Current News

Vermont Department of Health With the high prevalence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette, e-cigs or vapes) and increasing popularity of oral nicotine pouches among youth, teens and young adults, the Health Department Tobacco Control Program is educating on harms to consumers to prevent initiation and reduce nicotine use. As of 2023, 16% of Vermont high school students said they used e-cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days. Of those students, 37% did so daily. Our Voices Xposed (OVX) middle and high school student chapters representing the state’s youth-led movement to reduce youth vaping and smoking prevalence will march through downtown Montpelier February 11 at 10 am to rally at the State House.  

Vermont Business Magazine As millions of working class families struggle to afford the high prices of groceries, gas, rent and other basic necessities, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) announced today that they have introduced bipartisan legislation to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent. In 2022, credit card companies generated an incredible $130 billion in interest and fees. Today, the American people hold a record-breaking $1.17 trillion in credit card debt. As of 2023, the average household with credit card debt has over $21,000 in credit card debt. The delinquency rate of credit cards issued by commercial banks is around 3.23%, the highest rate since 2011 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced the Claim Your Money campaign, an initiative to return at least $1 million of unclaimed property to Vermonters in the month of February. The announcement was made in connection with National Unclaimed Property Day, Feb. 1 to encourage Vermonters to search for unclaimed property. Unclaimed property includes forgotten assets like uncashed checks, security deposits, investments, insurance proceeds, and other financial property. Financial institutions annually report these properties and turn them over to the state. The Treasurer’s Office safeguards assets until claimed by rightful owners or heirs. Unclaimed property can belong to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, local media organizations, government entities, and more. 

Vermont Business Magazine The American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, Vermont Medical Society and Vermont Psychiatric Association are deeply disappointed by the executive order issued by President Trump’s Administration on January 28, 2025, which seeks to restrict access to medically necessary, evidence-based health care for transgender youth. Policies like these cause harm, create confusion, and put unnecessary barriers between patients and the healthcare they need. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and medical professionals, not driven by intrusive and political ideology.

Vermont Business Magazine Researchers at the University of Vermont are participating in the Prehospital Analgesia Intervention (PAIN) Trial being conducted by University of Pittsburgh and funded by the Department of Defense (DoD). The study compares the effectiveness and safety of two medications commonly used to treat pain after injury in soldiers and civilians alike. The two medications are Fentanyl, an opioid, and low-dose Ketamine, an anesthetic. The study, beginning in the fall of 2024 is led by Daniel Wolfson, MD, associate professor of Emergency Medicine, and Ajai Malhotra, MD, professor of Surgery and trauma medical director of the Level-I Trauma Center at University of Vermont Medical Center. Right now, both medications are commonly used in Vermont by pre-hospital providers to relieve pain after injury. However, we do not yet know which medication is more effective in relieving pain and is safer in avoiding unpleasant or dangerous side effects. 

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) is pleased to share that more than 340 donors generously contributed over $66,000 to its 2024 Year-End fundraising appeal. Appeal Honorary Chairs Kristin Haskins, of Barre, and her sons, Walt Ward and Del Haskins, shared their personal experience navigating care for Kristin, who lives with Alzheimer’s Disease. Walt and Del turned to CVHHH to learn about care options as their mother’s disease progressed. After a consultation with CVHHH’s Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Kelley Elwell, DNP, to answer questions and learn about Kristin’s goals of care, the family chose hospice with CVHHH. With support from CVHHH’s interdisciplinary hospice team, the family has more time together to focus on what matters while having their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs met in the comfort of home.  

Vermont Business Magazine Staff and leaders from Rutland Women’s Healthcare, Women’s and Children’s Unit (WACU) and Birthing Center at Rutland Regional Medical Center joined hospital leadership to cut the ribbon on a new Mamava Lactation Pod. The state-of-the-art lactation suite is located on the main level of RRMC near the Allen Street entrance. To access the pod, visitors will use the Mamava app on their phone. The idea for the installation of the lactation pod was first presented to hospital leadership in September 2024 after a suggestion was made by an RRMC employee, herself a new mom. It moved through the approval process quickly with support from leaders in human resources, nursing, and clinical operations.

Vermont Business Magazine Board Members and presenters will participate remotely through Microsoft Teams. Members of the public can attend board meetings by using the links or call-in phone numbers listed below. Members of the public who cannot access the meeting remotely can view the meeting in a public space.

Vermont Business Magazine One VTSU student earned a scholarship and a second was recognized for her leadership at the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Eleven total students from the Master of Athletic Training (M.A.T.) program at Vermont State University (VTSU) Castleton attended the event. The Eastern Athletic Trainers' Association (EATA) is comprised of over 8,000 athletic trainers and students from Maine to Delaware. EATA offers educational sessions, scholarships, and research grants to athletic trainers in Districts 1 and 2 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. First-year M.A.T. student Becca Roy represented the Vermont Association of Athletic Trainers as the student delegate to the EATA. In this leadership role, Becca is actively involved in planning and running the student program at the EATA Convention for both 2025 and 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is announcing the results of a study required under Act 181 of 2024 that examines the feasibility and opportunities of creating a Land Bank in Vermont to revitalize underutilized properties.  Land Banks are quasi-governmental entities empowered to make vacant, abandoned, deteriorated, and tax delinquent properties productive again. In the latest Vermont Housing Needs Assessment, VHFA estimates there are 10,879 vacant and abandoned homes throughout the state, representing 3% of the housing stock. That assessment also determined that Vermont needs to add 24,000 to 36,000 homes by 2029 to meet demand.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and 27 of their colleagues today in issuing a letter to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start, Captain Tala Hooban, expressing concern about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide hiring freeze. While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded memo, Head Start programs were temporarily unable to access the Payment Management System (PMS) to access their allocated federal funds. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner—imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.    

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark released Vermont’s revenue results for December 2024. The General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund all missed their respective monthly consensus cash flow target, as adopted by the Emergency Board at its July 2024 meeting. The General Fund and the Transportation Fund remain comfortably ahead of target for the first half of the fiscal year while the Education Fund remains slightly behind. The State’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $279.6 million, lagging the $284.0 million monthly consensus target by $4.4 million, or 1.6%.