Employee health care is Beth Schiller’s primary concern

Photo: Beth Schiller, a pilot, is executive director at the Champlain Medical Occupational Health & Urgent Care in South Burlington. Photo: Katie Kittell

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine When Beth Schiller flies her own plane into Leahy Burlington International Airport, she’s not just arriving in Vermont; she’s landing at the nexus of her two passions.

As a pilot, Schiller values precision and planning; as executive director of Champlain Medical Occupational Health & Urgent Care in South Burlington, she applies that same focus to health care, determined to do good and do well.

For years, Schiller and her team have looked past the traditional urgent care model, actively partnering with businesses to provide direct, on-site services. She notes that employee uptake for vital health initiatives — such as flu and COVID shots — is significantly higher when the provider comes directly to the workplace, a win for everyone involved.

Schiller articulates her philosophy succinctly: “Champlain Medical is a locally owned small business built around a simple idea: Employers need a health care partner that’s accessible, responsive and human.“

This approach, she explained, is a direct counterpoint to larger, corporate competitors.

“While the larger corporate clinics have rigid systems and national protocols, we’re nimble and relational. We listen. We adapt,“ she said. “And because we’re independent, our practitioners have the freedom to spend the time it actually takes to care well — without the pressure of patient quotas.“

Champlain Medical started as an occupational medicine practice focused on keeping Vermont employees healthy, safe and compliant, Schiller explained. Today, Champlain Medical serves hundreds of local businesses.

Photo: Employee at Champlain Medical Occupational Health & Urgent Care in South Burlington, checks in with a patient. VermontBiz photo.

“The direct primary care model is a yearly subscription rate separate from any insurance,” Schiller said. “It works well for those without insurance and for high deductible insurance as the employee doesn’t have any out-of-pocket when the employer picks up the tab. Anything within our walls is free no matter how many visits and our in-house labs and typical labs we do for yearly physicals is also included. We also know where the most cost effective places for imaging are and how to work with pharmaceuticals to keep prices low.”

Services include:

• Comprehensive occupational health programs: Providing essential services such as DOT physicals; respirator and hearing clearances; OSHA and hazardous-materials surveillance; and post-injury care — all under one roof..
• Customized employer partnerships: Including claims-data consulting and cost-effective wellness programs that are tailored specifically for self-insured or midsized employers.
• Innovative care models: Such as subscription-based primary care, which offers employees year-round clinic access while helping employers save thousands in preventable absences and costly emergency room visits.

“When we see a bottleneck, we build a solution,“ Schiller explained. “Years ago, when local drivers faced six-month waits for sleep apnea testing, we brought in home sleep-study devices — cutting wait times to days and costs by more than half. It’s that same ’roll-up-your-sleeves’ pragmatism that guides everything we do.

She adds that because they are part of the community — not a branch of a distant chain — relationships matter deeply to them.

“Our clients know our team by name. They know that when an employee is hurt, needs a fit test or simply has a health concern, they can pick up the phone and talk to someone they trust,“ she said. “We’re proud to be another Vermont small business supporting other Vermont small businesses — flexible when it makes sense, collaborative always, and committed to doing what’s right for sboth the employer and the employee.“

Twincraft Skincare, a developer and manufacturer of soaps and lotions for well-known brands like Native, is one of Champlain Medical’s long-term clients. The company employs 410 people across its headquarters in Winooski and facilities in Essex Junction and Williston.

Elizabeth Perrin, vice president of the People Center at Twincraft, said the company values Champlain Medical’s on-site care model for the responsiveness it provides.

“We have been using Champlain Medical for over 10 years to support any work-related injuries,“ Perrin said. “We have a fantastic working partnership with them as they understand our workforce and the importance of having our employees return to work as soon as they can.“

Similarly, Lisa Groeneveld, co-founder of the South Burlington-based OnLogic (which employs about 300), highlights the immediate, tangible benefits of the on-site model.

Photo: Lisa Groeneveld, co-founder, OnLogic. Courtesy photo.

“The primary benefit to our team members is the convenience,“ Groeneveld said. “It also shows that we care about our team’s health as well. Having Beth’s team on site encourages our team to get COVID and flu shots without pressuring them. All around, it’s a great service.“

The necessity for such proactive, business-level solutions is underscored by the state’s broader health care crisis. Last January, a politically diverse “coalition for impact“ launched to begin a conversation about reducing Vermont’s health care costs.

This group includes a wide array of leaders and organizations: CEOs, labor groups (Vermont-NEA, VT AFT), advocacy organizations (AARP-VT) and healthcare providers, alongside key political figures. Its leaders include former Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, former Progressive legislator Chris Pearson, former Vermont Business Roundtable President Lisa Ventriss and businesspeople like Groeneveld.

The urgency stems from the fact that Vermont’s health premiums are among the most expensive in the country, creating a significant emergency for the state’s businesses, public institutions, employees, farmers and taxpayers.

