（Boston Orange編譯）麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）27日視察霍利約克退伍軍人之家（Veterans Home at Holyoke），強調該機構在住民安全、照護品質與滿意度上的顯著改善，已成為全美長照與退伍軍人照護的重要示範之一。
麻州府表示，近三年來已透過設立退伍軍人服務執行辦公室、強化人力配置、改善臨床照護、提升安全措施與推動新院舍建設，逐步重建外界對麻州退伍軍人照護體系的信任。霍利約克退伍軍人之家目前已取得麻州公共衛生署（DPH）、聯邦醫療保險與醫療補助服務中心（CMS）及退伍軍人事務部（VA）完整認證，營運與監管架構也同步更新。
數據顯示，該院註冊護士每日每名住民服務時數為1.36，高於全國平均0.59；護理助理為4.43，高於全國平均2.18。每千日住院率為0.99，低於全國平均1.82；門診急診就診率為0.93，也低於全國平均1.73。2025年住民對機構的推薦度評分為4.96分（滿分5分），高於全國平均4.16分。安全指標方面，自2021年以來重大跌倒事故下降27.4%，2025年與2026年維持零約束措施使用，住民與員工疫苗接種率持續高於全國平均，外包人力占比則由2025年7月的3.1%降至2026年5月低於1%。此外，該院已設立女性退伍軍人專區，並有72名志工與32個社區團體每年提供約4,100小時服務。
霍利約克退伍軍人之家曾在新冠疫情期間出現嚴重照護與管理危機，之後麻州政府著手監督與治理改革，並通過相關資金支持，推動設施重建。州政府目前正持續興建新院舍，總投資規模為4.82億美元，預計今年秋季迎接首批住民，並於2028年夏季完工。
Governor Healey Visits Veterans Home at Holyoke to Highlight Significant Resident Safety and Quality Turnaround
HOLYOKE - Governor Maura Healey, Veterans Services Secretary Eric Goralnick, and local officials today visited the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke to highlight major improvements in veteran care, staffing, safety, and resident satisfaction that now place the facility among the strongest long-term skilled nursing facilities in the nation.
The Veterans Home at Holyoke has achieved full state and federal licensure and certification from the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), while also posting some of the strongest clinical and quality-of-life outcomes in the country.
The visit comes as Governor Healey continues to lead a transformation of veterans services across Massachusetts following years of crisis and mismanagement at the state’s veterans homes. Over the last three years, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has worked to rebuild trust with veterans and families while modernizing operations, strengthening staffing, improving clinical care and investing in the long-term future of both Massachusetts Veterans Homes.
“When we created the Executive Office of Veterans Services, we made a commitment to rebuild trust and deliver the quality care Massachusetts veterans deserve. Today, the Veterans Home at Holyoke is setting a new standard for veteran care in Massachusetts and across the country,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These achievements are the result of extraordinary staff, strong leadership, and a deep commitment to doing right by the veterans who served our country. We are proud of the progress made here, but even more importantly, veterans and their families can once again feel confident that they are receiving the high-quality, compassionate care they deserve.”
“These milestones reflect years of hard work from frontline staff, clinical teams, veterans advocates and leaders who stayed focused on rebuilding this Home the right way,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “The veterans living here deserve not only safe and high-quality care, but a true sense of community and dignity. Massachusetts is proving that when you prioritize veterans and invest in people, you can create a model of care that stands among the best in the country.”
“Beyond the clinical and operational successes, the team’s dedication to compassionate care truly makes Holyoke a Home for our veteran residents. As a physician, I appreciate both in equal measure. The remarkable staff show up for our veterans every day and on every shift—and the numbers back it up,” said Veterans Services Secretary Eric Goralnick.
"It is remarkable to see and reflect on the many improvements that have been made at the Holyoke Veterans' Home to ensure that our Commonwealth is living up to the promise of caring for our aging veterans with dignity, honor, and respect. I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their steadfast work and partnership to implement the veterans' home bond bill and the many oversight and governance reforms passed by the Legislature in response to the Home's COVID-19 tragedy. In the months that followed that outbreak, I spent countless hours talking with families and dedicated staff where I made each of them a promise, never again, and I truly believe the new facility and the achievements celebrated today will live up to that promise,” said Senator John Velis.
"I have been coming to this facility for over twenty years, as a neighbor, friend, advocate, union steward, and legislator," said Holyoke State Representative Patricia Duffy. "I am enormously proud of the reform and funding we passed as a legislature and how striking the results have been. The Veterans Home's staff and leadership, working hand in hand with this administration, deliver care that is second to none and our veterans and their families are thriving here, as they so deserve."
