She was overpowered by a male patient in the waiting room.
BREAKING: Patient helps disarm out-of-control woman with gun at St. Albans hospital
Report: 199 VT schools allow student gender transitions to be kept from parents
A national education watchdog group says dozens of Vermont school districts have policies that may allow student gender transitions to be kept from parents, according to a report released April 20.
Newport’s Dr. Umair Malik wins national award for primary care practice
The award recognizes a healthcare leader who has built a practice environment that prioritizes the patient-provider relationship, according to the organization. Malik was selected from hundreds of practices nationwide for what the conference described as his “Care Over Codes” philosophy.
Vermont’s health ranking: great for headlines, harder for rural families
Vermont’s ranking is being carried by a handful of counties that don’t represent most of the state’s geography, or most of its working-age population.
Deadline approaches for Vermont to receive $195M for rural health care
Lawmakers on the Senate Health & Welfare Committee received an update Thursday from AHS on the status of the funding and how the state plans to use it. Director Jill Mazza Olson and Sarah Rosenblum, said Vermont will receive $195 million in 2026 for its first year of funding and has put out notices for six opportunities to bid with plans for ten more. According to the newly created public webpage, the submission periods for the first six proposals end starting April 10.
Lawmakers weigh increased insurance coverage for prosthetics
Supporters of the bill are hoping that H.432 will help eliminate the barriers many amputees face
Pay more up front, save later
Vermont lawmakers are advancing a major restructuring of how primary care is paid for, but the proposal is raising fundamental questions about cost, access, and how much of the system it can realistically change.
Testimony is heard in the Senate on psilocybin
Vermont lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal that would allow patients to access certain clinically appropriate psilocybin-based therapies in the event of federal approval.
A doctor baffled by vaccine reactions and other stories about COVID-19 protocols
Also, a mother and son coerced into taking shots to stay employed or at school respectively.
MacDonald: Another COVID lie no one will apologize for
A practice that looks as if it has produced wide-scale and unnecessary chronic disease among kids they will have to live with their entire lives. A problem that the vaccine or bust crowd isn’t even willing to talk about, people who shout conspiracy theory if you suggest we consider safety trials that have never been done.
Wrongful-death suit at Rutland hospital
The estate of a local man, who claims he died from mistreatment at the Rutland Regional Medical Center in February 2025 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital.
Health care bill that may violate constitutional rights passes House
The constitutional rights of faith-based organizations operating in Vermont may be under attack with the passage of a bill on Thursday.
Lawmakers target AI in health care and mental health services
Lawmakers are weighing two bills – H.814 and H.816 – that would create a new set of protections from neurotechnology in Vermont and regulate usage of artificial intelligence in mental health services, respectively.
‘Burtt Amendment’ to vax bill urged
The amendment is expected to be considered when H.545 returns to the House floor, potentially on Tuesday.
Corrections medical contractor legally under fire for inmate death
Lawsuit claims Wellpath negligence killed Vermont inmate with untreated diabetes
Vermont group says no to fed fluoride changes
The Vermont Environmental Justice Network is among more than 140 organizations supporting comments filed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry opposing a proposed fluoride assessment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Hospital to pay $1.4 million for testicular cancer malpractice
The Tunbridge man received an invasive medical procedure to remove his left testicle.
Medicare change big affordability win for lower incomes – Rodgers
Because of this policy change, an estimated 14,322 additional Vermonters will become newly eligible for Medicare Savings Programs—allowing each of them to keep $2,435 more per year in their pockets and enjoy additional cost-saving benefits.
Recovery Day at the State House
Advocates for substance abuse recovery, and Vermonters in recovery themselves, traveled to Montpelier and met with legislators to promote pro-recovery legislation and funding for Vermont’s recovery residences. “Recovery Residences” are a step above regulated rehabilitation treatment facilities which stabilize individuals, usually for around two weeks. On the other hand, stays at recovery residences last six to eighteen months, and they boast a high success rate.
Hospitals promise big savings
Hospitals are taking big steps towards cutting operational costs to save nearly $400,000,000 over the next few years.
