December 2, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

Registration Open: 2026 Legislative Breakfasts

Please join us in 2026 to meet your lawmakers and to advocate for health care policies over coffee and a light breakfast.  These breakfasts, which will all be held in the cafeteria from 8-9am at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, are an informal opportunity to educate lawmakers on ways to improve Vermont's practice environment.

The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) will be trading off hosting the breakfasts with the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, the Vermont Ophthalmological Society.

Registration is now available! Register here. 

Vermont Medical Society - All MD, DO, PA and Medical Students Encouraged to Join

Vermont Ophthalmological Society

Vermont Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter

Learn more and RSVP for any of the dates here. Please reach out to Jill Sudhoff-Guerin at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org if you have any questions.

Vermont DSU Releases Cannabis Data Briefs on Adult Use After Decrim and Retail Sales

In November, 2025 the Vermont Department of Substance Use (DSU) released 3 cannabis-related data briefs analyzing potential changes in adult and youth use data and health concerns after policy changes. The Cannabis Regulatory Landscape briefshows a more than 3-fold increase in adult use rates after the State decriminalized cannabis in 2013, that leveled out after the retail market was opened in 2022. 

The Cannabis Adult Use Health Concerns brief highlights continued increases in ED visits for cannabis use among adults and also cites that depression rates are almost two times higher among Vermont adults who use cannabis vs. those who do not use cannabis. The Cannabis Youth Adult Use Health Concerns brief reports that accidental ingestion and nonfatal overdoses of cannabis by youth under the age of 10 is increasing and for cannabis use is associated with mental health distress in our young people, leading to high rates of depression and suicidality.

Vermont Department of Health Supports Science-Based Recommendations for Hepatitis B Vaccine

Vermont health officials are recommending health care providers continue to protect children from hepatitis B, a highly contagious virus that infects the liver, through the current, evidence-based vaccination schedule.

“In partnership with Vermont’s health care community, pediatric care providers and our counterparts across the region, we want to make clear for parents and practitioners that our current vaccine recommendations offer the best protection for newborns and infants against serious diseases like hepatitis B,” said Health Commissioner Rick Hildebrant, MD.

The hepatitis B vaccine is widely considered one of the safest and most effective vaccines ever made. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the vaccine for all infants since 1991, and rates of the disease – which can cause lifelong liver damage when contracted by newborns and infants – have fallen sharply in the U.S. following widespread adoption of the current schedule.

The childhood vaccine schedule currently recommended by state and federal health officials –and supported by expert organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics – calls for a hepatitis B vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth and recommends that all children complete the full vaccination series within 18 months.

The Health Department provided this guidance to all providers enrolled in the Vermont Vaccine Program today. The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to discuss the hepatitis B vaccine as part of a meeting later this week. The committee makes recommendations to the CDC.

“I know many people have questions about vaccines, especially for their children. This vaccine is not only safe, it is lifesaving,” said Dr. Hildebrant. “The CDC has long been a trusted source of evidence-based information for the public, and it is my hope that ACIP will join me in continuing to recommend this proven practice to our partners at the CDC.”

MISC.

Apply today: Community Health Impact Lab Micro Grant Program

How would you use $50,000 to help patients in your community? The AMA’s Community Health Impact Lab Micro Grants Program is awarding $50,000 each to 20 physicians with big ideas on how to improve the health of their communities – and you could be one of them. 

Apply Today 

What to know before applying: 

1. Microgrants will support physician-led initiatives that address health-related challenges faced by people in their communities. 
2. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2026. 
3. Questions? Contact us at communityhealth@ama-assn.org or call (888) 262-9105.  Join the AMA for a webinar on Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. Central to learn more.

Mildred Reardon Medical Student Scholarship Open for Applications for Class of 2027

Do you dream of becoming a Vermont doctor? 

The Vermont Medical Society’s Education and Research Foundation (VMSERF) is now accepting applications for the Mildred Reardon scholarship, which awards $10,000 to a University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine student committed to practicing medicine in Vermont.

The scholarship will be made to a Class of 2027 student interested in any specialty, with a preference for specialties in high need in Vermont.  The scholarship is tuition-linked and is paid directly to the College of Medicine towards tuition. Applications are due December 12, 2025.  Click here for more information and details on applying for the scholarship.

EVENTS

2026 Hospital Medicine Conference

February 4-6, 2026

Topnotch Resort, Stowe, VT

This conference will focus on key clinical advancements and guidelines to ensure optimal patient care. The target audience is comprised of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and nurses practicing in hospital medicine. We also encourage hospital medicine program administrators, resident physicians, and medical students with an interest in careers in hospital medicine.

Please visit the conference website the agenda and registration link here.

AlpTerra Wilderness Medicine Course

March 5–9, March 12–16, October 1–5, October 8–12, 2026

Franconia, New Hampshire

Join Alpterra for an immersive, hands-on wilderness medicine course designed to prepare you for real-life scenarios in the outdoors. Treat mock injuries, problem-solve in the elements, and walk away with practical skills that stick.

• Max 4:1 participant-to-instructor ratio for highly personalized, discussion-driven learning.
• Accredited for up to 16 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ — an excellent use of your CME allowance.
• Stay on-site in a luxury home-style setting. Enjoy locally sourced, family-style meals tailored to dietary needs.
• Add-on trips let you ski, climb, or explore the White Mountains with expert guides before or after your course.

Learn more about the agenda and registration here.

For more information about offerings from UVM CMIE, visit here.

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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