Should Vermont have birthing centers not affiliated with a hospital? Vermont is just one of eight states that don’t have them. But advocates for changing that gathered at the Statehouse Tuesday to make their voices heard.

Despite weather warm enough to keep the Capitol doors open earlier last week, the return to cold weather reminded us that the session is far from over. We’re hunkering down as bills pass out of committees and the House starts working on the FY 2024 budget in earnest.

The legislature had a busy week last week touching upon key advocacy priorities for VAHHS and more.

It was only a few short years ago when health care workers were praised as heroes for braving the pandemic. Today, many of those workers now face a different fear -- violent attacks by their patients. Health care facilities across the state say their employees are increasingly threatened by the patients they are trying to treat.

Health care workers say they are being assaulted by the people they care for at an alarming rate. But some say a proposed law aimed at protecting those workers might not be the answer.

Throughout the week, state senators heard testimony that revolved around a bill that would make reproductive procedures and gender-affirming services legally protected in Vermont.

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) Corner Medical is excited to introduce two new providers: Hannah Prevost, FNP and Logan Dege-Pearl, DNP.

According to the American Hospital Association, by 2026, there will be a shortage of over 3 million health care workers. The severity of the health care workforce shortage will be more acute for rural communities like those in southern Vermont.

The triple threat of flu, COVID-19 and RSV is easing in the United States. Most states are now reporting low or minimal levels of respiratory activity. However, hospitals are about as full as they have ever been during the pandemic.

Dr. Steven Anisman has joined North Country Hospital and is already getting to know and care for cardiology patients in the community.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care has debuted a new policy to prevent aggressive and violent behavior toward its healthcare staff, the Bennington, Vt.-based system said Feb. 2. Like many hospitals across the nation, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center has seen an increase in the proportion of staff reporting violent behavior from patients and visitors.

Gifford Health Care’s Menig Nursing Home in Randolph Center has an overall Five-Star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to the latest reports published by the federal agency.

Every month, Jon Asselin, the chief financial officer of Primary Care Health Partners, divvies up a substantial payment to each of his association’s five primary care practices, located in the Burlington area, St. Albans, Bennington and Brattleboro.

These are really hard times for many, and we know stress, frustration and grief can bring out the absolute worst in people. The remedy for all of this pain is the love of community.

VAHHS wants to thank Sen. Dick Sears and Sen. Ginny Lyons for holding a joint hearing last week to hear from health care providers on S.36 and workplace violence.

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Fritz in his role as the chief medical officer at the Brattleboro Retreat for over 20 years. During that time, he expanded the medical staff and facilitated the creation of new programs, including LGBT, Emerging Adult, Uniformed Services, and the opioid addiction Hub and Spoke programs, to name a few. But more importantly, Fritz supported the medical staff, all Retreat employees, administration and the mission of Anna Marsh, the Retreat founder, in “humane treatment of the mentally ill.”

During a joint session of the Senate Judiciary and Health and Welfare committees, 10 witnesses organized by the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems urged legislators to support S.36. The new bill would add three clauses specific to health care workers and health care facilities to Rule 3 of the Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure, which governs when law enforcement officers can arrest someone without a warrant.

Sen. Bernie Sanders was named as the new chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions last week. It's a position that Sanders requested, because it deals with many of the issues he's worked on during his long political career.

Some emergency medical service providers are having a tough time with staffing and finances. This hour, host Mikaela Lefrak will discuss the future of EMS in Vermont and a new academy that's training the next generation of first responders.