Veterans’ Homes Council Sees New Appointments From Healey-Driscoll Administration

By KENNEDY GRIFFIN

(Boston, MA) The Healey-Driscoll administration announced seven appointments to the Veterans’ Homes Council. The Council was founded by statute last year following the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in 2020, with the hope that the new council’s oversight may prevent future tragedies.

“The Veterans’ Homes Council will play a critical role in ensuring that we are providing the care that our veterans need and deserve. These seven appointees have an intimate understanding of the complex needs of veterans, including access to health care, mental health care, housing and food assistance,” said Governor Maura T. Healey. “Our administration is grateful to the Legislature and our teams at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and Department of Veterans’ Services for their hard work to create this important council.”

According to the Governor’s Office, “The Council’s responsibilities include recommending improvements and policies for Veterans’ Homes to the Secretary of Veterans’ Services, submitting recommendations for appointments and removal of Veterans’ Homes Superintendents, and developing an annual report reviewing the Veterans’ Homes’ demographics, finances, staffing levels, efficacy, equity, and resident well-being.”

See the list of appointments here.

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05/12/22 A settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and plaintiffs regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in the spring of 2020.

The $56 million settlement must now be approved by the federal district court for Massachusetts. The terms of the settlement will cover veterans who lived at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home for any time between March 1, 2020 and June 23, 2020 and became ill or died from COVID-19 in that period. 

According to the Baker-Polito Administration, “[e]states of deceased veterans would receive a minimum award of $400,000 and veterans who contracted COVID but survived would receive a minimum of $10,000. The fund will also provide for payment of court approved attorneys’ fees for the plaintiffs.”

Tom Lesser, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said, “There is no amount of money that can compensate our clients for the loss of their loved ones.  But our clients are grateful that the Commonwealth has acted to resolve this matter without the need for protracted litigation by agreeing to compensate both the families of those who died of COVID, as well as the veterans who survived.  The settlement is fair and just.”

In the time since the outbreak in 2020, the Baker-Polito Administration has made efforts to strengthen the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. The Home has passed all federal inspections and undergoes annual surveys by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs to maintain certification. After receiving the VA certification in 2021, the Home has been inspected for 2022 and is awaiting final certification.