Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Age Strong VT Final Plan, which has been revised following public comment last fall, is now published and available for review on the SVCOA website homepage. This plan is a comprehensive, multi-sector roadmap designed for the next decade to transform Vermont into an age-friendly state. It has been led by the Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living (DAIL) and the Department of Health, collaborating with a wide-ranging stakeholder committee. The plan sets forth ambitious objectives and strategies to enhance affordability, health and well-being, social connection, support systems, housing, transportation, community design, support for family care partners, and elder justice.  To further promote awareness and support for this vital initiative among lawmakers and the wider community, there will be a reading of the Age Strong VT Resolution at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, February 22nd. 

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) has launched a comprehensive health assessment of the communities it serves, seeking feedback through a short, anonymous survey, open to all. SVMC is encouraging residents in Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts to take the brief survey, now available at SVMC.org. In addition to the digital survey, SVMC will be conducting in-person community outreach to collect responses. The health assessment will be open through early spring 2024.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS The House Health Care Committee passed out a bill that makes reimbursement parity for audio/visual telehealth services permanent and proposes increasing audio-only from 75 percent of an in-person visit to full parity. VAHHS appreciates the House Health Care Committee’s recognition of the same reimbursement for the same expertise and providing greater patient choice by supporting telehealth in all its forms. Also, the House Health Care Committee took up a new draft of H.766, which provides changes that VAHHS believes will go a long way to prevent provider burnout and improve care.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has been recognized for exceptional culture with two industry awards that celebrate workplace wellness, with a focus on mental health: Mental Health America’s 2024 Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, Platinum level, and the Gold level of the 2023 Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation. National Life was among the first financial services organizations to be recognized with Mental Health America’s (MHA) Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health in 2021. The Bell Seal recognizes employer advances in workplace mental health by awarding recognition levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Founded in 1909, Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the overall mental health of all.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center announced today that it has been recognized as a 2024 Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award recipient by Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. This achievement along with their 5-Star in Outpatient Total Hip Replacement reflects the organization’s dedication to clinical excellence and distinguishes Rutland Regional Medical Center as one of the nation’s leading hospitals for outpatient joint replacement. Rutland Regional is also the only hospital in Vermont and New Hampshire to receive the Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award distinction.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Join VBSR, Tabitha Moore from Intentional Evolution Consulting, and Rachel Siegel from Toward Liberation, LLC, for a four-part training series addressing some of the core competencies of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI). Participants will deepen their understanding of Unconscious Bias, Microaggressions, Class & Classism, and Power Dynamics, building awareness, knowledge, and skills supporting change at both the individual and collective level; from personal evolution to organizational transformation. Individual trainings are $45 for VBSR members and $65 for nonmembers. VBSR Members who register for all four trainings receive a discounted rate of $150 (savings of 20%/$30 per person). Sessions will be held virtually in March and April 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.24 per gallon, up 4.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.19/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.93/g while the highest was $3.39/g, a difference of 46.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 8.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.26/g today.

by Robert F. Smith, The Commons What was the bustling industrial center of Bellows Falls a hundred years ago has slowly been converted over the past two decades into an exceptional public park. An area polluted, abandoned, and neglected for most of the past century has been the focus of volunteer citizens working to convert the 8-acre former industrial site into an inviting, environmentally safe outdoor space for the community. But somewhat hidden away and accessed from the village only through the alley-like, narrow Mill Street, even some local folks don't even know that it exists. The site of the now-14-year-old Bellows Falls Historic Riverfront Park and Trail System was initially developed in the mid-1800s by the lumber and papermaking industry.

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced $1.5 billion in planned direct funding for GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) as part of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act. This investment will enable GF to expand and create new manufacturing capacity and capabilities to securely produce more essential chips for automotive, IoT, aerospace, defense, and other vital markets. The investment includes modernization of GF’s longest continuously operated fab and the nation’s first and largest Trusted 200mm facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. The $125 million project will upgrade existing facilities, expand capacity as well as create the first U.S. facility capable of high-volume manufacturing of next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors for use in electric vehicles, power grids, data centers, 5G and 6G smartphones and other critical technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Over 85 non-profit trail stewards, outdoor business owners, ski area managers, and municipal leaders came to the Statehouse in Montpelier on Friday for the inaugural Vermont Outdoor Recreation Day and to advocate for strategic investment for the future of outdoor recreation in Vermont. The outdoor recreation economy brings $1.9 billion annually into Vermont, amounting to 4.6% of State GDP. Nationally, Vermont ranks second only to Hawaii for outdoor recreation contribution as a percentage of state GDP, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC), Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) and the Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont) held a press conference seeking State funding for a comprehensive economic impact study, trail stewardship, flood recovery, and climate resiliency and adaptation.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets What does the next 10 years in dairy look like?  Come to the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit to find out! A dairy system that works for farmers, processors, and consumers isn’t out of reach – but it does require innovation across the sector.  At the Summit, you’ll hear from farmers and processors who are leading the way toward a profitable and resilient dairy sector. You’ll find workshops on farm technology, climate-smart strategies to increase profit, processing and packaging solutions, workforce development, and growing opportunities for goat and sheep dairy. Early bird registration ends on March 1st.  Register today for the best rates, with special discounts for farmers, processors, and students.

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine Lamoille County’s economy is cooking. Its bread and butter is tourism, with two four-season resorts and associated businesses. Manufacturing also fuels the economy. It is a sector of economic development that specialists like Patrick Ripley want to grow. The Stowe area is second to Burlington for the number of room and meal taxes it sends to the state. “Lamoille County is a great place — you should come visit,” said Stowe Town Manager Charles Safford. But there’s a catch: The cost of living in Lamoille County is beyond the means of many who would like to live there.