April 1, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

VMS Challenging Federal Removal of Health Care Data and Information – Survey Responses Needed By Friday 4/4

As VMS Members already know, since late January the federal government removed and modified thousands of webpages, resources, etc. containing a vast array of data and information from public health agencies like the National Institutes for Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Food & Drug Administration. There has been a significant focus on removing LGBTQ, gender, reproductive rights, clinical trials, infectious disease, reproductive care, and HIV/AIDS data and research from federal government websites. We believe these actions were unlawful. The Vermont Medical Society has joined a coalition of public health advocacy groups to challenge these deletions and restore access to these important resources. We are filing a lawsuit soon, but we need your help in telling the judge about the importance of this removed information.

As a member of the Vermont Medical Society, you might be personally and professionally affected by these deletions. If you have been impacted, please let us know by answering the following survey by Friday, April 4^th. If you are willing to provide a statement for our lawsuit, please also let us know by contacting Jessa Barnard at jbarnard@vtmd.org. There is one question asking if you are willing to share your name and email – if you do not answer that question, you may complete this survey anonymously.  

Legislative Policy Committees Busy with Bill Review

Vermont legislative committees are busy this week taking up bills that have passed the House or Senate and have now “crossed over” into the other body. 

The House Health Care Committee is taking testimony this week on:

• S. 28, the bill to strengthen Vermont’s shield laws; VMS testified in favor of the bill last week;
• S. 27, the bill proposed by Treasurer Pieciak to reduce medical debt;
• S. 18, the bill to license free standing birth centers; VMS testified last week in favor of the bill but also asked for more support for labor and delivery services and more specificity in law regarding transfer agreements.

This week, the Senate Health & Welfare Committee is taking up:

• H. 96, which raises the thresholds for the Certificate of Need process;
• H. 238, a bill to further regulate the sale of products containing PFAS;
• H. 259, the bill to require hospitals to adopt workplace violence prevention plans;
• H. 237, the bill allowing doctoral level psychologist to prescribe – the Vermont Psychiatric Association will be offering testimony.

Next week, VMS will be publishing a full update on health care-related legislation that has been taken up this session. 

Ask the Senate – Fill Full Primary Care Funding Gaps

The detailed requests are:

• $4.4m GF/$10.8m GC for the Blueprint for Health Community Health Team CHT, Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) and SASH program (in Governor’s and House budget);
• $4.6m GF for the OneCare Vermont Population Health Management (PHM) Program for all participating primary care practices (House budget includes $3.12m);
• $835K GF for the Comprehensive Payment Reform (CPR) for independent primary care practices (full amount in House budget);
• $4.4 million to continue the Blueprint for Health Pilot Expansion Program that invests Medicaid dollars in expanded Community Health Team staff at primary care practices to address mental health, substance use disorder and SDOH needs (not funded in House budget);
• $1.2 million for the Maple Mountain Consortium family medicine residency program - a new primary care pipeline that will train 4 family medicine trainees per year starting in July 2026 (not funded in House budget);
• $500,000 for the Medical Student Incentive Scholarship Program that provides scholarships for up to 10 third- and fourth-year UVM medical students who commit to practicing primary care outside of Chittenden County. To date 22 scholarships have been awarded (not funded in House budget).

Thank you for your advocacy and please reach out to jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org or jbarnard@vtmd.org with questions or to share feedback you receive from Senators.

GMCB to Vote on UVMMC/UVMHN Proposed Settlement Wednesday April 2^nd

Last Wednesday, UVM Medical Center and Health Network presented a Settlement Agreement with the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) to address UVM Medical Center’s pending appeals of the GMCB’s FY2023 hospital budget enforcement order and FY2025 budget order and address its FY2024 budget overage.  The Proposed Settlement Agreement:

• Commits $11 million to fund non-hospital primary care providers in FY26, using a funding mechanism to be determined;
• Pays $12 million to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont as part of an effort to resolve allegations of FY22 and FY23 overpayments to UVMMC; and
• Provides up to a total of $15 million to fund consultants and an independent Liaison to help identify a path for UVMHN/UVMMC to maintain and improve access to healthcare services and improve affordability.

The Board is accepting public comment on the proposal until end of day today, Tuesday, April 1st.  The Vermont Medical Society and Vermont Academy of Family Physicians/American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter both submitted comments in favor of the settlement dedicating $11 million to primacy care needs.   The Board will be meeting at 1pm on Wednesday, April 2^nd to vote on the proposal.  The agenda and call in information can be found here.

April 3^rd at 12:30pm: Join VMS to Wish Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mark Levine Well on His Retirement!

Join the VMS on April 3rd from 12:30-1pm via Zoom to wish the Commissioner of Health, Mark A. Levine, MD well on his retirement! 

If you are unable to join on April 3rd, please share your words of thanks here for Dr. Levine's years of service and we will pass along your message during our call.

Join us on April 3rd at 12:30pm by clicking here.

