VAHHS Update
US cancer centers warn drug shortages continue, impacting different varieties of medications
While a shortage of the chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and carboplatin has improved in the United States, some of the nation's largest cancer centers now report additional concerns related to drug shortages, a new report finds.
Montpelier man arrested over threat at Vt. hospital
Vermont health regulators are gathering public input next month on options to revitalize the state’s health system.
Newport woman charged with assaulting nurse, harassing patients
A Newport woman faces charges after police say she harassed patients and assaulted a nurse at North Country Hospital early Wednesday.
Central Vermont Medical Center adds new screening, bag policy
This week, Central Vermont Medical Center announced plans to add new security measures, including metal detectors at its emergency department entrance.
New blood cancer treatment saving lives, UVM officials say
University of Vermont Cancer Center officials say a promising treatment for blood cancer launched last year appears to be saving lives.
Consultant deems Vermont health care system ‘badly broken’
Bruce Hamory, a medical doctor and consultant with the firm Oliver Wyman, had one key message for state officials on Wednesday: Vermont’s health care system needs to change, and quickly.
Message From the CEO
As I have mentioned on more than one occasion, here in this column and through my public comment to the GMCB, Vermont’s non-profit hospitals evaluate policies and ideas through the lens of the following principles: equitable access to high-quality care; stabilization for hospitals; promotion of a strong care ecosystem outside the hospital, and predictability.
CVMC seeks approval for cancer care upgrades
When John Campbell, a former Vermont state senator and president pro tempore, learned about his prostate cancer diagnosis, he immediately began worrying about how his life would be upended.
New law could help expand veterans' health care services to more communities in Vermont
Thousands of veterans across Vermont could see an expansion of health care services in the coming years under a bill signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott earlier this month.
Telehealth company looks to fill mental health provider gap
More than 36 percent of Vermont adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021, according to a snapshot from the National Alliance of Mental Health.
Recovery programs to focus on Vt. inmates with opioid addiction
Vermont corrections officials are ramping up efforts to get addiction recovery coaches in more prisons. It comes as data shows 70% of inmates in Vermont are battling addiction.
From VITL: Five things to know about health information sharing in Vermont
Summer is right around the corner, and for many Vermonters, that means heading to some of the most idyllic spots in the state to enjoy all the season has to offer.
Gov. Phil Scott signs bills on emergency medical services, capital projects, miscellaneous reforms
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a raft of bills Thursday, codifying legislation that will make changes to various areas of state government and policy.
The long wait for primary care in Vermont
Wait times are long and clinicians are maxed out. Brave Little State takes a look at where the future of primary care is headed.
OR nurse Ana Gonzalez Gifford’s first recruit via partnership with inSpring
Gifford seeks to grow and diversify its nursing workforce by recruiting candidates from abroad with the help of workforce development partner inSpring.
Health Watch: New RRMC infusion center reduces wait times
A new infusion center at Rutland Regional Medical Center is reducing wait times and improving patient care.
‘A sense of urgency’: Sen. Bernie Sanders pushes Vermont health care players on high costs
Earlier this month, health insurance companies asked state regulators for permission to increase their premiums by roughly 9% to 19% — among the highest increases in recent history.
Amid proposed health insurance rate hikes, Vermont businesses say health costs are slowing growth
As Vermont health insurers are proposing hefty 2025 rate hikes for individual and small group plan premiums, members of the business community say that high health care costs are slowing down the local economy.
With prescription drug bills, Vermont lawmakers hope to lower pharmaceutical prices
Vermont lawmakers are hoping that new legislation headed to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott will help patients afford prescription drugs, as rising pharmaceutical prices push up health care costs across the state.
Gov. Phil Scott signs bill limiting prior authorization, other health insurer practices
Gov. Phil Scott on Monday evening signed H.766, a bill that takes aim at health insurance company practices such as “prior authorization” and seeks to free health care practitioners from burdensome paperwork.