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Probe of care quality at Hastings domiciliary in veterans affairs funding bill

Saint Paul Pioneer Press - 5/10/2023

The veterans affairs budget bill heading to Gov. Tim Walz includes $190,000 to form a panel to probe how well Minnesota is caring for some of its most vulnerable veterans.

The inquiry comes after caregivers at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings spoke out about a pattern of bullying, intimidation and reprisals by superiors. Current and former caregivers said the toxic work atmosphere led to the departure of staff and resulted in substandard care for the veterans living there.

In response to the allegations, Larry Herke, commissioner of veterans affairs, fired two top officials responsible for overseeing care at the Hastings domiciliary. The Minnesota Senate veterans committee said it would investigate workplace problems and the quality of care at the facility.

The panel created by the Legislature will include state officials from the departments of health and veterans affairs; medical professionals; current and former domiciliary staff as well as members of the public.

The group will investigate whether staffing and management levels are adequate to care for veterans’ needs at the state’s two domiciliaries in Hastings and Minneapolis. They’re also tasked with examining medical care outcomes to see if the staffing levels are enough to care for residents.

Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, who chairs the Senate veterans committee, has said it important to investigate current and former workers complaints and ensure veterans are getting the care they need.

Republicans and Democrats on the veterans committee both questioned Herke about why a toxic work environment was allowed to fester for so long. Caregivers insist no one addressed their complaints until they spoke out publicly.

Herke testified to the Senate veterans committee that he moved quickly to address problems in the summer of 2022 when the complaints were sent to him. When things were not improving quick enough, Herke said, he decided to fire two top leaders at the Hastings home.

Herke assured lawmakers veterans’ care has not suffered.

Gov. Tim Walz, a 24-year Army National Guard veteran, has said he is confident the Department of Veterans Affairs will address any workplace problems in Hastings.

The state’s two domiciliaries, are care homes not nursing homes, but veterans are supposed to have 24-hour access to to nurses, social workers, counselors and other providers. Many of the residents do not have family members or others to advocate on their behalf.

The veterans affairs budget includes about $128 million in new spending, a dramatic increase from the $280 million in the current two-year budget.

Much of the new funding will go to fund the operation of three new veterans homes the state is opening in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston.

The veterans affairs budget is part of the state’s next two-year spending plan being developed at the Capitol. It is one of the few piece with broad bipartisan support, passing the House unanimously and with a 61-5 vote in the Senate.

Democrats have narrow control of both chambers of the Legislature. They have until May 22 to finish their work on the budget that is expected to top $70 billion.

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