Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated today that Brian Thomas Badgley, 37, of Waterbury appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington for an arraignment on a two-count indictment charging him with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. Badgely entered a plea of not guilty and was released on conditions. In 2016, Badgley had strict conditions placed on his pharmacist license after he was suspected of having diverted narcotics while employed as a pharmacy manager at Northwestern Medical Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has hired Hazel Brewster as the organization’s Director of Public Relations. Hazel will lead the Vermont Chamber’s communication and event efforts, working closely with President Betsy Bishop, who has championed the voice of businesses for over a decade. Born and raised in Morrisville, Hazel is a graduate of the University of Vermont, and earned her master’s degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs from the University of British Columbia. Most recently, she served as Chief of Staff for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray.

Vermont Business Magazine As hospitals across the United States face increasing COVID-19 cases among patients and staff due to the omicron variant, the number of UVM Medical Center employees restricted from work due to COVID-19 – after testing positive, experiencing symptoms, or having an exposure at home, at work or in the community – is currently at 422 and is expected to continue climbing. At the same time, other employees have needed to stay home to care for children or loved ones, and patient volumes continue to be high.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections is announcing two symptomatic incarcerated individuals tested positive for COVID and are in isolation at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St Johnsbury. The individuals resided in the same building as the three prior positives whose test results were received Monday. The building, which has two open units, is now being treated as a quarantine unit. The facility remains on full lockdown. As of Wednesday afternoon, 14 incarcerated individuals are considered positive across five Vermont facilities.

Vermont Business Magazine Earlier today, The University of Vermont Medical Center began transferring its inpatient rehabilitation unit from its temporary main campus location, back to its location on the Fanny Allen campus in Colchester. In addition to previous upgrades, the Hospital Services team worked throughout 2021 with outside experts to assess, renovate and optimize the space’s complex system of filtration, ventilation, air conditioning and heating units, which was outdated and did not allow for optimal airflow in spaces where staff had reported symptoms such as dizziness and nausea.