Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, with a coalition of 19 attorneys general, today filed two separate lawsuits against the Trump administration for attempting to illegally coerce their states into sweeping immigration enforcement by threatening to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding nationwide for emergency services and infrastructure. Attorney General Clark and the coalition filed one lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. A second lawsuit was filed against the Department of Transportation (DOT) and DOT Secretary Sean Duffy. Each federal agency has imposed unconstitutional, sweeping conditions that would require the states and state agencies to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts or lose out on billions of federal dollars used to protect public safety and transportation infrastructure.

Vermont Business Magazine When Sydney Hewit left her Jane Austen literature class at University of Vermont in January and headed for the Emergency Department at University of Vermont Medical Center with double vision and a splitting headache, she was ready for a few different things. Hewit was ready to learn that she had an ear infection – or that perhaps something was wrong with her glasses. Maybe she needed a new prescription, Hewit thought. She texted her friends and family just how definitely-not-serious her visit to the hospital was going to be. Several hours and many tests later, a member of the ED medical staff walked into Hewit’s hospital room and asked if she was comfortable with her friend being in the room while he shared news about what her care team had discovered.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board on Monday received the 2026 individual and small group health insurance premium rate filings from BlueCross and BlueShield of Vermont and MVP Health Plan. Blue Cross Vermont requested an increase of 23.3% and MVP requested a 6.2% increase in the Individual Market, while in the Small Group Market, Blue Cross requested a 13.7% increase and MVP a 7.5% increase. The Individual Market rates will be impacted by a potential loss of federal tax credits. The filings mark the beginning of a multi-month public review process led by GMCB, during which GMCB hears from its actuaries, the carriers, the Health Care Advocate, the Department of Financial Regulation, and the public. Final decisions are expected to be issued in August.

Vermont Business Magazine The Windham Foundation, a nonprofit based in Grafton, VT that works to enhance Vermont's economic, cultural, and civic life, is pleased to announce the recipients of their most recent round of grants. Thirty-one Vermont-based nonprofits received a total of $98,500 in financial support. The Spring Grants cycle was open to projects focused on (1) agriculture, food, land, and the natural world, and (2) arts, culture, and education. Funded projects included youth education programs, land conservation, food security and musical experiences. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and fell slightly again under 5 cases statewide after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels, which had increased at the Montpelier facility recently, also fell after they had spiked in January. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,290 as of May 3, 2025, with no reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). The VDH is no longer reporting COVID fatalities and cases in Vermont.  Vermont has the second lowest state fatality rate in the US (147.2 per 100K; Hawaii 112.9/100K). Mississippi (464.7/100K) and Oklahoma (460.7/100K) have the highest rates. The US average is 307.6/100K (CDC data). 

by Sara White, UVM The University of Vermont has integrated Virtual Reality (VR) simulation into its nursing curriculum, an initiative aimed to improve clinical skills and patient care for future nurses and nurse practitioners. This spring, the Department of Nursing introduced VR simulation to address the need to educate more student nurses as the program expands and to meet the growing expectation for demonstrated skills competency in the nursing profession. Before beginning hands-on patient care, nursing students traditionally practice new skills in simulated scenarios at UVM’s Clinical Simulation Laboratory (CSL), a state-of-the-art, 9,000+ sq. ft. facility.

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont medical class of 1994 alumna Maureen G. Phipps, M.D., M.P.H., has been selected as commencement speaker for the Larner College of Medicine graduation ceremony, scheduled for May 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in the Ira Allen Chapel. Phipps is a physician executive with expertise in academic medicine, quality improvement, women’s health research, nonprofit management, and advocacy leadership. She is professor emerita of obstetrics and gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and chief executive officer of MGP Strategies, LLC. She collaborates with physician leaders, health care executives, and organizations to clarify objectives, design strategies, address obstacles, and navigate challenges with courage, integrity, and unwavering commitment.

Vermont Business Magazine Co-hosted by AARP Vermont and the City of Burlington, the Housing Forum will explore how New North End (NNE) residents can remain in their community that they love, in safer homes that will support them in their later years. Learn about innovative renovation options as well as opportunities to create smaller, more affordable age-friendly dwellings and other living options that support aging in place.

by Sharon Lifschutz "Strong families create stronger communities." It’s a phrase I say often in my work at Lund, a statewide nonprofit serving Vermonters since 1890. Headquartered right here in South Burlington, Lund helps strengthen families so that children can thrive. Whether it’s through adoption, mental health and substance use treatment, or parent-child support services, we walk alongside Vermont families during some of the most vulnerable, powerful moments of their lives. As a mom, a nonprofit professional, and a South Burlington Business Association (SBBA) board member, I care deeply about the future of Vermont. Because the truth is, we can’t have a strong economy without strong families. For businesses to thrive here, families need to thrive, too.

Vermont Business Magazine Each year, University of Vermont Medical Center celebrates the life-changing impact nurses have on patients, families and colleagues. As part of the ongoing Nurses Week celebration, nurse leaders from UVM Medical Center and University of Vermont Health Network gathered to celebrate the hospital’s annual Nursing Awards and Scholarships ceremony. The awards and scholarships, many of which are made possible through philanthropic contributions to the hospital, celebrate clinical and leadership excellence in nursing and a wide range of work that supports patients and staff every day.

Vermont Business Magazine Paramedics, EMTs and emergency medicine providers serving rural communities in Vermont and northern New York now have more opportunities to practice advanced skills for critical situations – skills they previously might have only been able to practice for a few hours each year – by using 3D-printed models made at University of Vermont Medical Center’s Emergency Medicine Department. In rural areas, health care providers perform certain emergency procedures infrequently and clinical mannequins used for training are expensive. Printing the medical models in-house at UVM Medical Center dramatically reduces the cost and allows more providers to practice with them more often. The models are affordable enough to be left at remote sites, where emergency medicine providers can continue to refine their skills, improving the care patients receive in those communities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) nursing program graduates have demonstrated excellence by achieving outstanding National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) passing rates. VTSU's nursing program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to succeed in the dynamic and demanding field of nursing. From supporting patient health in critical care and long-term settings to strengthening systems and guiding staff as clinical leaders, the opportunities in nursing are many and the workforce demand for qualified nurses is exceptionally high.