AMA, plastic surgeons say youth gender surgery too risky
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Medical Association have recommended against gender transition surgeries for youths, becoming the first major medical associations in the U.S. to narrow its guidance on pediatric gender care.
Federal vax policy doesn’t restrict states, Children’s Health Defense prez testifies
All of the hullabaloo about new federal vaccine guidelines miss the fact that they don’t restrict states from adopting their own guidelines.
Vermont most stressed state over savings, new research shows
According to a sentiment analysis of more than 10 million geotagged social media discussions posted over the first four weeks of January, 37% of posts about financial savings use stressed language in Vermont, which is considerably higher than the US national average of 25%.
Victims of crime involving mental health demand Legislature’s help
Vermont needs a secure facility to hold people deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial for violent crime. That was one of the “asks” to lawmakers by crime victims, survivors, and advocates from across Vermont who gathered at the State House on Tuesday for the first Voices for Vermont Victims Public Hearing, urging lawmakers to enact reforms to better protect victims’ rights in cases involving mental health and forensic competency issues.
Informed consent for child vax goes to House floor today
“Prior to administering the recommended immunization, the health care professional shall obtain written acknowledgement of receipt of the information required by this subdivision from the patient or, if the patient is a minor, from the patient’s parent or guardian.”
Children’s Health Day at the Vermont Statehouse
Vermonters will have an opportunity to share their concerns and become better informed regarding the increasing role schools and government have been playing in their family’s health care decisions.
UVM’s North Country hospitals bargain amid NYC 15,000+ nurse walkout
A significant source of friction in negotiations stems from wage comparisons with nurses at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington—the network’s flagship facility.
NGO wants state funding to transport immigrants to health care clinics
A nonprofit that helps immigrants, regardless of legal status, get to health care appointments is asking Vermont lawmakers for $167,000 in state funding after losing support from the University of Vermont Extension Service.
‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ millions for rural health must go to new programs
Vermont has been awarded more than $195 million in federal funding to support rural health system innovation, though state officials cautioned lawmakers the money cannot be used to replace or stabilize existing programs.
Free prescription drug discount card proposed as health coverage subsidies expire
State Treasurer and legislative leaders push program that could save hundreds of dollars monthly—but critical details about insurance deductibles and pharmacy participation remain unclear
First negotiated Medicare drug prices went into effect Jan. 1
Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced its first set of Medicare-negotiated “maximum fair prices” for 10 selected drugs, with negotiated prices ranging from 38% to 79% below their list prices. A drug’s list price is the manufacturer’s sticker price, though it is rarely what insurers or patients actually pay and is mainly used as a starting point for negotiations.
Governor Scott praises Trump administration for rural health funding
Vermont will receive over $195 million in Rural Health Transformation Funds in 2026, which is among the highest award per capita in the nation. But not all Vermont political figures are so complementary.
UVM study shows prolific Canadian wildfire smoke worsened pediatric asthma in U.S. Northeast
First study of wildfire smoke’s effects on children with asthma in the Northeast reveals growing health risks for the region as climate change fuels more smoke-filled summers.
Soulia: What are Pharmacy Benefit Managers and why should you care?
PBMs were created to control drug costs, but their profit-driven practices have turned them into key drivers of price inflation.
Understanding the Blue Cross/UVM Health Network split
According to the Blue Cross campaign, a standard MRI scan at UVM Medical Center costs approximately $6,520 compared to $1,799 at an independent facility.
U.S. House set to vote on banning child gender medical intervention
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote as early as Tuesday on H.R. 3492, titled the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, legislation that would prohibit gender-related medical interventions for minors.
Klar: MAHA’s war on ultra-processed foods was just vindicated
The medical journal The Lancet has just released three companion studies that vindicate this MAHA message.
Republicans divided over how to address rising health care costs
While House Republicans will drop the text of a health care policy bill as soon as Monday, individual Republican senators have introduced a hodge-podge of ideas via separate bills.
Roper: Healthcare in Vermont is a government facilitated grift
And EVERYBODY is paying the price.
