HOLYOKE — Anyone driving by the unfinished Veterans Home in Holyoke can see from Interstate 91 that the towering structure is taking shape as its immense, seven-story windows have been installed, and scaffolding is now gradually being peeled back to showcase its dominating brick facade.
But there is also immense progress in areas that can’t be viewed from the outside. Earlier this summer, the Veterans Home passed all state and federal licensing requirements, opening the door for Medicaid and Medicare funding as the current facility was ruled to be operating on par with the best long-term care facilities in the nation.
“This is a proud moment for Massachusetts and a promise kept to our veterans and their families,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.
After a thorough review in July, the Holyoke campus which currently houses 122 veterans received full certification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), making it eligible for Medicare and Medicaid funding.
The CMS review ensures safety, quality, and staffing obligations are met. According to the statement from the governor’s office, the Holyoke facility exceeds statewide averages in six of the seven CMS benchmarks that track resident health, safety and quality of life.
The Veterans Home had previously passed inspection by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and were awarded a perfect, zero-deficiency rating in the Veteran’s Affair’s annual survey.
The same results were found at the veterans facility in Chelsea, where a new veterans home opened in 2023. The new facility in Holyoke is expected to open in late 2026, with full completion estimated to come in 2028.
The new state operated facility currently under construction in Holyoke, which will have 234 long-term care beds, a specialized memory care unit and a 40-person adult day health program, is a $482 million redevelopment being overseen by construction managers from Commodore and Walsh who formed a joint venture.
The rebuilding comes after the former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, which stands directly behind the new structure and still houses veterans, made national headlines after 76 residents died in 2020 during the pandemic. This led to directors being charged with criminal negligence after vital programs were slashed due to low staffing.
A similar outbreak came out of a veterans home in Chelsea, where the death of 31 veterans spurred lawsuits by family members against the Chelsea facility. That home has been replaced by a $200 million facility, with 65% of the project paid for by federal funds.
“We said we would rebuild trust, raise standards and deliver the highest quality care in our state’s veterans homes — and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Healey. “These milestones reflect not just stronger oversight, but a deeper commitment to the dignity, health and well-being of those who served. I’m proud of the progress at Holyoke and Chelsea.”
State Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, a veteran who chairs the Senate Joint Committee on Veterans Affairs, said in a statement that the “Holyoke Veterans Home continues to be a source of incredible pride for all of us who call Western Massachusetts home, and today’s announcement is a fulfillment and reflection of the dedicated work that has been taking place at both Chelsea and Holyoke over the last year several years.”
Velis also expressed his gratitude to the Healey-Driscoll administration for continued support.
Other initiatives of the Healey-Driscoll administration on behalf of veterans includes the founding of the Executive Office of Veterans Services in March 2023.
The administration also passed the HERO Act, aimed at providing veterans with increased benefits and modernized services, implemented the End Veteran Homelessness initiative, and has worked to provide suicide prevention resources and increased employment opportunities for those who have served.
Together these investments for veterans represent “the most ambitious and comprehensive overhaul of veterans services in state history.”