Category Archives: Health

In case you’re wondering, the helicopter flying around and police and emergency workers activity in Pittsford is likely attributed to an emergency response drill that is taking place today. Here’s a story we ran Wednesday about the exercise:

By Anders Ax
CORRESPONDENT
Local emergency workers are planning for a dirty bomb, a radiation emergency caused by a transportation incident or radiological dispersal device, conveniently scheduled between 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
The exercise will be held at the Vermont Fire Academy in Pittsford, which will act as the incident scene, as well as the State Emergency Operations Center in Waterbury and the Health Department’s Operations Center in Burlington.
“We must be ready for anything — from a natural disaster, to an infectious disease outbreak, to a biological, chemical or radiological release,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen, in a press release issued by the Vermont Department of Health. “We must put our plans, training and interoperational systems to the test. The best test is a realistic, real-time full-scale exercise.”
The scenario will be carried out as a real event with participators, players and observers. Around 200 New England and federal responders as well as local and state participants will carry out the operation.
As part of the exercise, a Bell 412 helicopter will land at the Waterfront Park beside Lake Champlain at 10 a.m. on Oct. 24. The helicopter will be part of the training demonstrations and will provide vital data for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Aerial Measuring System. Tours through the helicopter will be available to the public through 2 p.m.
Local fire, police and EMS units as well as the Department of Health, Department of Public Safety and the University of Vermont will take part in the exercise. Federal agencies will include the Department of Defense, the FBI, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

WINDSOR — A Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community of Windsor employee was recognized by the state for her work in care giving.
Sarah Mack received the Vermont Health Care Association award for Geriatric Registered Nurse of the Year. The statewide award is presented for excellence in care giving and dedication to patient care.
Mack has been working in long-term care for more than ten years and progressed from L.N.A. to L.P.N. to R.N.
A family member of a Cedar Hill resident nominated Mack for the award, according Cedar Hill officials.
“Sarah is a person who not only has the technical skills and medical knowledge required for nursing but also possesses the personality traits, demeanor, professionalism and dedication to effectively provide high quality care,” the family member said.

MONTPELIER — A group of health care advocates is urging the Legislature to create a special state subsidy when Vermont’s subsidized health care program is shut down in 2014.
That’s when the roughly 10,000 Vermont residents enrolled in Catamount Health will need to buy their coverage through a newly created market place exchange. The web-based, state regulated marketplace will allow consumers to do online comparison shopping for health insurance by comparing costs and benefits offered.
The exchange would bring the state into compliance with the federal health insurance reform law passed two years ago. Gov. Peter Shumlin and his administration hope to use the exchange as a springboard to bring most Vermonters into a government-run, single-payer health care system beginning in 2017.
Peter Sterling of the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security tells Vermont Public Radio he’s concerned. He said the federal subsidies that will be available through the exchange are not as good as the existing Catamount coverage.
Sterling said a person enrolled in Catamount with an annual salary of $22,000 faces a potential out-of-pocket limit of just over $1,700. But he said their financial exposure in the exchange will be twice as big. He said out-of-pocket costs triples for someone making $33,000.
Robin Lunge, director of health care reform for the Shumlin administration, said the out-of-pocket maximum would adversely affect a small group of people. She added, “but of course if you were in that small group of people, the out-of-pocket maximums under federal law are quite large.”
Lunge said her office is looking at ways to address the issue in next year’s budget.