Amidst the beautiful scenery of Vermont's hills and valleys, individualism and independence remain strong. Vermont covers 9,250 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 623,908 people – with 417,901 people living in rural Vermont (USDA-ERS). Montpelier is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Burlington, Essex, and Colchester. According to the 2006 Census, 96.7% of the state’s population is white, 0.7% is Black/African-American, and 1.1% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 14 hospitals in Vermont, 12 of which
are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research
and Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 8
hospitals currently identified as Critical Access Hospitals. There
are 18 Rural Health Clinics in Vermont; 6 Federally Qualified
Health Centers and one FQHC Look-Alike providing services at 45
sites in the state (Vermont Office of Rural Health & Primary Care, 2007).
11% of Vermont residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser,
2005-2006).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Vermont residents in 2006 was $34,871, although rural per-capita income lagged at $33,672. Estimates from 2005 indicate a poverty rate of 10.5% exists in rural Vermont, compared to 10.3% in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 14.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.5% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Vermont is 4.1% and the rate is 3.5% in urban Vermont (USDA-ERS, 2007).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau:
State & County QuickFacts
USDA
Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Vermont Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex
Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Bi-State Primary Care Association (BSPCA)
State/regional organization
Works to foster the delivery of primary health care services to medically underserved and geographically, culturally, and linguistically isolated persons in the states of New Hampshire and Vermont.
Center for Rural Studies (CRS)
Academic/Research
Nonprofit, fee-for-service research organization that addresses social, economic, and resource-based problems of rural people and communities. Located at the University of Vermont.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Vermont
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
New England Rural Health RoundTable (NERHRT)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Composed of a diverse group of individuals and organizations committed to improving health and health care throughout rural New England communities. Serves as a regional rural health advocate for Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
Resources for Communities and People Solutions
State/regional organization
Helps support rural community infrastructure in the northeastern United States.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Vermont
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development State Offices: Vermont and New Hampshire
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Vermont Agency of Human Services
State government
The goal of the Agency of Human Services is to improve the conditions of and well-being of Vermonters today and tomorrow and protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Vermont Agency of Human Services: Community Action Agencies
State/regional organization
Contains a list of the Vermont Community Action Agencies.
Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS)
State/regional organization
Works to advocate for, lead, and serve our members in their efforts to develop, and sustain, high quality health services for Vermonters.
Vermont Department of Health (VDH)
State government
Works to improve the health of Vermont residents.
Vermont Department of Health: Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
State government
Works to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities through partnership, education, and advocacy.
Vermont Office of Child Support
State government
Works to help Vermont's children. Each year the Office of Child Support collects many millions of dollars in child support for Vermont's families.
Vermont Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
State government
Provides planning, technical assistance and resources to improve access to health services throughout Vermont. A division of the Vermont Department of Health.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Vermont
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Vermont
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
Northern New England AgrAbility Project
Web site
Is a partnership with Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine Cooperative Extension and Alpha One Services, a non profit disability organization. Cooperative Extension and Alpha One are committed to supporting farm families affected by a disability to be productive and successful in agriculture.
State Profiles- Vermont: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Vermont QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Vermont Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Vermont Directory of Foundations
Web site
Free, searchable database of Vermont foundations. Searchable by a variety of factors including grantmaker name, city, field of interest, and type of support.
Vermont Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Vermont Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Vermont State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
AHEC's Vermont Primary Care: Summary Report 2006
Summarizes the number and practice sites of primary care clinicians in the Vermont AHEC regions. This information can be used to address shortages in the workforce and to ensure that the services and support of AHEC programs are made available to primary care clinicians throughout each AHEC region.
Date: 12 / 2006
Buyer's Guide to Emergency Medical Service in Vermont: A Guide for Municipal Officials
Author(s): Peter Holman
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
Describes the current EMS system in Vermont, looks at the current models available to deliver EMS, and discusses some additional related services that might be included in an EMS package.
Date: 03 / 2007
Changing Faces of New England: Increasing Spatial and Racial Diversity
Author(s): Keneth M. Johnson
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Discusses racial diversity in New England. Includes information about rural or Nonmetropolitan New England.
Date: 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: Vermont
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 11 / 2006
Licensed Practical Nurses in Vermont Summary of January 2006 Survey: Board of Nursing Relicensure Survey
The Office of Nursing Workforce Research, Planning, and Development prepared this report to provide Vermonters with useful information on the status of Vermont's nursing workforce.
Date: 2006
Small Business Profile: Vermont
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
State Profiles - Vermont: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Vermont Choices for Care Long-Term Care Plan: Key Program Changes and Questions
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Vermont was given federal approval for a Section 1115 waiver to make fundamental changes to its
Medicaid program that provides long-term services and supports to eligible, low-income state residents.
Date: 07 / 2006
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Creating Healthy Adolescents-A Model Prevention Project (CHAMP)
CHAMP's primary goal was to develop a new foster-homebased health service model designed to reduce substance abuse among adolescents in State custody.
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Precision Valley Physical Activity and Nutrition Consortium
The Precision Valley Physical Activity and Nutrition Consortium will increase youth and family access to physical activities and increase opportunities for healthy food choices in Springfield and Windsor, Vermont.
Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured
The free clinics provide a range of primary and preventive
health care services, including women's health services; physical therapy; nutrition counseling; mental health services; anonymous HIV testing and counseling; and referrals to specialized care, laboratory services, and x-rays.
Windsor Community Health Initiative
The Windsor Community Health Initiative (WCHI) was designed as a community outreach and health education program to improve the health status of people living in the Vermont towns of Windsor, West Windsor, Weathersfield, and Hartland. The project was also designed to serve as a starting point for creating a coordinated and collaborative health and human services infrastructure.
Women and Managed Care Initiative
The Women and Managed Care Initiative (WMCI) was created to help women throughout Vermont better understand managed care and the most effective ways to use it.
Youth Wellness Center
A small community in northeast Vermont has established a Youth Wellness Center to provide much needed mental health services to low-income, troubled adolescents.
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