Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A trip to the local Emergency Department (ED) with a child can be a high stress situation for any parent. And while the ED care team at University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center can’t erase parents’ anxiety completely, the group’s recent participation in a statewide initiative focused on improving pediatric readiness earned them accolades for the care and clinical management they provide to the hospital’s youngest patients. The Always Ready for Children program is a collaboration of Vermont Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) and Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP).

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS Since the legislators were all out of town last week, we’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled Legislative Update to highlight a recent report from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Vermont was spotlighted as a leader in suicide prevention, including the Vermont Emergency Department Suicide Prevention Quality Improvement Initiative, spearheaded by the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott issued a proclamation recognizing March as Red Cross Month to honor the compassion and dedication of people who serve communities throughout Vermont. “March is American Red Cross Month, a special time to honor the kindness of our neighbors who aid families in need every day in Vermont, across the United States, and around the world and their dedication touches millions of lives each year as they carry out the organization’s 143-year mission of preventing and alleviating suffering in the face of emergencies,” Scott said in the proclamation. “Thanks to the statewide community of volunteers and partners through the American Red Cross, people in Vermont facing a disaster can meet their basic emergency needs, including having access to safe shelter, food, and critical health and mental health services, for free, day or night.”

Vermont Business Magazine Amy Stoll, Pharm.D., MPH, CDCES, BCACP, who serves as a Clinical Pharmacist at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont since 2021, is the recipient of the “2025 Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award” from the Vermont Pharmacists Association in recognition of her active participation in the association, volunteering in her community, and supporting providers with clinical decision making.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center has announced the recipients of the 2024 Rutland Regional Medical Center and Community Physician and Advanced Practice Provider of the Year Awards. To be nominated for an award, individuals must demonstrate dignity and respect toward patients and staff, exhibit excellence in clinical care, and serve as role models both professionally and personally within the healthcare system and community.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (VAMHAR) proudly presented the Legislative Champion Award to Patty McCarthy at Recovery Day 2025, recognizing her decades-long dedication to advocating for individuals in recovery and shaping policies that support substance use disorder treatment and recovery services. McCarthy, a nationally respected leader in the recovery movement, has spent over 25 years advancing policies that prioritize dignity, access to care, and person-centered recovery support services. A Vermont native, she previously served as the director of Friends of Recovery - VT before becoming the CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery, the nation’s leading advocacy organization for the recovery community. In that role, she led efforts to expand peer recovery support services, increase federal funding for recovery programs, and challenge stigma through public education and policy reform.

Vermont Business Magazine Experts from technology, medicine, and student wellness will examine the emerging role of artificial intelligence in mental healthcare on Thursday, March 20, at Hula Lakeside in Burlington. The event, "AI + Mental Health," will feature a live demonstration of an AI-powered chatbot therapist, spotlighting both the promise and potential risks of these technologies. As AI evolves from mechanical computation to systems capable of eliciting profound human emotional responses, the panel will explore the complex implications for mental health treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Adam Terry, 31, of Monkton, Vermont, was arraigned today on one count of felony Aggravated Sexual Assault, one count of misdemeanor Lewd-Lascivious Conduct with Child, two counts of felony aggravated sexual assault, one misdemeanor count of Lewd-Lascivious Conduct with Child, and one count of felony sexual assault. The charges brought against Terry were the result of an investigation conducted by the Vergennes Police Department. Terry pleaded not guilty at the arraignment Monday in Vermont Superior Court, Addison Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Robert W. Katims presiding, ordered Terry to be released on conditions that restrict his contact with children and the victims of the assaults, pending a hearing on the State’s motion to hold the Defendant without bail.

Vermont Business Magazine At 9 am, on March 20th, 2025, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls' FreeHer VT campaign, Human Impact Partners, MadFreedom Advocates, public health workers, and other allies are gathering in the Montpelier statehouse Cedar Creek room to announce the delivery of a sign-on letter opposing the construction of a new women's prison in Vermont. The signatories include 27 organizations and more than 275 advocates and public health workers, representing a wide range of healthcare professionals and organizers, stating that investing in community-based programs and services is a more effective and humane approach to addressing public safety concerns and the root causes that lead to incarceration. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Public Safety has selected Lisa Milot to lead the newly created Division of Animal Welfare. She begins work in May, at which time the new division will begin creating a comprehensive plan to coordinate animal welfare services throughout Vermont. Director Milot has exceptional qualifications to lead the division, serving as a faculty member at the University of Georgia School of Law since 2007 with a focus on animal welfare policy. Director Milot also has experience at the federal level as a policy consultant and an extensive background in the Georgia state animal welfare movement. 

Vermont Business Magazine Cabot Creamery/Agri-Mark took home 19 awards at the United States Championship Cheese Contest last week. The awards included four first-place awards for its cheddars, two for its shredded and sliced cheeses and two for foodservice products. The company also earned a first-place win for two of its whey powders and 10 additional second and third-place finishes. A team of expert judges from across the nation evaluated entries on flavor, body and texture, salt, color, finish, packaging, and other appropriate attributes. Awards were given to the highest scoring entries in each class from across the country.  Some of the cooperative’s award-winning products, including medium cheddar and crème fraiche, are exclusive to foodservice, while its whey powders (WPC80 Instant and dairy product solids) are high-quality ingredients used in various food applications.

Vermont Business Magazine At the Community Restorative Justice Center in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, non-violent offenders are referred to Reparative Panels as an alternative to a punitive approach to justice. Vermont State University (VTSU) students completing their Restorative Justice program internships participate in these panels, which offer the responsible party the opportunity to communicate and learn in an environment with their peers. The goals are to help the individuals learn from their mistakes, keep them out of the corrections system, and thus reduce the likelihood they will re-offend.