Compass Vermont: Armed with questionable data, GMCB sets its sights on Gifford Hospital
The Green Mountain Care Board seems to continue to prioritize standardized billing data in order to support their policy goals even after receiving the more reliable clinical reality.
Hospital to tear down vacant medical office building
Demolition of Medical Office Building D, 266 Hospital Loop Road, Berlin, will take three or four weeks and involve heavy equipment and utility work, hospitals leaders said.
Vermont medical debt relief will roll out soon
The Legislature this year unanimously passed a new law that will erase up to $100 million in medical debt—with no new taxes or fees. The Governor signed it into law on May 15.
Klar: Days of reckoning for $125 billion Obamacare
In an NPR interview on Oct. 30, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, regarded as one of the “architects” of the ACA, conceded that Obamacare has not delivered. He described the “incredibly complicated” labyrinth of the US healthcare system, admitting, “[F]rankly, the affordable care added to that complication by putting in the exchanges.”
Soulia: Becca and the policy cliff
The situation Vermonters are being warned about is not just a story of one spending bill or one vote. It is the product of a deeper policy design choice: treating a major subsidy as a temporary “emergency” measure, extending it in short increments, and allowing that structure to create a recurring policy cliff that repeatedly hangs over consumers and taxpayers.
Ode: Medical debt relief coming soon
The state partners with a nonprofit that buys medical debt from hospitals at a small fraction of the original amount.
Sanders, Welch, Balint rejects shutdown-ending deal
About 30,000 residents of Vermont get their health insurance via the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. The Public Assets Institute reports that Vermonters would experience the most substantial premium hikes if the federal healthcare premium tax credits are not extended, given that Vermont already has the highest premiums nationwide.
Scholarship helps women veterans help others with PTSD
The family of an Essex Junction Army veteran who took her life due to combat PTSD has started a scholarship to help women veterans receive advanced training in PTSD treatment.
Vermont Department of Health says ‘autism isn’t something that needs to be cured’
On September 22, Pres. Donald Trump and Kennedy announced “bold actions to tackle the autism epidemic,” which they said has surged nearly 400% since 2000 and now affects 1 in 31 American children.
Governor Scott focuses on mental health initiatives in Newport
The Front Porch provides a 24/7 co-occurring program supporting individuals across the lifespan, offering a safe and welcoming alternative to emergency rooms.
Page: Autism and the New Eugenics
The echoes of Nazi policies in the modern quest to “cure” and “eradicate” Autism.
Cohen: Vermont hospital chief flameout 2.0
The ousted chief of Vermont’s largest hospital is now two strikes away from a final out trying to run health-care companies.
The hidden cost of care
New book reveals how lobbying drives up healthcare prices
Hospital CEO Sunny Eappen steps down
Hospital trustees commit to reducing expenses, slowing growth of hospital costs.
Hospital regulators cut spending, cite subsidizing NY hospitals
New York hospitals in the UVMMC network include Champlain Valley Physicians’ Hospital in Plattsburgh, Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, and Elizabethtown Community Hospital.
Both Vermont senators continue to pressure RFK to step down
“We are now witnessing a full blown war on science, public health, and on truth itself,” said Sanders at the joint press conference.
Despathy: Truth about child vaccine trials
It would be most welcome if more people, especially healthcare providers and parents, would dig into the research on vaccine harms for the sake of our children and the future of humanity.
Bernie wants RFK Jr to resign, cites ‘overwhelming opposition’
“Despite the overwhelming opposition of the medical community, secretary Kennedy has continued his longstanding crusade against vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracy theories that have been rejected repeatedly by scientific experts.”
Soulia: Act 21, VT’s $1M medical debt jubilee
Act 21 appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026. That money goes from the State Treasurer to a nonprofit debt buyer, which purchases old hospital accounts for pennies on the dollar and then cancels them. Patients who qualify — Vermont residents with incomes under 400 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL), or whose debt exceeds five percent of household income (with no income limit) — get letters saying their debt has been forgiven.
Vermont doctors declare victory in restoration of LGBTQ data
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to remove all statements that “promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology.”
