VAHHS Update
Vermont regulators, hospitals interested in seeing work from new VT Healthcare 911 coalition partly led by former Gov. Jim Douglas
A coalition featuring a former governor, doctors, and business and labor leaders says the cost of health care in Vermont is too high and plans to make lowering a priority.
Some mental health beds leave Vt. hospital in cost-saving effort
Friday marked the last day of some mental health beds at the Central Vermont Medical Center. It comes as the state is already working with limited mental health care resources.
Effective immediately: CDC can't talk to WHO. What will that mean for world health?
This week, as officials at World Health Organizations convene meetings discussing everything from Marburg virus in Tanzania to mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are some empty seats in the room — and fewer attendees at virtual meetings.
Rural hospitals band together to stay open
Vermont’s rural hospitals are in danger of closing. That’s according to the controversial report issued by consulting group Oliver Wyman. Now, some of those hospitals are banding together, saving themselves from closure and saving patients money in the meantime.
How will federal employee buyout impact Vermont VA?
Employees at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction were among federal employees across the country this week to get emails offering job buyouts from the Trump administration, and it has some of them nervous.
Legislative Update
Legislators want to know what hospitals are doing to address Vermont’s affordability and access issues.
Vt. moves ahead with program aimed at improving Medicare affordability
After a 3-1 vote with one abstention, the Green Mountain Care Board joined Gov. Phil Scott and the Agency of Human Services in an agreement to change the way Vermont runs Medicare and Medicaid.
State Treasurer Pieciak Proposes Medical Debt Relief Program
Treasurer Mike Pieciak says a small state investment could erase up to $100 million of the medical debts plaguing some of Vermont’s lowest-income residents.
Vermont leads country in maternal and infant care report card
Vermont leads the nation for its efforts in maternal and infant care-- that’s according to a new report card from the March of Dimes.
Legislative Update
As Vermont emerges from negative temperatures, things are heating up at the State House. See below for more details:
Survey: 99% of Vermont clinicians report prior authorization increases burnout
As part of a survey requested by the Vermont Legislature circulated by the Vermont Medical Society, HealthFirst, Bistate Primary Care and the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, Vermont clinicians report that prior authorizations are increasing in volume, time consuming for clinicians and medical practices, and that they delay care for patients and increase burnout for practitioners.
Unravelling' Fosters an Honest Dialogue on Mental Health
Kurt White was fed up with how people talk about mental health. As a trained clinical social worker and therapist with two decades of experience, he knows that the subject can be far more uncomfortable and messy than the polished sound bites and tidy conclusions that dominate media coverage.
Legislative Update
The start of the session always feels like going back to school, and even more so during a new biennium. With new committees come introductory and refresher courses on Medicaid, health insurance, and Vermont’s health care system.
Vermont was the only state to receive an 'A' in maternal and infant health in report
Vermont is the only state in the nation to receive an "A" grade for maternal and infant health on the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card, according to a news release.
Vermont moves ahead with new federal health care payment model
The Green Mountain Care Board will sign on to an agreement that moves Vermont towards a new federal model for health care reform, following a vote Friday that split the members of the five-person regulatory body.
New group of power players will lobby for housing policy in Montpelier
A new pro-housing advocacy group has entered the scene at the Vermont Statehouse. Their message: Vermont needs to build, build, build, or else the state’s housing deficit will pose an existential threat to its future economy.
Levine, Tandan Interviewed by Vermont Public about State ALS Rates
Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for graduate medical education at the Larner College of Medicine, and Rup Tandan, M.D., professor of neurological sciences, commented for a Vermont Public story about a Department of Health report showing that the number of Vermonters with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is above the national average.
Legislative Update
While it may be tempting to think that the State House goes into a state of suspended animation during the off-season, only to come alive at the sound of the gavel’s fall in January, there’s a lot of work that goes on with its inhabitants from May to December.
4 issues to watch during this year's Vermont legislative session
The 2024 election went about as well as it could have for the Republican Party. And nowhere in the nation did Republicans pick up more seats in a state legislature than in the little blue state of Vermont.
Rural Vermont Hospital Combats Workforce Shortages with ‘Earn-and-Learn’ Opportunities
Health care professionals are needed in many communities across the U.S., particularly in rural areas.