Groeneveld reflects this widespread frustration: “It’s a complete mystery to me why one of the wealthiest countries on the planet lacks comprehensive health, dental and mental health care,“ she said. “Just mystifying. Despite the massive cost of our health care system, our health outcomes are poor. Our rural population struggles to access care. Medical bills can bankrupt Americans—what?! To say I’m frustrated doesn’t begin to cover how I feel. I wish I had solutions, but I do believe we can do much better.“

The issue of rising health care costs is intertwined with national political events. The federal government recently endured the longest shutdown in the nation’s history, largely stemming from a decision by the Trump administration to end tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

Though a deal was eventually struck to reopen the government on Nov. 12, the final funding bill did not include the extension of the critical ACA tax credits. While other services, such as airline travel and SNAP benefits, returned to previous levels, a promise was only secured for a standalone vote on the tax credit issue in December. All three members of the Vermont delegation voted against the funding bill.

Following the vote, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) did not mince words.

“I cannot vote for a government funding bill that kicks millions of Americans off their health care,“ he said. “The heart of this government shutdown is, and always was, about access to health care. There was an early recognition from my Republican colleagues that working families, small businesses and farmers in their states would be really hurt by these premium increases — just as they will be in Democratic states.

“That’s why it is so disappointing that Republicans refused to come to the table to extend the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits. Millions of hardworking people, in every state, will face higher premiums and many will go without health coverage altogether.“

Welch said Republicans in the Senate had spent the previous 41 days capitulating to the White House, and those in the House of Representatives had taken a 52-day vacation. Democrats, conversely, fought to protect access to health care and lower costs, Welch asserted.

“Nobody wants a government shutdown — shutdowns are painful, damaging and a sign of dysfunctional government,“ he said. “This Republican shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, was made all the more painful by President Trump’s refusal to negotiate and his total disregard for federal workers and those in need, including millions of people who rely on SNAP and other government services. I am appalled by this administration’s endless cruelty.“

The Affordable Care Act is only one factor contributing to Vermont’s current health care crisis. Other critical issues include struggling hospital finances; the consolidation or closure of key services, such as pediatric care at Rutland Regional and birthing centers at Copley and Springfield; rising health insurance rates; and a persistent shortage of health care providers.

Compounding the crisis is the rapid exit of Medicare Advantage plans from the state, which insurers are citing as economically unviable. For example, MVP (UVM Health Advantage) withdrew from the Vermont market at the end of 2024, and both Blue Cross Vermont (Vermont Blue Advantage) and UnitedHealthcare are terminating their programs this year.

Though Medigap and Medicare Part D remain options, access to Advantage plans will be severely curtailed, with only Humana’s Advantage plan remaining available to residents in Bennington, Caledonia, Orange, Windham and Windsor counties. Medicare Advantage itself is a relatively recent development, having begun in 1999.

For businesses, these problems hit close to home. Michele Asch, who owns and operates Twincraft with her husband, CEO Peter Asch, highlights the direct impact on her workforce. Though Twincraft is self-insured — mitigating, but not eliminating, rising costs — Asch is especially concerned about her employees’ access to primary care providers.

“I think the lack of high quality and accessible primary care also is a factor in driving up costs,“ Asch argued, “because people wait till the last minute and then get a big diagnosis versus having good preventative care.“

Photo: Michelle Asch, Twincraft Skincare. Courtesy photo.

Despite the challenges, Asch remains hopeful.

“I’m always an optimist and I’m hoping that as the hospitals restructure, we get both more reasonable cost structures and better service and accessibility to health care.“

Twincraft is currently renovating the Williston facility, a former Keurig Dr Pepper site. It plans to consolidate operations by keeping the bar soap plant in Winooski, but moving the entire Essex Junction skin care manufacturing site and the corporate headquarters to the Williston location.

Additionally, Asch noted that while Twincraft has designated a space for an on-site employee health care center, current costs prevent its immediate development; however, the plan remains for the future when the timing is right.

Photo: Twincraft CEO Peter Asch at the company’s Winooski lab. Courtesy photo.

“When you’re self-insured, it becomes really clear why primary care is so important,“ she said. “You want to help keep your employees healthy, and that is the best investment we can make in health care.“

Schiller is also committed to providing more primary care, with much of her current work centered on preventative services (like flu shots) and casualty care for worksite injuries. She notes this is a win-win for her clients, leading to healthier employees and fewer man-hours lost to sick days. Currently, Champlain Medical’s business is split 70% for direct services and 30% for urgent care.

Schiller believes the company is well-situated to expand its direct primary care model for businesses whose employees often struggle to find a provider, and that they can assist companies with mapping objective financial savings goals for their administered plans. She said there is significant opportunity to achieve both better health outcomes and substantial cost savings with the current levels of health spending.

Calling the state of health care in Vermont “quite ill,“ Schiller is nonetheless optimistic that the Green Mountain Care Board is beginning to recognize the need for independent practitioners to help bring costs down. She also hopes organizations like Vermont Healthcare 911 can shed light on this major cost to the state’s budget.

Schiller notes that occupational medicine is a unique and challenging business — citing the exits of ClearChoice MD and NWMC — but feels Champlain Medical is well-positioned to grow without compromising its current quality of service.

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