Vermont a part of labor and industry pushback against proposed home care changes
The rollbacks would undo an Obama-era change, reverting regulations to those drafted in 1975. The impact would include removing overtime protections as well as the $7.25 federal minimum wage requirement for home health workers. The agency says the move would improve costs for home health care providers and stimulate growth in the struggling industry.
Regulator reduces proposed health insurance rates
GMCB said it ordered insurers to “lower their assumptions about hospital price increases” as part of its order. The board also is requiring hospitals to reduce their costs.
Health care of the future? Newport hospital expands telehealth
The grant will support new equipment and technology enabling patients to see doctors and specialists through telehealth. A new law requires insurers cover telemedicine.
12 states – but not VT – embrace MAHA push to limit junk foods in SNAP program
Despite opposition by some SNAP users claiming that the move discriminates against the marginalized (or against their food liberties), the intention of these efforts is to improve health outcomes.
Klar: The big shill: The ugly truth about pharma lackey, Peter Marks
Marks favored Pfizer over American children’s health.
Planned Parenthood’s gender protocols called ‘substandard’ by clinic cofounder
Edwards-Leeper’s young patients informed her that they received cross-sex hormones during their first 30-minute in-person or remote consultation with Planned Parenthood.
Vermonters subsidizing failing New York hospitals
In 2023 alone, CVPH and Alice Hyde accounted for over $44 million in losses, or more than 80% of the Network’s total hospital operating deficit that year.
Trump order would clear streets of homeless, mentally ill
Trump’s EO reframes the role of the federal government—not to ban homelessness per se, but to withdraw federal support from jurisdictions that tolerate open-air drug scenes, encampments, or noncompliance with anti-vagrancy law.
Hundreds expected Friday at 4th Annual Substance Use Addiction Summit
“This is a space where anyone can walk in anonymously and find support for themselves or a loved one,” said White. “There are no barriers—just tremendous statewide resources.”
A nurse’s role in underserved regions
The future of rural healthcare in Vermont begins with you
Hospital network to lay off 77 and eliminate 69 vacant positions
The latest round of job reductions is expected to save the network up to $5 million. When combined with additional cuts announced Tuesday, the total savings are projected to reach $180 million. These come on top of $150 million in cost reductions implemented earlier this year.
Vermont’s rise in raccoon rabies crosses the border into Quebec
The state has faced an increase in cases since 2022. The last time Vermont saw a rise in rabies-positive raccoons, the primary species carrying the virus, was between 2015 and 2016.
Klar: Are weight loss drugs worth the costs and risks?
The jury is still out as long-term studies await…
Klar: Exciting MAHA event with Russell Brand
A launch of the amazing MAHA initiative, called MAHA Action, will be celebrated on July 21 at the Ned nightclub in Washington, DC.
Satel and Huddle: Medical school has gotten too political
Over the past decade, we’ve grown ever more concerned about dubious strains of social-justice advocacy infiltrating medicine. Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, doctors’ pursuit of social reform coalesced, almost overnight, into a mission.
Despathy: The failure of Vermont leaders in opposing trans-exploitation
Part 4 in 4-part series, ‘Mutilation or Healthcare?’
Despathy: A mother’s plea for her daughter
Part 3 in 4-part series, ‘Mutilation or Healthcare?’
Despathy: Community Health Centers are hub of experimentation
This ‘healthcare’ business may be a welcome revenue stream for health clinics often struggling and seeking financial assistance. ‘Gender affirming care’ is quite possibly a golden ticket as the number of youth and young adults seeking ‘treatment’ has increased.
Despathy: Trans activists fill cult-like void in youths’ lives
With coupons for testosterone, minds molded by heavily monetized influencers, a false sense of belonging and support from online chatrooms dominated by questionable facilitators, impressionable, vulnerable youth sacrifice their minds and bodies for mutilation falsely labeled as healthcare.
Feds propose home health Medicare cuts, alarming Vermont providers
“A cut of this magnitude is an existential threat to home health and hospice access for Vermonters,” said the VNAs of Vermont in a statement.
