by accdWebMaster | Apr 20, 2020 | Healthcare, Innovation
Morristown’s Copley Hospital is among a small group of hospitals nationwide that has begun testing staff voluntarily to determine whether they are immune to the virus that causes COVID-19. Such immunity could help alleviate the risk to healthcare workers. The new tests, which are not yet FDA approved, may help keep health care workers and the public safer as governments puzzle out how best to plot the return to normalcy.
University of Vermont Medical Center is also responding to the demands of the virus, allowing nursing students to graduate early so they can help treat patients suffering from COVID-19. The freshly minted nurses are expected to provide relief for current healthcare workers as the urgency of the crisis begins to subside in the summer as anticipated.
UVM teams have also been innovating with medical technology, designing and creating an emergency ventilator for severe COVID-19 cases they’re calling the “Vermontilator.”
The Vermontilator contains far fewer parts than a standard ventilator and takes less time and cost to manufacture. It can be produced quickly and in large numbers, for a few hundreds of dollars per unit, according to the team. It makes use of an alternate ventilation technique which may allow patients to avoid the most severe pulmonary symptoms of the disease.
The Vermontilator’s design is being submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency review and will hopefully be mass-produced to help stem the tide of COVID-19 cases.
As the pandemic runs its course, these Vermont innovations will become tools that help flatten the curve and care for patients suffering from COVID-19.
by accdWebMaster | Apr 20, 2020 | Creative Economy, Food & Beverage, Tourism & Hospitality
Local restaurant franchise Skinny Pancake, known for its sweet and savory crepes as well as a local music scene, has begun a program called ShiftMeals to provide free meals to laid-off restaurant workers, musicians, artists, gig workers, farmers, and those in need. Vivid Coffee Roasters in Winooski has established a fundraiser for baristas, donating $2 per from each online order to support out of work baristas at their partner coffee shops.
Local artists and musicians are also feeling the economic impacts, as their typical venues, ranging from small coffeeshops to galleries to large theaters, are all closed. Many artists have moved online. You can watch violin craftsman Jacob Brillhart build a violin from scratch and make a contribution to his fund to support musicians. One lucky donor will win the violin when it’s done. Burlington City Arts has started a relief fund for local artists whose arts opportunities have been cancelled as a result of COVID-19.
Booksellers like Montpelier’s Bear Pond Books have also been impacted, reducing staff down to one or two people fulfilling orders online. A relief fund for booksellers was created by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
There are also support efforts for the state’s front line workers. In southern Vermont, residents can purchase meals from local restaurants for delivery to healthcare workers at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
Burlington indie band the Couchsleepers have created an online donation jukebox, raising money for medical supplies while people enjoy virtual concerts.
Parents of children at elementary schools in Williston created a fundraiser to assist the janitorial staff who are cleaning and sanitizing their schools.
These are all examples of the Vermont way and how Vermonters often band together in times of crisis. No matter how big or small, every act of kindness creates a web of support that will allow Vermonters to rebound as the economy continues to slowly restart.
by accdWebMaster | Sep 10, 2018 | Construction, Manufacturing, Veterans
Wheel Pad is a Vermont company that manufactures eco-friendly 200 square foot universally accessible bedroom and bathroom modules that can be temporarily or permanently attached to an existing home. August 28th was a big day for Wheel Pad, when they installed a module on the home of veteran Edmond Little, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2015. As his mobility began to change, Little and his family began looking for the perfect solution and found Wheel Pad. Little had one request: the space needed to be large enough to share with his wife. As a result, the Wheel Pad XL was built.
After spending the previous school year building the Wheel Pad XL, Norwich University professor Ed Schmeckpeper, his students, and Wheel Pad founder Julie Lineberger saw the send-off of their project to Little’s home in Jericho, VT. Read the full story.
by accdWebMaster | Jul 30, 2018 | Food & Beverage, Veterans
Over the last 14 years, Vermont has seen the number of distilleries grow from three to 28–an 833% increase. Such successful growth naturally leads to growth in related businesses. More distilleries means there’s a big need for oak barrels, and Vermont is now home to a new cooperage. Green Mountain Grain & Barrel, founded by three veterans in 2016, is the first such business to open in the state in 20 years. The laborious craftsmanship that goes into building barrels is a labor of love for the owners. And with help from the state’s Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, Green Mountain Grain & Barrel is preparing to grow. Read the whole story.
by accdWebMaster | May 14, 2018 | Jobs, Relocation, Veterans
Vermont has distinguished itself with the signing of H.906, which allows the automatic licensure of servicemembers in particular fields. This bill is unique, as it establishes direct pathways to civilian licensure in certain high-demand fields for those who have obtained certain Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) designations in the armed services.
Governor Phil Scott proposed the initiative as part of his workforce expansion plan, working closely with the Vermont National Guard, Departments of Motor Vehicles and Health, Division of Fire Safety and the Secretary of State’s Office.
“Vermont’s workforce has declined by more than 16,000 since 2009, so it is critical we focus on rebuilding our workforce by helping more Vermonters gain meaningful employment and retain and recruit more working-age people to our state,” said Scott. “Making professional licensing much easier for our veterans and active duty servicemembers provides a smoother and more predicable path from their service job into a comparable good paying civilian job and will be a great recruiting tool for Vermont.”
The Governor’s initiative – which captured bipartisan support in the Legislature with help from House General, Housing and Military Affairs, and Senate Government Operations Committees – recognizes the education, training or service completed by a member of the U.S. Armed Forces as satisfying the appropriate requirements of traditional professional licensure in high-demand sectors. These changes are among the strongest accommodations in the country for the professional licensing of our servicemen and women in these fields. Read the whole story.
