Public Meeting Notice  Statewide Veterans' Council Meeting

A meeting of the Statewide Veterans Home Council was held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, by the Executive Office of Veterans Services, 15 New Chardon Street, One Bowdoin Square, Suite 400, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. The meeting was held virtually.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Robert Engell at 05:03PM. The Mr. Engell made introductory remarks before reviewing the agenda for the meeting.  He welcomed Eric Goralnick, MD, Secretary of Executive Office of Veterans Service (EOVS), Adriana Leon, Chief Financial Officer, EOVS, Ilva Qorri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Quality, EOVS.   The Council membership was noted and a quorum for the meeting was recorded.

1. Routine Items

   1. Member Roll Call

      1. Attendance:
         1. Mark Bigda​​ - Not Present
         2. Louis Chow​​ - Present
         3. Sean Collins​​ - Present
         4. Susan Coppola​ - Present
         5. Ziven Drake​​ - Present​
         6. Mike Dunford​​ - Present
         7. Janet Hale​​ - Not Present
         8. Michael Jefferson​ - Not Present
         9. Gary Keefe​​ - Present
         10. Jill Landis​​ - Not Present
         11. Tom Lyons​​ - Present
         12. Isaac Mass​​ - Present
         13. Ira Novoselsky​ - Present
         14. Jonathan Olshaker​ - Present
         15. Carmen Ostrander​ - Not Present
         16. Kurt Power​​ - Not Present
         17. Dawn Slaven​​ - Not Present
         18. Robert Engell​​ - Present

   2. Also in attendance: 

      1. Secretary Eric Goralnick (VET), 
      2. Ilva Qorri, (VET), 
      3. Adriana Leon (VET), 
      4. Chad Morin (VET), 
      5. Mark Yankopoulos (VET), 
      6. Marc Silvestri (VET), 
      7. Christine Baldini (CHE), 
      8. Scott Consaul (CHE), 
      9. John Couillard (CHE), 
      10. Michael Lazo (HLY), 
      11. Glen Hevy (HLY), 
      12. Jeff Lenahan (HLY), 
      13. Debra Foley (HLY), 
      14. Diane Dietzen (HLY), 
      15. Melanie Gentile (HLY), 
      16. Kelly Jones (HLY), 
      17. Eve Elliott (OVA)

   3. Record of Statewide Veterans Council Meeting held December 16, 2025 (vote)

      Mr. Engell asked if there were any changes to the record for the December 16, 2025, meeting. There were none. A motion to approve the record was made by Mr. Lyons and seconded by Ms. Drake.

      1. Roll-call vote

         1. Louis Chow​​Yes
         2. Sean Collins​​Yes ​
         3. Susan Coppola​Abstained
         4. Ziven Drake​​Yes
         5. Mike Dunford​​Yes
         6. Gary Keefe​​Yes
         7. Tom Lyons​​Yes
         8. Issac Mass​​Yes
         9. Ira Novoselsky​Yes
         10. Jonathan Olshaker​Yes
         11. Robert Engell​​Yes
         12. The motion passes (10 votes)

2. Updates from Mr. Engell

   Mr. Engell provided an update of recent EOVS activities.

   The new members of the EOVS team were noted.

   During the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth’s Address on January 22, 2026, she provided positive recognition to both Chelsea and Holyoke Veterans Homes around quality improvement.

   On May 16, 2026, the 18th Annual Women’s Veterans Network luncheon is already sold out with a capacity of 200 attendees, the leadership of Jessica Frost and Peggy Duffy Shea of the EOVS Women’s Veterans Network was noted.,.

   In celebration of Black History Month, Governor Healey signed a bill establishing the Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day on the 4th Thursday in March in formal recognition of the service, sacrifice, and contributions of the legendary African American military aviators known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The Governor was joined for the signing by Brigadier General, Woody Woodson and Dr. Harold May. Both are Massachusetts Veterans and original members of the Tuskegee Airmen.

   A bit of sorrow touched Massachusetts with the passing of Commander, Timothy Sullivan.   The Commander had a decorated career, was a former POW who endured over five years of captivity and who is known amongst EOVS members as a National Service Officer and mentor defining the current approach to best serving veterans with a 30-year tenure with the Department of Veterans Services or EOVS

   Mr. Engell concluded the update and opened the floor for questions. There were no questions.

3. Welcome to Secretary Eric Goralnick, MD, MS

   Secretary Goralnick greeted the team and shared highlights from his background including emergency medicine and with the Navy prior to joining EOVS and the vision for the future with the focus aligned with taking care of veterans, taking care of the people who take care of veterans, and to be humble and lead with humility. Secretary Goralnick provided closing remarks regarding continuing to improve care even further than today and working with and meeting the team.

4. Informational Presentations

   1. Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke, Executive Director Michael Lazo

      Mr. Lazo reported that the census is 115 with 11 open beds and an occupancy rate of 89.8%.

      The Home has 370 employees representing 315 FTEs. The average Hours Per Patient Day (HPPD) for February was 6.97 with 1.45 RNs, .81 LPNs, and 4.71 CNAs. Organic staffing is 99.2% with only 00.8% remaining with agency staff for the month of February.  The open positions being recruited were highlighted, including the HR Manager, MDS Supervisor, a Nursing Evening Supervisor and a Recreational Therapist.

