Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Waterbury, Vermont-based Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR), a personal beverage system company that has revolutionized the way consumers create and enjoy beverages, expands its Keurig KOLD beverage lineup with two new cocktail mixer brands, just in time for holiday family and friend gatherings and drop-in visitors - Rita's & Tina's and Union St Lounge - both available in KOLD pods beginning today on Keurig.com. These two new brands deliver a whole new level of in-home entertaining flexibility with premium margarita and mojito beverage mixers, all fresh-made cold, on demand and ready to enjoy with the addition of your choice of spirits.

Vermont Business Magazine A program long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) will invest $125,000 in bolstering efforts to bring local agriculture into the classrooms and cafeterias of schools across Vermont. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Farm to School grants Tuesday to connect child nutrition programs with local farmers.

Leahy said: “Tying local agriculture to our schools not only provides our children with healthy meals and improved nutrition, it encourages a long standing connection to the farms that are so iconic of our Green Mountain State. Every student deserves equal access to healthy meals, and I am proud that our school nutrition leaders will use these funds to help all children gain a better understand about where their food comes from. Today’s announcement is another example of how Vermont continues to lead the nation in implementing this winning strategy.”

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford Medical Center’s Auxiliary announced a million dollar gift to the Randolph hospital’s "Vision for the Future" campaign at the organizations quarterly membership luncheon on November 15, 2015. Funds for the generous gift were raised through sales at the popular volunteer-staffed Thrift Shop in Randolph. The Vison for the Future campaign is raising funds to support a multi-phased project that built the new Menig Nursing Home in Randolph Center (which opened last spring), 25 private inpatient rooms (which will open mid-December), and an updated and more centrally located Birthing Center in the hospital (planned to open next spring). The campaign needs just $800,000 to close the $5 million campaign, and hopes the Auxiliary’s gift—created through hard work and small-dollar sales—will inspire others to invest in the hospital’s future.

Vermont Business Magazine Speaker of the House Shap Smith announced today that he is withdrawing from the race for governor of Vermont because his wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer. On his campaign Web site and at a press conference this afternoon in Montpelier, Smith said he and his wife, Dr Melissa Volansky, are optimistic of a full recovery. Smith, partner in the Burlington law firm Dinse Knapp McAndrew and a resident of Morrisville, was a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination. Smith will have served eight years as Speaker. Ralph Wright was the longest serving Speaker at 10 years.

Shap Smith and Melissa Volansky from campaign Web site.

Shap Smith's statement:

Vermont Business Magazine Two weeks into the third annual open enrollment period for Vermont Health Connect, Governor Peter Shumlin and top health care officials today provided an update and pointed to the long road the state has traveled to improve the health care marketplace since its launch in 2013. So far this open enrollment period, more than 18,000 individuals are completely through the renewal process, having had their 2016 plans confirmed with Vermont Health Connect’s payment processor and insurance carrier partners. It is expected that all customers will be processed into their 2016 plans by the end of November in time for their January invoice, which mails in early December. There are approximately 30,000 individuals currently enrolled in qualified health plans through Vermont Health Connect.

Vermont Business Magazine November 19, 2015 marks the date of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, when cigarette smokers are asked to refrain from smoking for one day in hopes that the effort will lead to quitting forever. Most people know a smoker they would like to see stop, but wonder if making that request is appropriate. Research from the University of Vermont (UVM) says “yes” – smokers who are exposed to cues to stop are twice as likely to try to quit.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) has announced its competitively priced Medicare Part D prescription drug plan options for the 2016 open enrollment period. BCBSVT, in a joint venture with three other New England Blue plans, contracts with the federal government to offer prescription drug coverage, called Blue MedicareRx (PDP). The 2016 open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7, 2015. Enrollment is effective on January 1, 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine Prescription drugs are Vermont’s most dangerous leftovers, warns Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD in a new 30-second ad. “Most people who abuse prescription painkillers got them from friends or family,” said Dr Chen, who practiced emergency medicine in Rutland for more than 20 years. “Often, these drugs came straight out of the medicine cabinet. Every one of us can take action to keep drugs out of the hands of those who should not have them.”

Safe use begins with asking: ‘Do I really need this,’ and ‘How much do I really need?’ Dr. Chen emphasizes that you can get addicted, even when prescribed by your doctor and used as directed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has approved $46.5 million in loan and bond financings for a number of commercial, agricultural, energy and small business projects throughout Vermont. Among the projects approved for financing assistance are manufacturing expansions in Middlebury and Barre that are expected to create 32 new manufacturing jobs within three years.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of VermontHealth Network - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Plattsburgh, NY, has accomplished its yearlong goal of increasing hand hygiene compliance by 40% in just four months since implementing the award-winning DebMed GMS (Group Monitoring System) in acute care units as part of its infection prevention program. As the electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring system – built on a group-based methodology– has provided accurate, immediate feedback to each unit, the culture of compliance has quickly transformed to one of team accountability and support.

Vermont Business Magazine EQ2, a Burlington-based leader in hospital computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), and AMT Datasouth (AMT), a leader in printing and downtime solutions for hospitals and other markets, have completed the integration of their formerly standalone management, service, sales and marketing teams. The resulting synergies allow both brands to have focused efforts in supplying hospitals with unique, customized solutions. EQ2 was acquired by AMT in September 2013 and at first maintained separate service, sales and marketing teams. After identifying numerous synergies for reaching healthcare organizations that both businesses have long track records of serving, the two groups are now a fully combined team. EQ2 will continue to have staff in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont finished one, two, three for patient access to physicians in a nationwide survey. As patients seek quicker access to physicians through urgent care centers, retail clinics, telehealth services and other "convenient care" offerings, a new ranking system incorporating 33 variables shows those states in which patients are likely to have the easiest access to physicians and those states where access is likely to be the most difficult.

Compiled by Merritt Hawkins, the nation's leading physician search firm and a company of AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AHS), the benchmarking data indicate that Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, and Maryland have the most positive physician access variables, while Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada andOklahoma have the fewest.