VAHHS Update
What the deal between Blue Cross of Vermont and Michigan means for local policy holders
Vermont’s largest private health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, is now a subsidiary of a much larger counterpart in Michigan. State regulators approved the new relationship last week.
Where the GOP speaker candidates stand on health policy
The race for House speaker is on with two staunch conservatives — Reps. Steve Scalise (La.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) — officially vying for the post. House Republicans are scheduled to hold a candidate forum later today after the chamber was thrust into unprecedented chaos last week.
Grace Cottage recognized as major LGBTQ+ ally
After earning a top ranking for LGBTQ+ health care service last year, Grace Cottage Family Health and Hospital's Health Equity Team is continuing to seek progress.
How to Prevent a High-Impact Cyberattack
Health care remains under siege from ransomware perpetrators. Ransomware accounted for nearly 70% of the successful cyberattacks on health care organizations, according to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report.
Results from 2020 Tax-Exempt Hospitals' Schedule H Community Benefits Report
Every hospital and health system’s mission is to always care for their patients and communities. Even during a once-in-a-century pandemic, hospitals continued to provide a comprehensive range of benefits, programs and essential services.
Audit finds thousands of Vermonters wrongly charged for contraceptive care
Thousands of Vermonters will receive reimbursement checks after a state investigation found they were wrongly charged out of pocket by their insurance companies for contraceptive care.
Regulators approve control of Vermont Blue Cross Blue Shield by larger Michigan insurer
Vermont’s largest private health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, has become a subsidiary of its much larger Michigan counterpart.
In Robin Lunge, Green Mountain Care Board keeps experienced policy hand
Gov. Phil Scott has reappointed Robin Lunge, a lawyer with long experience in Vermont health care policy, to a six-year term on the Green Mountain Care Board.
What are emergency room wait times in Vermont? Here's what different groups report
Becker's defines wait time as the time patients spend in the ER before leaving. The research examined data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency, from Jan. 7, 2020, to March 31, 2021.
How Vermont's all-payer ACO model paves the way for value-based care
As its name states, the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model is an arrangement that incorporates patients with both private and public healthcare coverage, but what makes this model so appealing to providers?
St. Johnsbury hospital seeing increase in emergency room assaults
Hospital officials in St. Johnsbury say they’re growing more concerned about violence in the emergency department.
VAHHS: Hospital leaders make kits for children in emergency departments
In what has now become an annual tradition, health care leaders at the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) Annual Meeting on September 21 and 22 set aside time to do a service project for the community.
Residential recovery program prepares to open in Ludlow
A residential treatment facility for addiction is preparing to open in Ludlow. It was made possible by the Divided Sky Foundation, which was started by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio.
Why nursing schools are turning away applicants amid a major staffing shortage | CNN Business
At a time when registered nurses are going on strike to protest staffing shortages, thousands of applicants who want to enter or advance in the profession are being turned away from nursing schools.
In Depth: VAHHS CEO Mike Del Trecco Discusses Hospital Budgets
Vermont health care regulators have made their judgments on how much hospitals can spend and charge in the coming year.
UVM Medical Center to make Narcan available to community
As the drug epidemic grows in Vermont, the emergency department at the state’s largest hospital will dispense more Narcan to the community.
Lyndon Man Accused of Assaulting Doctor at NVRH Following Crash: Doc Says It Was The Third Time In A Week He Had Been Assaulted By A Patient In The Emergency Room
A Lyndon man crashed into a telephone pole with his truck this weekend and then allegedly assaulted a doctor that was treating him at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH).
Public forum scheduled to unveil plans for new Grace Cottage addition
A public forum to unveil plans for a new primary care clinic building at Grace Cottage will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Wardsboro Town Hall, 71 Main St.
Vermonters can take part in a clinical study of a possible vaccine against Lyme disease
Vermont has a real problem with Lyme disease, with the second highest 3-year average incidence rate for the disease in the United States, according to Vermont Lyme, an organization that researches Lyme infections in the state.