Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks 39th overall in a study that looked at each state's financial outlook. Of the five categories studied, Vermont was at its worst in cost of state services relative to personal income and in budget levels relative to revenues (the state does not run deficits but for many years has had to scramble to make up for shortfalls). Vermont was its best in "Long Run" and "Trust Fund" solvency. In new research for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Senior Research Fellow Eileen Norcross ranks each US state’s financial health based on short- and long-term debt and other key fiscal obligations, including unfunded pensions and health care benefits.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast today announced it is increasing the speed of its popular Blast! tier by almost 50 percent to 150 Mbps (formerly 105 Mbps) and introducing a new Performance Pro speed tier of 75 Mbps. New and existing customers who subscribe to many popular Xfinity Triple Play bundles will now receive Performance Pro, tripling their download speeds from 25 Mbps to 75 Mbps. These latest increases demonstrate Comcast’s ongoing commitment to continue to increase speeds for its customers, as it has virtually every year for more than the past decade, to support the increasing number of Internet connected devices in the home.

by Carolyn Shapiro UVM People with blue eyes might have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics, according to a unique new study by genetic researchers at the University of Vermont. The work, led by Arvis Sulovari, a doctoral student in cellular, molecular and biomedical sciences, and Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Dawei Li, PhD, is the first to make a direct connection between a person’s eye color and alcohol dependence. The results of the research, published in the July issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics (Part B), suggest the hope of finding the roots of not only alcoholism, but also many other psychiatric illnesses.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital President and CEO, Steven R. Gordon announced today that the hospital has been awarded a $27,600 grant from the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to underwrite the services of BMH’s Breast Care Nurse Navigator. BMH’s Breast Care Nurse Navigator supports patients and their families through diagnostic testing, screening, treatment and post-screening or treatment follow-up. The Navigator also connects patients with resources such as financial and transportation assistance, wigs, and prosthetics and refers patients to other medical/surgical, psychosocial, integrative medicine spiritual and survivorship services.

“We’re very appreciative of NBCF’s support of this important program,” said Gordon. “Our Nurse Navigator offers critical support and advocacy to our patients facing breast cancer by helping them access services and linking them with the resources they need.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) has awarded contracts to five grantees representing 15 Vermont Health Connect Navigator organizations. Together, these organizations will ensure that Vermonters in every corner of the state have access to free in-person assistance if they need help understanding health insurance or signing up for a plan.

The contracts run from July 1, through next June 30. Navigators, together with Brokers and Certified Application Counselors, form Vermont Health Connect’s network of trained and certified Assisters. When combined with the health insurance marketplace’s online tools and toll-free Customer Support Center, these Assisters enable Vermonters to find help online, by phone, and in-person.

Vermont Business Magazine Modern society suffers from a troubling over-reliance on pharmaceuticals in the treatment of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and other common psychological or psychiatric conditions, says Saint Michael’s College Psychology Professor Ronald Miller, who’d like to change that.

Miller, a veteran educator, therapist and author, hopes his new book -- Not So Abnormal Psychology: A Pragmatic view of Mental Illness, published in June by the American Psychological Association, will guide students and colleagues toward a return to therapies rooted more in people’s moral understandings, development and upbringing than in pharmacology, profits and quick fixes.

He’s been asserting his strong opinion on the matter for more than 30 years -- ever since the introduction of the antidepressant Prozac by “Big Pharma” and its powerful marketers in the early 1980s, which he says changed everything in his field.

by John McClaughry Fifteen years ago WalMart and Home Depot rolled into the Rutland-sized town of Midland, Ontario. A twenty year old man who had built the web site for his parent’s paint store decided to help locally owned businesses compete with the big-box giants.

The result was ShopMidland. It’s a professionally produced web site with photos and descriptions of local business vendors and their services. Today, the 1,500 participating (and fee-paying) businesses can modify their content online and offer gift certificates and weekly deals. Colin Pape, the originator, has now franchised the idea to other local entrepreneurs, who have created twenty five similar sites across Canada and fifteen in California.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a proposal to launch a new model designed to support greater quality of care among Medicare beneficiaries. The model is included in the CY 2016 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule, which updates payments and requirements for home health agencies under the Medicare program.

As proposed, the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing model would test whether incentives for better care can improve outcomes in the delivery of home health services. The model is part of the Department of Health and Human Service’s commitment to build a health care delivery system that’s better, smarter, and healthier – one that delivers better care, spends health care dollars more wisely, and results in healthier people and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) joined Governor Peter Shumlin (D) at the State House Monday to announce a $12.4 million federal grant intended to reduce prescription drug abuse, marijuana use and underage drinking among youths and young adults throughout Vermont. The five-year substance abuse prevention grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will support statewide expansion of Vermont’s Regional Prevention Partnerships program. That program is now operating in six counties and is made possible by an earlier $3.6 million federal grant, which expires this year.

Vermont business Magazine The University of Vermont Foundation set new records in its fundraising activities on behalf of the university during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, surpassing last year’s historic milestones for both commitments and receipts from donors. New fundraising commitments broke the $60 million mark for the first time in UVM history. Total commitments to UVM reached $60,576,278 as of June 30, 2015, compared with $55,248,575 in the same period a year ago, an increase of 9.6 percent over last year’s record mark. Commitments include new gifts, new pledges, and new bequests documented during the year.

Twelve of the new commitments were for $1 million or more, for a record-setting total of $30.3 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Two large, national, deep-discount chains, with 24 combined stores in Vermont, will merge after selling some stores to maintain competition, according to a settlement between Dollar Tree and Family Dollar with the Federal Trade Commission, Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell, and 16 other States. Dollar Tree and Family Dollar operate stores throughout Vermont. Dollar Tree typically prices its merchandise at $1, while Family Dollar stores offer additional merchandise for higher prices. The settlement announced today requires Dollar Tree to sell two Family Dollar stores in Vermont and more than 300 stores across the country to a new competitor.

by Guy Page, Communications Director, Vermont Energy Partnership Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean Vermont has taken a holiday from energy deals and projects. Far from it! In June alone, the wheels were turning to bring more hydro, nuclear (you read correctly), natural gas, and solar power to – or in the case of hydro, at least through - Vermont.

NUCLEAR – in June both Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Vermont Electric Co-operative (VEC) petitioned the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) to buy nuclear power from Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire. Both deals would run from 2018 – 2034. Details are preliminary at present, but VEC’s petition calls for up to 10 MW of power. GMP, for its part, hopes the contract will help cover peak load needs. This will be the second GMP contract with Seabrook; the state’s largest utility entered into a baseload power contract in 2011.