Current News
by tim
Health care delivered close to home is vitally important, especially when the patient is a child. But how do community pediatric practices adapt to offer the best care when faced with a child who has complex and often, multiple health needs? Reporting in this month's issue of Pediatrics, Dartmouth researchers outline a process designed to help any practice become a state of the art "medical home" for such children.
Assessing the effectiveness of a model program they developed, Dartmouth Medical School researchers Dr. W. Carl Cooley, adjunct associate professor in pediatrics, and Jeanne McAllister, research associate in pediatrics, review the experience of four practices in Vermont and New Hampshire who used their program to identify and implement changes to improve the care they deliver to children with special health care needs.
by tim
VANPO is pleased to announce that Katherine Long, Director of Public Policy, has been chosen to participate in the first group of CLPI Fellows. As part of a select group of nonprofit public policy practitioners, Long will represent Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) in New England, providing training to nonprofit organizations on such topics as nonprofit lobby law, effective public policy advocacy, and building organizational capacity for public policy.
“We are very excited about this opportunity,” notes VANPO Executive Director Jane Van Buren. “Vermont nonprofit organizations will benefit directly from the investment CLPI is making in Katherine, as well as from her connection to national nonprofit advocacy activities.”
by tim
Third Sector Systems, developers of software that integrates a nonprofit’s departments, tracks constituent contact and measures outcomes, announced today that it is joining with Entango, a pioneering provider of personalized and secure online services, to offer nonprofits a complete technology solution from online donations to outcome reporting.
Third Sector Systems CEO Yves Gonnet said "Entango's services enable an organization to provide their constituents with the opportunity to donate, register for events, start or renew their membership, and purchase merchandise from their own website."
Gonnet continued "Then, all of the information is seamlessly integrated into our software which the organization uses to manage all the details of their work -- the programs and services they provide as well as advocacy, fundraising and membership.
by tim
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), a leading engineering, planning, and applied sciences firm, has completed designing and permitting of Vermont’s largest bridge, the Missisquoi Bay Bridge, for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans). Construction on this $41.2 million project began this month.
Located in Alburg and Swanton, Vermont, the Missisquoi Bay Bridge crosses Lake Champlain and is a gateway to Canada, New York, and other New England States. It is the single largest bridge project in the history of the Vermont Agency of Transportation. At 3,600 feet long, the bridge will require five million pounds of structural steel.
In designing and permitting this bridge, VHB solved many environmental issues. In its design, the firm left much of the bridge’s causeway structure for use by a threatened turtle species. VHB also ensured that wetlands and fragile wildlife species in and around the site were not negatively impacted.
by tim
Carl Bickford, director of quality for Mack Molding’s northern operations, has accepted the position of plant manager for the headquarters facility in Arlington, Vt., it was announced today by Jeff Somple, president of Mack’s northern operations.
“Carl brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new position,” says Somple. “In addition to serving as director of quality for Mack’s northern operations for the past 13 years, Carl has also managed the manufacturing engineering and document control functions at Mack, served as ISO management representative, and led the way to GMP Level III manufacturing, the most stringent FDA regulatory category for medical devices. He will continue to drive quality throughout all aspects of plant management, which becomes even more critical as Mack sharpens its focus on medical devices and other high-end products.”
by tim
The Connecticut River Joint Commissions elected new officers at their recent annual meeting. The NH Connecticut River Commission has elected Glenn English of Haverhill as its new chair, and its Vermont counterpart has re-elected Gary Moore of Bradford.
English, who has served as Haverhill’s Town Manager since 1995, represents municipal interests on the Connecticut River Scenic Byway Council and has been a strong voice for economic development through heritage tourism on both sides of the Connecticut River. A member of the board of North Country Council, he will serve as vice-president of the combined river commissions. He succeeds Cheston Newbold of Cornish.
by tim
Fletcher Allen Health Care
introduced the Claire M. Lintilhac Birthing Center on the seventh floor of
the McClure Building. The center, which will provide a more spacious,
comfortable and pleasing birthing environment for women and families
throughout the area, will officially open for patients on May 23rd. The
new center marks the completion of the inaugural component of Fletcher
Allen's Renaissance Project.
The birthing center was dedicated in honor of Claire M.
Lintilhac -- the woman who helped introduce nurse-midwifery to the
academic health center and who dedicated her life to the belief that all
women are entitled to expert and empathetic care.
"A person of great compassion and vision, Claire Lintilhac was
instrumental in bringing a hospital-based midwifery service to our
academic health center in the late 1960s to serve the women of our
by tim
LeCOUNT Inc., a White River Junction tool manufacturer, has been named Exporter of the Year by the Vermont International Business Council (VIBC), a standing committee of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. LeCOUNT expanding mandrels and hydraulic workholding tooling are purchased by gear manufacturers in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, India, Japan, Canada, and China. The company is named after Charles W. LeCount, who patented his expanding mandrels in 1847.
Presented to a company that has contributed significantly to Vermont’s international trade stature, the Exporter of the Year award recognizes the hard work, innovation, and vision displayed by companies competing in the global marketplace.
by tim
On May 10 at Champlain College, Governor Jim Douglas led the kick-off of an educational assault in the name of computer and information security. He joined the volunteers of the Vermont chapter of InfraGard to introduce an initiative called VT INFOSAFE--an information security education effort targeted at home and small business computer users.
Computer security experts from InfraGard announced they will volunteer their time to deliver 20 free training sessions around the state—from Bennington to Enosburg Falls. The security experts say Vermonters must become more vigilant in protecting their small business and home computers to prevent falling victim to identity theft, viruses, cyberstalking, Trojan Horses, intellectual property theft, and other cybercrimes.
by tim
Cambium Group, a leading web site development firm based in Montpelier launched a new e-commerce web site today for Strategies Publishing Group, Inc. The new site, www.strategies.com offers an online shopping system, seminar/event registration and ‘members only’ area with exclusive content for Strategies Magazine subscribers.
Located in Centerbrook Connecticut, Strategies Publishing Group, Inc. (Strategies) is the professional beauty industry’s largest provider of business education through printed media, seminar events and consulting services. Strategies was founded in 1994 by Neil Ducoff, one of the most respected minds in the professional beauty industry for over twenty-five years.
Neil had this to say about the new web site:
by tim
The Telework Impact & Opportunities: Best Practices and Current Issues Conference will be held on June 3 & 4, 2004 at the Stoweflake Resort & Spa in Stowe, Vermont.
This national conference will focus on the need for employers to create work at home employment opportunities geared to meet the changing needs of the workforce. As employees demonstrate a need for greater balance between their professional and personal lives, working at home is proving to be one of the more important opportunities that an employer can offer as part of a successful work/life program. At the same time, as the number of self employed persons continues to rise, niche markets are being created for new assistive technology applications and specialized training to prepare individuals for the work at home experience.
by tim
WCAX-TV has been awarded Station of the Year honors by the Vermont
Association of Broadcasters. In addition, the Creative Services
Department of WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont has been honored with first
place honors for Commercial Production. The awards were presented at
ceremonies during the Association's annual meeting in Killington, Vermont
on May 7, 2004.
Station of the Year honors are based upon a radio or television station's
commitment and importance to the community it serves. WCAX-TV is proudly
celebrating 50 years of service to the Vermont, New York, and New
Hampshire. WCAX-TV has been honored as Station of the Year numerous times
by the Vermont Association of Broadcasters.
WCAX-TV was awarded first place in the television commercial category for
a spot produced for the Center for Technology, Essex, written and produced