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NEED TO KNOW
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Save the Date: VMS Congressional Town Hall Sept 17th
Please save the date for September 17, 2025 from 6-7:30pm, when VMS members can meet with Senator Peter Welch to hear an update on the actions of Congress that impact health care and ask your most pressing federal questions. Other members of Vermont’s Congressional Delegation have been invited. More details and zoom link to follow – watch the Rounds for more information. |
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Hospital Budget Season, Program Cuts Announced
The Green Mountain Care Board is holding hearings this week and next on hospital budgets. See the public hearing schedule here. The newsletter of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems highlights program cuts and closures that hospitals are already making to reduce costs as well as the health insurance affordability concerns that remain. See the articles here. |
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Secretary of AHS Reports CMS Will Not Fund Maple Mountain Family Medicine Residency
As part of a Joint Fiscal Committee meeting last Thursday, the Agency of Human Services (AHS) Secretary Jenney Samuelson told Vermont lawmakers that she "did not anticipate CMS approval for any workforce initiatives, including the Maple Mountain Residency Program, at this time." This report was included as part of the FY26 Budget passed in May of this year, in which $515,000 in start-up funding for the Maple Mountain Residency Program was contingent on whether the State would be able to receive approximately $735,000 in federal matching funds to fully fund the first year. The first-year price tag for the primary care pipeline that aims to train 4 family medicine trainees per year is $1.26 m, with the full cost being $4.06 million for the 4 years it will take before the program is self-sustaining. Through a HRSA grant, this program has received academic accreditation to train residents at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. Secretary Samuelson told lawmakers she would follow up with more information in writing regarding federal funding for the program.
The Joint Fiscal Committee meeting was held for the Legislature to better understand the immediate and long-term impacts of the passage of the federal reconciliation budget, including changes to Medicaid and SNAP nutrition programs. Although economists said the immediate forecast appears "steady," the State stands to lose hundreds of millions in federal funding in upcoming budget cycles. Secretary Samuelson said that Vermonters "should not despair, as Vermont has a strong history of mitigating impacts of federal changes," but staffers from Senator Sanders' and Senator Welch's office did not share that optimism. For more, see Secretary Samuelson’s slides, including a timeline of Medicaid changes, and read VT Public's article, "Really Terrified: Vermont lawmakers ponder state response to federal budget cuts." |
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Adult Smoking Rate and Quit Rate Decreases, While E-cigarette Use Remains Steady
In July 2025 the Vermont Department of Health released this Adult Tobacco Use Brief, summarizing Vermont's 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and current adult tobacco use data. The brief reports that the Vermont adult smoking rate is 11%, with 47% of smokers attempting to quit and 5% currently using e-cigarettes. Young adults 18-24 years old use e-cigarettes at a significantly higher rate of 14%, and 17% of adult e-cigarette users use a menthol flavored e-cigarette. Adult cigarette smoking rates vary by county, with an 8% smoking rate in Chittenden County vs. 18% in Caledonia County. In the updated Vermont State Health Improvement Plan: Trends in Tobacco Measures for 2019 – 2023 five out of of seven tobacco-related measures to monitor tobacco use met or exceeded their target goals during these five years.
- The percent of adults with disabilities who currently smoke cigarettes fell 10% from 33% in 2017 to 23% in 2023, exceeding the 28% target by five percentage points;
- While the target goal of 25% for current cigarette smoking among Native American adults was not met, the measure trended downward from 42% in 2017 to 32% in 2023;
- In 2023, 20% of LGBTQ+ adolescents used any tobacco product in the past 30 days, falling below the 24% target;
- 23% of adults insured by Medicaid currently use tobacco which exceeds the 25% goal; and
- The percent of adults with depression who currently smoke decreased to 17%, below the 20% goal.
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Registration Open for 2025 Collaborative Meeting The 212th VMS Annual and Collaborative Meeting will be held on November 7th and 8th in-person with the option to join virtually for the Awards Ceremony. The weekend will be filled with educational content, time to spend with colleagues, policy-setting meetings, and the opportunity to honor physicians and other health care leaders across the state. VMS’ Annual Meeting, hosted in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians and the Vermont Psychiatric Association, is a celebration of the unwavering commitment Vermont clinicians have to their practice and to the deep connection VMS members have with each other. Topics include: - Battling Misinformation
- AI Uses in Local Practices
- Medical Student and Resident Case Presentations
- Beyond Moral Injury - Reclaiming Agency, Belief, & Joy in Medicine
- Health Reform Panel Presentations with Discussions
Register today! |
MISC.
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Join Us August 7th for an Update on Tickborne Diseases with Natalie Kwit, State Public Health Veterinarian Division of Laboratory Sciences & Infectious Disease
Join the VMS on August 7th at 12:30 to hear from Natalie Kwit, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, the State Public Health Veterinarian in the Division of Laboratory Sciences & Infectious Disease
Join us on August 7th 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 |
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Register Now for the Vermont ACP Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting
The Vermont ACP Chapter's Annual Scientific Meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025. This will be an in-person meeting at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. We will again host a poster competition for resident and student members.
The ACP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The American College of Physicians designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 credits (s).
Successful completion of this CME Activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 5.25 medical knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credit claimed for the activity. It is the CMA activity providers responsibility to submit participant information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Visit the Meeting Hub for registration, agenda, and details of the meeting here. |
EVENTS
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Clinical Quality Symposium: Building & Expanding Collaborative Systems for Maternal Health
October 28, 2025
Join us for a one-day symposium focused on strengthening partnerships across maternity care, primary care, and public health. Designed for maternity providers, primary care clinicians, public health professionals, and community organizations, this event will explore collaborative models to improve maternal health outcomes—particularly in the face of growing maternity care deserts in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Sessions will include:
- Innovative approaches to integrating maternity and primary care
- Dedicated breakout tracks for maternity and primary care providers
- Strategies to support postpartum care and mental health
- Practical tools for building cross-sector collaboration
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For more information about offerings from UVM
CMIE, visit here. |
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Vermont Medical Society 134 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05602 -- Unsubscribe -- |
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