Holyoke Veterans Home Opens New Eight-Story Building

HOLYOKE, Mass. (United Newz Hub). A new veterans home opened in Holyoke on Thursday, six years after a COVID-19 outbreak at the adjacent Soldiers' Home killed at least 76 elderly veterans. The ribbon-cutting marked the completion of a curved, eight-story structure built on Cherry Hill to replace the older facility.

The $484 million building, named the Veterans Home at Holyoke, was funded almost equally by state and federal money. It contains 212 single rooms and 11 double rooms. Each single room measures 150 square feet and includes a private bathroom, a 55-inch television, a gas fireplace, and large windows overlooking the Pioneer Valley.

The design addresses the conditions blamed for the rapid spread of the virus in the older building. Previously, two, three, and four veterans shared rooms that lacked sinks and private bathrooms. During the 2020 outbreak, a state investigation found that more than 40 veterans were moved into a space designed for 25 people. Some residents carried the virus, while others showed no symptoms.

The new facility organizes residents into groups of 10, 12, or 14 veterans across separate wings on each floor. Nursing stations have sight lines to all rooms in their areas. State officials said the facility will operate with 1.36 registered nurse hours per patient per day, which is more than double the national average of 0.59. The building is expected to employ 549 full-time staff, compared to 345 at the former home.

"If it were not for the sacrifice of those veterans and the advocacy of those family members, this new home would not have been built," said John Paradis, a former deputy superintendent at the Soldiers' Home. "The state did what they said they would do."

Governor Maura Healey said in an interview Friday that the project reflects a commitment to veterans. "It's about the continued commitment and hard work of staff and advocates and family members and the state to do everything we can to make sure veterans in Massachusetts have access to the highest-quality housing and care," Healey said.

Executive Director Michael Lazo, who commanded the National Guard response to the 2020 outbreak, now leads the new home. His predecessor, Bennett Walsh, resigned in October 2020 after he and medical director Dr. David Clinton were indicted on criminal charges of neglect of elders. In 2024, both men admitted in court there were sufficient facts to warrant a guilty verdict. Their cases were continued without a finding.

Following the outbreak, the position of state secretary of veterans services was elevated to Cabinet level. Governor Healey appointed Dr. Jon Santiago, an emergency medicine physician, to the post in 2023. He was succeeded by Dr. Eric Goralnick, a Navy veteran and emergency medicine physician. At the former Chelsea Soldiers' Home, a new $200 million facility has also been built.

Some family members of veterans who died said they were not initially invited to Thursday's ceremony. Laurie Beaudette, whose father died from COVID-19, said, "Several families were part of the advocacy efforts, and for us not to get an invitation after losing parents, that's not kosher." Invitations were sent after state Senator John Velis contacted the administration. Healey called the delay a "mixup."

Veterans currently living in the older building are expected to move into the new quarters in January. The 74-year-old Soldiers' Home is scheduled for demolition by 2028. Officials are planning a commemorative garden for veterans, though a final decision on specific references to COVID-19 victims has not been made.

Elizabeth Brewer, a 97-year-old Army veteran and one of six women in the facility, said, "It's the best place anywhere around for nursing care."