's primaries and how promotional products are used in elections, ASI asked residents in primary states this question: If you received a bumper sticker from each of the presidential candidates, which one would you be most willing to put on your car?