ER metal detector flags thousands of weapons
The changes were sparked by a close call in April 2024, when an emergency department triage nurse encountered a patient with a four-inch switchblade.
Care home manager arraigned for abusing person with dementia
The alleged abuse took place in April while Agasi was employed as the house manager at Our House Too, a residential care home in Rutland.
Health insurance hike ‘down’ to 13.7%
Insurer says it’s not going bankrupt, but says recovery will take time.
Study: NH, VT among states least likely to have psychopaths
In fact, if (that’s a big “if”) we’re reading this study’s charts correctly, Vermont has — by far — the lowest mean level of the “Dark Factor of Personality.”
Balint slams Republicans in defense of trans kids
Balint calls gender reassignment treatments “necessary to keep [children] alive”
BREAKING: Hospital cleared for fatal overdose by doctor’s adult son
Dr. David N. Krag as executor of the estate of Peter M. Krag had sued the UVM Medical Center claiming the medical care provided by Dr. Halle G. Sobel was substandard and led to the death of the well-known local jazz musician from Shelburne five years ago.
Nursing homes cited for inadequate staffing
Balint’s remark, apparently intended to underscore the urgent need for immigration reform and workforce development, drew mixed reactions—earning praise from some for its honesty and urgency, while others criticized it as crass or dismissive.
Prominent doctor sues UVMMC for negligent treatment of drug-addicted son
A prominent world-renowned doctor based in Burlington is suing the University of Vermont Medical Center for medical negligence and wrongful death for the fatal overdose of his adult son five years ago.
Church to break ground on NEK’s first hospice house
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Saturday for Living Waters Hospice House, the first dedicated hospice residence serving Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
Hornblas: Life, death, and a new Vermont Health Commissioner
The increase in deaths is only the tip of the iceberg. We are also failing in all of our health outcomes, across the board. Schools and businesses have struggled to find enough staff who are healthy and able to work, and health facilities are flooded with patients.
Klar: What’s controversial about the MAHA commission report?
Conflicting reactions suggest it hit the sweet spot.
Klar: The vindication of Dr. Bhattacharya
Banished by the medical establishment for resisting Covid policies, he now runs the agency that made them
Soulia: Is 600,000 too small to count?
In a recently released open letter to Governor Phil Scott, health educator and Vermont Stands Up director Amy Hornblass raises a stark question: why has Vermont’s Department of Health not investigated the state’s persistent surge in excess deaths since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions?
McGuinness: S.28 legalizes modern-day equivalent of coat hanger abortions
Vermonters were told passage of Article 22 would keep abortion rare, safe, and legal, yet this new law opens the floodgates to unsupervised chemical abortions, making them common and dangerous, yet still legal.
Fireovid: HHS says puberty blockers high-risk, low benefit
This comprehensive review prioritizes evidence-based medicine and questions the treatment of minors with irreversible medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.
Medical debt relief bill sends wrong signals, Scott says – but still signs it
Medical debt payment by taxpayers sets risky precedent and disincentives repayment, guv warns.
North Country Hospital nurses celebrate and receive awards
This year’s awardees are Katrina Bennett, RN for Commitment to Quality, Jennnifer Lavelle, RN for Commitment to Professional Growth, Lucy Carpenter, LPN for Commitment to Customer Service, and Bruce Muir, RN for Commitment to Community.
BC/BS premiums proposed to rise 23% for individuals, 14% for groups
Proposed double-digit health care premium increases could be even larger if a current federal tax credit expires, according to a statement released by the Green Mountain Care Board, the State of Vermont’s health insurance regulator.
Bernie says he’ll help Trump reduce prescription drug prices
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday (5/12) implementing a “Most Favored Nation” policy that aims to align U.S. prescription drug prices. Sen. Bernie Sanders immediately promised he would work with Trump to turn the EO into a law and challenged the president to get onboard when he introduces legislation.
Page: Identity or disorder?
The untold connection between transgenderism and Body Integrity Identity Disorder
RFK Jr., VT Dept. of Health differ on fluoride in water
RFK: Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. VT Dept. of Health: When communities stop adding fluoride to their water, cavities go up.