“Today, I want to recognize the incredible progress happening at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home and why it matters so much to our veterans, their families, and our entire community. One of the clearest signs of that progress is the major improvement in inpatient care and the recent achievement of a perfect score during inspection. That is not something that happens by accident. It reflects hard work, accountability, strong leadership, and a renewed commitment to providing our veterans with the dignity, compassion, and quality care they deserve. For years, our community demanded better for the men and women who served our country. Today, we are finally seeing the results of that effort. A perfect score means safer conditions, stronger medical care, better oversight, and a culture focused on excellence,” said Holyoke Mayor Josh Garcia. “While there is always more work to do, this milestone should give veterans and their loved ones confidence that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home is moving in the right direction. To the staff, caregivers, leadership team, and every veteran who placed their trust in this institution — thank you. Holyoke is proud of this progress, and we remain committed to ensuring our veterans receive the very best care possible.”
Governor Healey toured the facility alongside Secretary Goralnick, Executive Director Michael Lazo, and Director of Nursing Kelly Jones, where they met with veterans, staff, and families and discussed how investments in staffing, technology, safety, and resident-centered care are improving daily life for residents.
By the Numbers: How the Veterans Home at Holyoke Measures Up Nationally
The following performance measures are drawn from internal clinical and operational data tracked by the Home, veteran satisfaction surveys conducted through Pinnacle Quality Insights, and external federal reviews and safety benchmarks from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Staffing levels and clinical care: One of the clearest indicators of quality care in a long-term care facility is the amount of time nurses and clinical staff are able to spend with residents each day. At Holyoke, staffing levels now significantly exceed both national and Massachusetts averages.
Registered Nurse Hours Per Patient Day
Holyoke: 1.36
National Average: 0.59
Registered nurses oversee clinical care, medications, and early intervention when health concerns arise. Holyoke’s staffing levels are more than double the national average, allowing veterans to receive more attentive and proactive care.
Certified Nursing Assistant Hours Per Patient Day
Holyoke: 4.43
National Average: 2.18
Certified nursing assistants help residents with daily care, mobility, meals, hygiene and personal support. Higher staffing levels help ensure veterans receive more consistent and individualized care from staff who know them personally.
Keeping veterans healthy: Lower hospitalization and emergency room visit rates are key indicators that residents are receiving strong preventative and on-site clinical care. Holyoke’s rates are nearly half the national averages on both measures.
Hospitalizations Per 1,000 Days
Holyoke: 0.99
National Average: 1.82
Outpatient Emergency Room Visits Per 1,000 Days
Holyoke: 0.93
National Average: 1.73
These outcomes reflect stronger care coordination, earlier clinical intervention, and improved monitoring that allows more veterans to safely remain at the Home instead of requiring hospital transfers.
Veteran satisfaction and external reviews
Internal veteran satisfaction score (2025): Holyoke earned a percent veteran satisfaction score in 2025, reflecting strong confidence from residents and families in the quality of care provided at the Home.
Would recommend the facility to other veterans
Holyoke: 4.96/5
National Average: 4.16/5
Safety and workforce improvements
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has also prioritized strengthening resident safety, workforce stability, and person-centered care practices at the Home.
Falls with major injury declined by 27.4 percent since 2021
Restraint use remained at zero throughout 2025 and 2026
Vaccination rates among residents and staff continue to exceed national averages
Agency staff use dropped from 3.1 percent of total hours in July 2025 to less than 1 percent in May 2026. Consistent staffing means consistent care — residents are seen by people who know them.
Holyoke opened a dedicated women veterans unit to better support the fastest-growing veteran demographic
The Home’s volunteer program now includes 72 active volunteers and 32 community groups contributing approximately 4,100 service hours annually
These data-driven improvements highlight a remarkable three-year turnaround that includes achieving full state and federal licensure and certifications from the Department of Public Health (DPH), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the construction of Holyoke’s new, state-of-the-art facility.
In addition to the significant operational and clinical progress made at the Home over the last three years, construction continues on the new Veterans Home at Holyoke as part of a historic $482 million investment in veterans care infrastructure in Massachusetts. The new state-of-the-art facility will welcome its first residents this fall, with full project completion expected by summer 2028, and will feature 234 long-term care beds, a specialized memory care unit, and a 40-person adult day health program designed to support both residents and veterans living throughout the surrounding community. The project builds on another major investment by the Healey-Driscoll Administration: the opening of the new Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea in 2023.
Governor Healey created the Executive Office of Veterans Services in March 2023 to restore trust and deliver stronger care for veterans across Massachusetts. Since then, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, with strong support from the Legislature, has passed the HERO Act to improve veterans services in more than 30 ways, launched the End Veteran Homelessness initiative that housed hundreds of veterans in its first year, modernized veterans services statewide, and transformed both Massachusetts Veterans Homes into nationally recognized, fully certified care facilities focused on delivering the high-quality care veterans deserve.
沒有留言:
發佈留言