Health Care

This hour, host Mikaela Lefrak speaks with Dr. Tim Lahey about monkeypox in Vermont.

Vermont has its first confirmed case of monkeypox. The Health Department announced Friday afternoon that an adult in Franklin County has tested positive.

The virus that causes monkeypox — with initial symptoms like fever, malaise and headache — can then turn contagious, and lead to a rash and lesions.

Four artists based in Vermont talk about their initial reactions to the Supreme Court's recent ruling on a case that rolled back reproductive rights and legal abortion in the United States. They also responded with creating music, dance, jewelry and visual art.

Kevin Mullin, outgoing chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, discusses the challenges facing Vermont's medical sector and calls for a more sustainable health care system.

A recent ruling from the Vermont Supreme Court limits the state auditor’s ability to review the performance of contractors hired by state agencies, like OneCare Vermont.

Data show 2021 was an especially deadly year. More Vermonters died from gunshot wounds in 2021 than any other year in the last decade. Most of the firearms deaths were suicides.

Many Vermonters have pledged support for safe reproductive healthcare after the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Some have raised money to help fund access to safe abortion care in states where the ruling ended that right. Vermont photographer and musician Luke Awtry decided to schedule a vasectomy.

Vermont now has broader discretion to use Medicaid funds. The state is investing in mental health, addiction treatment and housing.

Physicians must treat in line with patients' wishes and standards of care. Some medical ethicists say that abortion bans will force doctors to disregard these obligations in order to follow the law.