Baker Knew.
They All Knew.
Governor Baker knew that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home wasn’t equipped to protect our veterans. He and his team are undoubtedly to blame.
It's time Governor Baker took responsibility.
Governor Baker must be held accountable.
Governor Baker appointed an unqualified Superintendent from a well-connected political family to run the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home for veterans. Governor Baker knew the Home was unlicensed and unprepared to handle COVID-19. Yet, he still turned a blind-eye and 76 veterans living there lost their lives.
Questions raised about independence of Holyoke Soldiers’ Home COVID-19 probe
When 76 veterans died last spring of COVID-19 in the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, the need to get to the bottom of what happened and why, and who was to blame, could hardly have been more clear.
June 26, 2021 // Boston Globe
Don’t call inquiry into veterans’ deaths an independent investigation
Attorney-client privilege prevented the public from getting the transparency it deserved in Mark Pearlstein’s report on the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home tragedy.
July 6, 2021 // Boston Globe
Governor Baker must answer for the tragedy at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
Last spring, at least 76 Massachusetts veterans died not from the trauma or injuries of war, but in a place that should have been a refuge… They were killed by a devastating COVID-19 outbreak that overtook the facility due to what turned out to be deadly decision-making.
May 31, 2021 // BOSTON GLOBE
What happened in Holyoke?
Governor Baker Put Political Considerations Ahead of Veteran Safety and 76 Veterans Died.
An independent investigation into the deaths of 76 veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home found that the Baker Administration allowed the Home to operate without a state nursing home license for years. The same independent investigation found that the Soldiers’ Home was never inspected by the state department of public health during Baker’s seven years in office.
- Bennett Walsh, the Soldiers’ Home Superintendent, was hand-picked by Baker because of his family’s political connections.
- Baker knew Walsh had never managed a nursing home and had no medical training or experience what-so-ever.
- Before being handed this appointment, Walsh was trying to land a security job at a local casino.
The Facts Are Clear: Governor Baker Put a Total Incompetent in Charge of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. It’s Time for Baker to Take Responsibility.
It's time Governor Baker took responsibility.
Don’t call inquiry into veterans’ deaths an independent investigation
Attorney-client privilege prevented the public from getting the transparency it deserved in Mark Pearlstein’s report on the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home tragedy.
July 6, 2021 // Boston Globe
Governor Baker must answer for the tragedy at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
Last spring, at least 76 Massachusetts veterans died not from the trauma or injuries of war, but in a place that should have been a refuge… They were killed by a devastating COVID-19 outbreak that overtook the facility due to what turned out to be deadly decision-making.
May 31, 2021 // BOSTON GLOBE
A Superintendent Picked by Baker for His Political Connections.
According to the independent investigation:
“Mr. Walsh was not qualified to manage a long-term care facility, and his shortcomings were well known…”
A recent Boston Globe Spotlight Team report revealed that while the Governor claimed that he had never met Bennett Walsh, Baker personally interviewed Walsh for the job in an effort to curry favor with his powerful political family in an election year.
Our Veterans, Left With No Protection.
Once Walsh took command, it quickly became clear to the Baker Administration that he was wrong for the job. According to the independent report:
“They thought he was ‘in over his head’ and did not spend enough time at the Home. They observed massive turnover in Mr. Walsh’s staff, including clinical leadership positions. They had to hire an executive coach to work with Mr. Walsh on his anger management, and then had to extend this appointment in response to more complaints.”
Despite knowing that Walsh was incapable of guiding an organization charged with the health care of aging veterans, Baker allowed two key positions at the Soldiers’ Home to remain vacant. Nine months before the COVID-19 outbreak, the highly qualified assistant director, who had significant experience in long-term care, resigned in frustration. Baker never replaced him.
All In The Pursuit Of Saving A Quick Buck.
Governor Baker never filled a position that was specifically created by the Legislature in 2016 to provide better medical oversight of the state’s two soldiers’ homes. His excuse? “Budgetary reasons.”
According to the independent report:
“One resource that should have been available to bring healthcare oversight experience was the Executive Director of Veterans’ Homes. In 2016, the Legislature created this role within the Department of Veterans’ Services with reporting and oversite responsibilities for the Soldiers’ Home. The statute requires that an experienced healthcare executive hold this role. But the position—mandated by statute—was never filled, for budget reasons.”
Horrifying Deaths That Could Have Been Avoided.
Knowing that many of the veterans at the Soldiers’ Home died needlessly makes the pain felt by their families immeasurable.
According to the independent report:
“On April 3, after not hearing an update about her father in over 30 hours, Ms. Kenney wrote ‘Is my dad alive?’ on the windows of her car and drove to the Soldiers’ Home.”
A recent report from the Massachusetts Legislature has prompted calls for new reforms to fix the grave issues at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home caused by Governor Baker and his Administration’s neglect.
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