Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine As of April 30, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 Hospital data. CDC strongly encourages hospitals to continue reporting these data, but following the May 1st COVID-19 Surveillance Report, the Vermont Department of Health will no longer be providing updated Hospitalization Levels with their weekly report. The average hospitalization has fallen under one per day, while the Seven-Day Rolling Average of people coming to emergency departments of the state's hospitals with a COVID diagnosis is under 5. Meanwhile, total reported cases statewide were 33 and there have been no associated deaths in two weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine RunVermont announces the 35th running of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay on Sunday, May 26, the hallmark Memorial Day Weekend event in the Queen City. In total, over 4,600 racers will participate in the individual race and 2-person and 3-5 person relay events. The marathon and relay serves as the largest sporting event in the state. 

Vermont Business Magazine The League of American Bicyclists has recognized North Country Hospital with a SILVER Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award, earning it a place alongside more than 1,300 businesses across the U.S. contributing to the movement to build a more bicycle-friendly environment for all. As summer approaches, we tend to see more bicycle usage, including the offering of a small fleet of bikes for hospital employees to use through our Worksite Wellness program. North Country provides helmets to young, new riders and adults at a reduced price. Please call 802-334-3208 for bicycle helmet info. The hospital continues to welcome cyclists to park their vehicles on Lakemont Road and use the marked parking lot next to the bike path, a safer entrance with less auto traffic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police and the St. Johnsbury Police Department are investigating a suspicious death that was reported late Monday night, May 13, 2024, in St. Johnsbury. The investigation began at about 11:15 p.m. Monday when police received a 911 call reporting a shooting at a home on Summer Street. Officers from the St. Johnsbury Police Department responded to the location and discovered a man deceased at the scene. SJPD then requested that the Vermont State Police respond and lead the investigation. Initial investigation indicates this was an isolated event with no generalized threat to the community at large.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced more than $1.6 million in awards for the 2025 Vermont Better Roads Program to support municipal road projects that improve water quality and result in maintenance cost savings. The grant funds totaling $1,598,100 are provided by AOT in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and are sourced from state transportation funds and the state’s Clean Water Fund. The Vermont Better Roads Program promotes the use of erosion control and maintenance techniques that save money while protecting and enhancing water quality around the state.

Vermont Council on Rural Development Your village is an essential part of your community and of Vermont’s identity and future. The Village Trust Initiative is a new program offering expertise and funding to help towns with populations under 2,500 create or bolster a local community trust organization (a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports the vitality of the community) to support a revitalization project in their village. These projects could be the revitalization of a general store, the creation of a community center, improvements to the accessibility of an old town hall, renovation of a large historic home into village-scale housing, and more. There are many possibilities, so bring your creativity and vision to the table! The selection process begins with the completion of a simple intake form due Friday May 24, 2024 by 4pm.

by Cari Kelley May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for all of us to think about ways we can support each other while also checking in on our own mental health. Over the past year I’ve been thinking about this a lot through my experiences as a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and QPR, a suicide prevention training program. If you take away nothing else from reading this commentary, please remember this: If you are struggling with your mental health and/or concerned about the mental health of someone you care about, you are not alone. And help is available. I have been the primary support person for over 20 years of someone in my family who has struggled with suicidal ideation. I have sat in the Emergency Department for hours waiting to see what resources are available. I have helped my loved one navigate services, listened nonjudgmentally and offered reassurance. In moments of crisis when I was worried about their safety and didn’t know what more to do, I called 988 and asked for help.   

Vermont Business Magazine Patients in our region are benefitting from class leading surgical care close to home as Healthgrades, a prominent online resource for consumers seeking information about doctors and hospitals, has named University of Vermont Medical Center among the top 10% in the U.S. for outpatient orthopedic surgery and recognized the academic medical center with its prestigious Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award for 2024. As an academic health system, UVM Health Network is committed to continuous improvement and implementing new technology that enables advances in care, evident with the adoption of contemporary technology such as robotics at UVM Medical Center, and more recently, at UVM Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. 

Vermont Business Magazine Canaan Schools has been awarded a $5,000 grant to support classroom technology upgrades from Consolidated Communications’ Consolidated Connects Educational Grant Program. Consolidated joined students, teachers and faculty in celebrating the grant award at a check presentation during a school assembly on Friday, May 10. This grant will allow Canaan Schools to enhance technology available in the classroom, providing students with increased opportunities to engage with one another through interactive programs and lesson materials that focus on exercise, movement and balancing skills.  

Vermont Business Magazine Sam Allaire, RN, MSN, recently assumed the role of Chief Nursing Officer at Copley Hospital. Lori Profota, Copley’s former Chief Nursing Officer, accepted a full-time position as Chief Operating and Chief Nursing Officer at Springfield Hospital. Allaire joined Copley in the fall of 2021 as Nursing Education Program Manager. Previously, she worked as a Med-Surg Nurse and as a Labor and Delivery Nurse and has held leadership roles at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Central Vermont Medical Center. As CNO, Allaire is focused on supporting Copley’s nursing and clinical staff. She is engaged in regular process review to ensure her team has what it needs to optimize the time they spend with patients at the bedside. 

Vermont Business Magazine Community Health CEO Mike Gardner and Board Chair Nancy Morlino honored and thanked 39 Community Health employees for their years of service ranging from five to 20 years. During an annual recognition event, HR Director Sami Davis highlighted the commitment and enduring quality of care that the clinical and administrative workers have shown during their time with the health network that provides medical, dental and behavioral health services at eight locations in Rutland and southern Addison counties.

Vermont Business Magazine Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union students and educators will spend the remainder of this school year learning how they can keep spreading HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond. Pat Fish, of Sweethearts & Heroes, is working in the FNESU for three days a week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) throughout this month and until June 7. Sweethearts and Heroes is a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent hopelessness, bullying and suicide with a focus on the basic components of social-emotional learning (SEL). Sweethearts & Heroes offers a profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE, Empathy and Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build empathy; and the B.R.A.V.E. Youth Leadership Program, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades.