Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is among the first hospitals in Vermont to acquire the Olympus EVIS EXERA III video endoscopy system. This system uses a video processor, light source, endoscope, and monitor to enable physicians to look inside the gastrointestinal (GI) system to diagnose, detect, and treat GI diseases such as colorectal cancer. The advanced imaging in the EVIS EXERA III system will help BMH physicians to detect GI disease at an earlier stage when treatments are most successful.

“By acquiring this new system we are able to further our commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients. With this advanced technology we increase our capacity to provide more accurate diagnoses, shorter procedure times, and an overall improved procedural experience,” said Steven R. Gordon, President and CEO of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

The University of Vermont Medical Center Joe Golding, CEO of Advancement Resources, was giving a presentation to faculty and health care providers from the UVM Medical Center, the UVM College of Medicine and the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences when Yael Friedman noticed something unusual. Friedman, a major gift officer for Academic Health Sciences at UVM, noticed that every time Golding sat down, he put his foot up the table in front of him. He also looked tired. Little did she know that Golding's life was about to change radically – with her help.

Left to Right: Kara Landry, Cindy Golding, Joe Golding, Mary Cushman, MD. Courtesy photo.

Vermont Business Magazine BAYADA Hospice, with three offices in Chittenden County, announced that it has been selected by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (The CMS Innovation Center) to participate in its Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) demonstration project. Under this program, beginning in January 2016, BAYADA will be able to expand its existing community-based palliative care services to more patients in Vermont and New Hampshire who are seriously ill.

“The CMS Innovation Center provides a framework for supporting seriously ill, hospice eligible patients who might otherwise go without access to community-based palliative and hospice care.” said Dr. John Saroyan, BAYADA Hospice Medical Director. “The Medicare Care Choices Model will allow us to engage patients who qualify for hospice but who wish to continue pursuing the full spectrum of medical and hospital-based services.”

Vermont Business Magazine Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), the parent company of Merchants Bank, today announced net income of $3.12 million and $6.45 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.49 and $1.02 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively. This compares to net income of $3.41 million and $6.82 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.54 and $1.07 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. The return on average assets was 0.72% for the three months and 0.75% for the six months ended June 30, 2015, compared to 0.82% for the same periods in 2014. The return on average equity was 9.73% and 10.15% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively, compared to 11.15% and 11.23% for the same periods in 2014. Merchants Bancshares' Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.28 per share, payable August 21, 2015, to shareholders of record as of August 7, 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine Reinforcing other real estate reports that show strong home sales with a moderate increase in prices, Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty today released the Mid-Year 2015 Vermont Market Report for Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, and Addison Counties. Sales jumped 13.7 percent during the first six months of the year, with more residential properties selling in each of the four counties than a year early. Across all four counties tracked in the report, the median sales price rose 5.7 percent.

A rebounding local economy, historically low interest rates, and an influx of first-time home buyers have contributed to the healthy sales growth. Northwest Vermont is facing some headwinds, however. Affordability issues, lagging wage growth, and rising property taxes have added to affordability concerns for both mid-range and high-end buyers. (See county-by-county reports below.)

Vermont Business Magazine A Vermont nonprofit is among nine grantees that will collectively receive nearly $1.2 million in grants to improve rural lives. The grant, announced today, is to rehabilitate or replace substandard homes, according to NeighborWorks America, a national nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. In support of the Safe and Sound initiative, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation donated $1 million and is the lead funder of the effort.

Under the Safe and Sound Rural Housing Rehabilitation or Replacement program, 50 rural homes will be rehabbed or replaced in at least five rural regions by Dec. 31 to raise the visibility of rural communities as unique and inviting investment opportunities.

The NeighborWorks America Safe and Sound rural grant participants are:

Vermont Business Magazine The "Fiske Guide to Colleges," a leading college guidebook, has selected Champlain College for its 2016 edition highlighting more than 300 of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the guidebook selects colleges based primarily on academic quality. It includes information about each college's academics, social life, student body, financial aid, campus setting, housing, food and extracurricular activities.

"Our inclusion in the Fiske Guide is an recognition of the value and quality of a Champlain College education," noted Champlain President Donald J. Laackman.

"Guides that include student voices, qualitative evaluations, and realistic quantitative comparisons are valuable resources for parents, students and high school counselors looking for colleges that are a good fit," he added.

by Mike Smith Military members will often assign the term “weenie” to people who speak with much bravado, but when confronted with the prospect of actually fighting for this country — or putting their life on the line for others — they simply run the other way.

Donald Trump is acting like a weenie.

More than 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam and another 153,000 were wounded. When you come from privilege, as does Trump, true courage and heroism would have been serving in the military or speaking out against the war in a meaningful way. Trump chose to do neither. Doing neither is, well, being a weenie.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Accounting firm Siliski & Buzzell has merged with Williston-based CPA firm, Davis and Hodgdon Associates in a deal that closed on July 1. Operating under the banner of Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs, the firms’ newly expanded team will continue to operate from their existing locations in Rutland and Chittenden counties. Robert E Buzzell Jr, CPA, CVA will continue to manage the Rutland office which will be known as Siliski & Buzzell, a division of Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs.

John Davis, left, and Robert Buzzell, partners, Davis & Hodgdon.

Vermont Business Magazine All State of Vermont email addresses will be changing today, Monday, July 27, 2015 from [email protected] to [email protected]. The reason for the change is to enhance security on state-owned email addresses, and all associated communications from the State. Email addressed using the old [email protected] address format will continue to be received until August 2016.

If you have a [email protected] email address there is no action you need to take to start receiving and sending mail using the @vermont.gov address.

Email addresses from @partner.state.vt.us will also change on July 27, 2015 to @partner.vermont.gov.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Historical Society President Laura Warren has announced that Mark Hudson, who has been the Vermont Historical Society's executive director for six years, has resigned to take a position as the executive director of the Tudor Place Historic House & Garden in Washington, DC. Warren also announced that the organization has launched a national search for his successor.

Under Hudson's leadership, the Vermont Historical Society conducted several fundraising campaigns which created three rotating exhibit galleries at the Vermont History Center in Barre and which supported restoration projects of the Center's historic building. The organization also received two awards from the American Association for State and Local History-one for its Vermont History Explorer website for children and teachers and another for publication of A Very Fine Appearance: the Vermont Photographs of George Houghton.

Vermont Business Magazine On six acres along the banks of The Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, a brand-new, 38-room boutique hotel grand opened in early July. This opening makes 506 On The River Inn the only new hotel to appear in this historic town in decades. Though the hotel has enjoyed a soft opening for some months, the announcement that the final eight guest rooms and its pool, the sole indoor hotel pool in Woodstock, are now complete, brings the self-contained resort to complete fruition. Immediately upon entering the hotel, guests are enveloped in the inn’s chic yet comforting modern meets farmhouse aesthetic.