Current News

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) convened health care leaders in Williston to discuss the impact of Medicare reimbursement cuts on small and independent health care providers and businesses in Vermont, many of which are already struggling to provide care to seniors in rural communities. Senator Welch recently introduced the bipartisan Physician Fee Stabilization Act, which updates a Medicare budget threshold last adjusted in 1992 that is triggering harmful cuts to provider payments. This change will ensure rural care providers are fairly reimbursed by the government for the care they provide to seniors.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Art Council announces the 22 recipients of its most competitive grant funding program, the Creation Grant, which supports Vermont artists in creating new work. Among this year’s winning proposals are works that span visual arts, literary arts, music, film, and multidisciplinary fields, including a Vermont-set rock opera; a podcast exploring themes of religion and belief; and a multi-disciplinary sculptural installation exploring our relationship with technology. More than 200 applications were received for the award, with a total of more than $1 million requested in funding. The program was able to support 11% of the requested need. Grants are awarded to Vermont artists or artist groups in amounts up to $5,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Over 300 Porter Medical Center (PMC) support staff, licensed practical nurses, and technical professionals ratified their first union contract late Saturday night, voting to accept a tentative agreement reached the week before between management and the union’s bargaining team. Earlier this year, the healthcare workers voted to form a union, joining their registered nurse (RN) colleagues at PMC who first organized in 2013. Contract negotiations with management have been ongoing since June. The new union members will join the RNs as members of Porter Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, an affiliate of AFT Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Health based in Rutland is a recipient of the Health Center Quality Leader Gold Award, ranking among the top 10% of the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) nationally. The federal Community Health Center Program, under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), recognizes quality care each year, ranking Community Health at the highest level as a Gold Health Center Quality Leader and awarding additional badges for Health Information Technology (HIT) and Addressing Social Risk Factors.

Vermont Business Magazine Ahead of next week’s hearing, which will focus on the outrageously high prices that Novo Nordisk charges Americans for their blockbuster drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), announced today that more than 250 clinicians from across the country are asking Congress to rein in exorbitant prices for novel diabetes and obesity treatments. Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen will testify about the high cost of Ozempic and Wegovy at an upcoming HELP Committee hearing on September 24th.

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford Health Care recently recognized four employees with awards that celebrate and honor not only excellence in clinical care but also compassion. Gifford encompasses and expands on the principles of the national DAISY nursing award program for its Employee Recognition Awards ceremony, held twice a year, most recently on Aug. 22. Over the previous six months, the Selection Committee received 48 nominations from across the organization for four awards: the DAISY Award, recognizing exceptional nurses; two BEE—Be Exceptional Everyday—Awards, one clinical and one non-clinical; and a HIVE Award (Healthcare providers Impacting the lives of Vulnerable people Every day), awarded to physicians and advanced practice providers.

Vermont Business Magazine Northwestern Medical Center (NMC) welcomes seven new nurse apprentices into their pre-requisites at Community College of Vermont (CCV), marking the second of three nursing cohorts funded by a grant from the Agency of Human Services. This fall 13 current employees from various departments of NMC, are embarking on a three-year educational pathway to registered nursing. Upon completion and licensure, they have committed to work at the hospital for three years as an RN.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) is committed to empowering all older adults in central Vermont to reduce their risk of falls, which are one of the greatest causes of serious injuries and death among people over age 65. Fourteen million, or 1 in 4, Americans age 65+ fall each year. On September 23-27, 2024, Central Vermont Council on Aging is partnering with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to mark Falls Prevention Awareness Week. Many people think falls are a normal part of aging. The truth is, they’re not. Most falls can be prevented – and you have the power to reduce your risk. 

Vermont Business Magazine Statement from Speaker Jill Krowinski on the passing of former Burlington Representative Curt McCormack. “It is with a heavy heart that I remember my friend and former colleague, Representative Curt McCormack, who passed away after a long, hard fought battle with cancer. Curt dedicated over two decades to the Vermont legislature representing Rutland and Burlington, championing crucial environmental and transportation initiatives, and he leaves behind a legacy of service to Vermont and beyond that will not be forgotten.

by Will Thorn, Community News Service It hasn’t been easy to find, but for Bennington County agencies involved with search and rescue, there’s aid money for the taking. For any search and rescue work in the Green Mountain National Forest since Oct. 1, 2012, public entities in the county can access over $160,000 in federal reimbursements. The funds, which come directly from the Office of the State Treasurer via application, stem from the federal Secure Rural Schools Act and can be used for various “expenses related to search and rescue equipment, training and supplies,” according to an Aug. 26 press release from the office. In an interview, State Treasurer Mike Pieciak stressed the importance of having money accessible for the county’s emergency services. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is moving forward with a policy of unsheltering vulnerable Vermonters, revoking access to the state’s emergency housing program for approximately 300 households as of last night. Lawmakers enacted new restrictions on the state’s motel voucher program earlier this year, implementing a seasonal 80-day cap for each household which began on July 1, 2024, and a total room cap of 1,100 for the program that took effect over the weekend. As a result of these changes, state officials recently projected that over 900 households would lose access to the program—many of them families with children and people with disabilities—by October 8.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) is delighted to present the 2024 Arthur Gibb Award for Sustainable Community Leadership to Jessica Laporte, in recognition of her deep dedication to Vermont’s land and people. Jess is a dynamic leader, collaborator and statewide advocate for community resilience and equity. As Co-Director of Community Resilience Organizations, Jess has expanded the organization's capacity, enabling it to support six times more community projects since 2020 and demonstrating how creative fiscal sponsorship can empower communities to respond to their own needs. Jess was a foundational member with Seeding Power Vermont, a collective of organizers working on systemic changes for BIPOC self-determination and healing relationships with land and between people.