Meeting ID: 867 2625 3105 / Password: 540684

One tap mobile - +1 646 876 9923,,86726253105#,,,,0#,,540684#

Dial In - +1 646 876 9923 / Meeting ID: 867 2625 3105 / Password: 540684

This Friday, April 4^th,  Implementing Vermont’s Prior Authorization Reduction Law (Act 111)

On Friday, April 4^th from 12-1pm join the Director of Health Insurance Regulation at the Department of Financial Regulation, Sebastian Arduengo, for a walk through of DFR’s Act 111 Guidance.  This guidance provides details for payers and practices regarding how to implement Act 111’s changes to prior authorization and other insurance practices.

View the guidance here.

Join the meeting:

Microsoft Teams - Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 223 678 480 489 / Passcode: mA73fm7y
Dial in by phone - +1 802-828-7667,,963404137# 

MISC.

Independent Practice Incubator

If you or your colleagues are interested in exploring a physician-owned practice setting, this year-long, no-cost program designed by the AMA to assist physicians in navigating the process could be for you. Applications close April 30. Learn more.

New LCOM Associate Dean for Primary Care Announced

Anne Brisson Morris, M.D., Associate Professor of Family Medicine, has been appointed Associate Dean for Primary Care at the Larner College of Medicine (LCOM), succeeding Charles MacLean, M.D. Dr. Morris will assume her new leadership role on May 1, 2025.

Dr. Morris, who joined the Larner College faculty in 2014, currently serves as Residency Program Director in the Department of Family Medicine. She has served as chair of the Family Medicine Credentials Committee, a member of the Family Medicine Faculty Leadership Advisory Council, and a member of the Family Medicine Senior Leadership Council, and she is active in the Recruitment, Research, Scholarship, and Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure committees. A valued leader in medical advocacy, she is a board member for the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, where she currently serves as immediate-past president, and a board member of the Vermont Medical Society. 

Please join the VMS in congratulating Dr. Morris to her new role!

Help Shape Vermont’s Health System Transformation

Vermont’s All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model is concluding at the end of 2025, and OneCare Vermont is winding-down its operations. During this period of transition, the State is taking important steps to shape what comes next. As part of this effort, the Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) has engaged Faulkner Consulting Group and Freedman HealthCare to develop options for data and analytics that will support future health system transformation.

Mildred Reardon Medical Student Scholarship Open for Applications

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 third year student committed to practicing medicine in Vermont.

The scholarship is made to a 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 April 25, 2025.  Click here for more information and details on applying for the scholarship.

Clinician Wellbeing Workshops Available at No Cost for 2025

VMS is pleased to continue our partnership with Doug Wysockey-Johnson of Lumunos Clinician Well-Being Services to provide up to 9 practices/medical staffs no-cost clinician wellbeing workshops over 2025.

Lumunos Clinician Well-Being Workshops are designed to support clinicians in meeting the demands of modern health care. Workshops are built around Lumunos’ daily experience working with physicians, nurses, APPs and clinical leaders across the country. These meetings are designed to be efficient, effective and interactive, with topics that directly address the biggest challenges clinicians face daily.  Workshops are led by Doug Wysockey-Johnson, Workplace Program Facilitator of Lumunos, a seasoned facilitator with 20 years of experience leading clinician groups

New topics available for 2025 include: Creating a Positive Team Culture; Work/Home Boundaries; Hope; and Compassion (Fatigue).  Click here for more details and to see the full list of available topics. 

 Doug is also partnering with VMS for the first time in 2025 to offer no cost coaching sessions to a select number of VMS members.  Read more here.  Contact Jessa at jbarnard@vtmd.org or Doug at doug@lumunos.org with additional questions or to book a workshop or coaching session. 

EVENTS

Learning Collaboratives on In-Basket Reduction and Reducing Regulatory Burden

February 2025 – March 2025

AMA STEPS Forward^® Innovation Academy is launching two new, six-month learning collaboratives on optimizing the in-basket to reduce work burden and rethinking how organizations apply regulatory rules to clinical practice. Each collaborative will convene dyads or triads of leadership representatives from multiple organizations to engage in a longitudinal shared learning experience. Limited space available. Learn more.

The New England MGMA 2025 Annual Conference

April 24-25, 2025

Join the New England MGMA 2025 Annual Conference Tools for Today, Vision for Tomorrow: Navigating Challenges and Unlocking Po, an essential event for medical society professionals seeking to gain valuable insights, network with industry leaders, and stay ahead in the evolving healthcare landscape. This conference is hosted by Massachusetts/Rhode Island MGMA, New Hampshire/Vermont MGMA, and Maine MGMA.

The conference is offering an exciting mix of speakers and topics! Explore innovative approaches and practical tools designed to enhance patient care, streamline operations and drive business growth. Take part in interactive sessions and build your network with professionals dedicated to integrating innovation with healthcare priorities, ensuring a healthier future for all.

View the full schedule and register for the conference here.

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

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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