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Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Health Network’s program for patients who need help affording prescriptions, navigating insurance coverage, and accessing eyeglasses and medical equipment is supporting more patients and families than ever before. In 2023, the Health Assistance Program (HAP) helped 6,368 patients obtain life-saving medication, and helped hundreds more enroll in health insurance and other state and federal programs, or access other critical health resources through the team’s advocacy and support. For patients who qualify, all co-pays and costs are waived for both brand-name and generic prescriptions – totaling 87,000 prescriptions in 2023. Overall, HAP covered $7.5 million in costs last year that would have come out of lower-income patients’ pockets for medication.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, US Senators Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) sent a letter to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler raising concerns of potential greenwashing in ExxonMobil’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources (Pioneer) and Chevron Corporation’s acquisition of Hess Corporation, despite both companies’ public commitments to key climate goals. The Senators urged the SEC to clarify its investigative practices during mergers for firms that make climate pledges. This comes as the SEC is reportedly considering issuing a ruling in the coming days that could roll back proposed greenhouse gas emissions disclosure regulations for large companies and corporations. 

by Norah White, Community News Service House lawmakers are discussing a new bill that would prohibit people from flying drones less than 100 feet above private property with the intent to conduct surveillance. “Hovering over someone’s house technically qualifies as stalking,” Rep. Josie Leavitt, D-Grand Isle, one of the sponsors of the bill, H.284, said in an interview. The goal of the bill is to protect the privacy of homeowners, a concern Leavitt said came up recently in talks with constituents.

Vermont Business Magazine Neagley & Chase in 2024 commemorating 40 years of helping commercial customers execute a wide array of building projects. Neagley & Chase, based in South Burlington, is one of northern New England's most respected and diverse construction firms. Started by Mark R. Neagley in 1984, the company provides high-quality construction services that range from historic renovations to large commercial and institutional facilities. In its 40 years, Neagley & Chase has completed numerous projects in industry sectors, including manufacturing, food & beverage, office, education, municipal wastewater, housing, and historic preservation. The company has won numerous awards for its work in sustainability, historic preservation, and construction.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Animation Festival welcomes notable creators Dustin Grella and Dan Bandit (a.k.a. Ghostshrimp) to the ninth annual festival March 22-23, 2024, hosted by Vermont State University Lyndon in partnership with Catamount Arts. An animator and documentary filmmaker, Dustin Grella’s films have screened at the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, he’s won the Walt Disney Award at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and his film "Prayers for Peace" screened at almost two hundred festivals worldwide and won more than forty awards. Dan Bandit was just nominated for a Grammy for the album art/package design for the Gravity Falls soundtrack. His work appears on a variety of animated shows on the Cartoon Network, including Adventure Time, Disney, Netflix, and Nickelodeon, including SpongeBob and Midnight Gospel.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that reported COVID-19 cases were back over 200 from their lowest level since early fall but are still relatively low. In addition, hospitalizations continue to decline, and fatalities have fallen back after running about 6 a week this year. There were 3 fatalities in this report, which is slightly fewer than they've been in about two months. The pandemic death total now stands at 1,131 as of February 24, 2024 (the most recent data available). Total reported deaths in January were 28, which is the highest monthly total in nearly a year, but only 14 so far for February. The VDH reported last week that COVID-19 hospitalizations were down another 3 to a statewide total of 22, which is the lowest they've been in several months. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cases last week were 202, up 22 for the week. 

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Berlin has acquired the Mako SmartRobotics system for orthopedic procedures, demonstrating a commitment to offering leading orthopedic care to patients in the region. This state-of-the-art technology revolutionizes the approach to joint surgery, ensuring patients receive personalized, precise and minimally invasive treatments. The Mako system combines 3D CT-scan that allows surgeons to create personalized surgical plans based on each patient’s unique anatomy before entering the operating room. During surgery, the robotic arm is guided by the surgeon with increased precision and accuracy, resulting in better outcomes such as less pain, quicker recovery times and improved knee flexion. The Mako system is currently approved for total knee, partial knee and hip replacements, with other applications undergoing the FDA approval process.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, on Thursday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m. ET will lead the committee in a hearing titled, “The Older Americans Act: Supporting Efforts to Meet the Needs of Seniors.” First signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has provided vital nutrition, social, economic, and health services to millions of vulnerable seniors for nearly six decades. These highly effective services have not only saved lives they have saved taxpayers money.

by M. Kathleen Shaw DVM, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association With Easter and Mother’s Day approaching veterinarians are urging cat owners to be aware that lilies, commonly added to spring bouquets, are highly poisonous to cats. These include the Lilium and Hemerocallis species which are commonly referred to as Tiger lilies, Day lilies, and Asiatic lilies. All parts of the lily plant are poisonous- the petals, leaves, stem, and even the pollen. A cat need only ingest as few as one or two leaves or groom a small amount of pollen off their fur to send them into severe kidney failure which can lead to death. Most of the time the symptoms (vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, dehydration) occur within 6-12 hours and will worsen as the kidney failure develops. There is no medication to counteract the poisoning, but the sooner you can get your cat to the veterinarian to try to prevent and reverse the effects the better.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Surgeon General has identified youth mental health as the “defining health crisis of our time.” Sterling College and Bennington College have joined a group of 13 liberal arts colleges to explore creative and collaborative strategies for schools to support student mental health and wellness. This new collaborative - launched by the Endeavor Foundation - will implement tangible solutions to the crisis. Chief Operating Officer at Sterling College Lori Collins-Hall is the grant Project Director. The collaborative is focused on four main goals: fostering shared learning and active collaboration across all campuses; understanding how the liberal arts context benefits students' mental health and well-being holistically; devising plans and proposals for implementing the most promising multi-campus projects; and developing a network of cross-institutional capacity and support. 

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of the Alabama State Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos created during the IVF process are “children” under state law, support continues to grow for legislation introduced by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and cosponsored by Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) to protect access to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) nationwide. The Access to Family Building Act—which would establish a statutory right to access IVF for all Americans who need it to start or grow a family—now has 46 Senate cosponsors, despite Senate Republicans blocking the legislation from being passed last week. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement on the minibus agreement announced Sunday by Congressional leadership: Over the past year, one of my top legislative priorities as Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee has been to address the primary care crisis in America and the massive shortage of doctors, nurses, dentists, and mental health professionals in our nation... Under this agreement, community health centers will be receiving the largest increase in mandatory funding in a decade, equivalent to a rate of $4.4 billion through the end of the year. Community health centers are the backbone of our primary care system providing high quality care to over 31 million Americans.