      The Home has recently celebrated Valentine’s Day and will be taking part in the Holyoke Saint Patrick’s Day parade.

      Mr. Lazo shared that he had awarded Coins for Excellence to two staff who had been successful in going ‘above and beyond’ in keeping a resident safe when they were found outside of the facility.  He also reported on a new Occupational Health Bingo program focused on encouraging staff to take care of their own health. There continue to be quarterly open forums where the Executive Director and leadership are available to communicate with staff on any ideas, concerns, etc. There has been great conversations which have occurred during the open forum sessions.

      The Home is excited to be within 6 months of moving into the new building. The Home continues to hold tours for staff. There are two open houses planned, one for neighbors and families, and stakeholders and the second for elected officials and press, both tentatively scheduled for September 2026 with the Director of Communications finalizing the two dates with EOVS. Holyoke is looking forward to the ribbon cutting with the Governor’s Office.

      The staff education annual safety fair is scheduled for March 15th – March 19th. There are no results for satisfaction survey this quarter with the transition to the new vendor. Recreation plans are 100% completed in WellSky. Dementia training continues with the first few hours wrapping up at end of month and second session occurring in the second quarter.

      The Quality Team has been working diligently. The annual Facility Assessment and the QAPI plan have both been updated for 2026. There are plans in progress to get the new building VA and DPH/CMS certified. A Facility Assessment updated draft has been initiated for the new building with expected process changed occurring due to the layout of the physical plant. The policy project with EOVS is completing and the Home continues to work with EOVS to upload approved policies and implement them at the Home. The Culture of Safety Survey will be conducted this year in August.   It is a 2-year survey with the last one occurring in 2024. Holyoke results are compared to the nation and shared with staff. In 2024, the Home exceeded benchmarks in 11 of the 13 categories.

      Holyoke has been focusing on fall reduction with an overall improvement rating of 18.5% since 2021 and a fall with major injury rating at 00.7% which is above the national and Massachusetts averages. A second area of focus is veterans’ hospitalization with improvement achieved in this area with 00.91% for ED and 1.01% for admitted

      The Home is anticipating the DPH/CMS survey and the VA annual survey that occurred from February 17-20. DPH and the VA will also be conducting surveys as part of the move into and opening the new building. The Five Star rating is not available on the compare with submissions hitting a year back to April 2025.

      In Infection Disease there are no COVID or FLU amongst residents in the building. There are staff members who have tested positive and are isolating out of the building and taking necessary precautions. For veteran vaccination 68% received the COVID vaccination and 84% received the FLU vaccination with all others declining. Staff vaccination is 13% for COVID and 57% for FLU Staff not receiving the vaccination must have education and complete a declination and will have to mask until the end of March 2026.

      Update on goals for 2026 include pending DPH survey, plans for move remain in process, VA annual recertification which has been completed, completion of the conversion of 2 South to a women’s unit, normalizing financial ISA to maximize service and funding, and filling the HR Manager role soon.

      Ms. Coppola inquired if there was a complaint survey for a reported incident and if there have been any other complaint surveys. Mr. Lazo indicated there was not a complaint survey and Holyoke has not had a complaint survey in the last 5 years. Mr. Lazo provided more details regarding the residents involved with this event. The event was reported to DPH through HCFRS, and a root cause analysis was conducted by the Quality Team at the Home.  

      Mr. Collins provided accolades for the great continued work occurring in Holyoke and looking forward to future events.

   2. Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea, Executive Director, Christine Baldini

      Ms. Baldini reported that census is 120 in long-term care with a waitlist of 118 and an occupancy of 95.24% in our long-term care facility.  Two neighborhoods remain unopened with a total of 28 beds.  The current census in the domiciliary is 102 with a waitlist of 6 and an occupancy of 88.70% with a maximum occupancy at 115.

      The Home is actively recruiting for a Director of Nursing. The Home hired an Assistant Director of Nursing scheduled to begin mid-April 2026. Recruitment continues for an evening RN supervisor, Dietitians, with two vacancies, a Chauffer position, three Recreational Therapist positions, a business office manager, accountant, and an accountant coordinator position. In addition to these positions pipeline postings remain for CNAs and Nurses.

      The annual DPH recertification survey occurred September 16-19, 2025. There were three D level deficiencies and remain under the HDI, which is the current average currently listed at 10.2. The plan of correction has been completed and approved by the DPH, the Home continues with ongoing monitoring in Quality Assurance Performance Improvement. The VA annual recertification survey occurred December 1-5, 2025. There were 7 D level deficiencies in the long-term care and 3 in the domiciliary. Ms. Baldini reviewed the cited deficiencies.  The plan of correction has been approved by the VA.

      The CMS Five Star Rating reflected that overall quality improved from 3 stars to 4 stars. There was a reporting error by the Home in the PBJ system with staffing hours which has been corrected The adjustment should reflect an accurate rating in the next quarter and the error has been brought to the Quality team.

      The Pinnacle Report for February reflects a 98% favorability rating with the average score being 4.84% and the focus area continues with communication. The Home received 12 recognition awards in 2026 from Pinnacle for performance in the top 15% of providers nationally.

      The partnership continues with DCAMM and Soldier On for the Domiciliary Redevelopment Project. It is anticipated that funding for phase one of the project will be finalized this summer.  Abatement and demolition are ongoing with the Quigley Building. Window Replacement Project has been completed in the Long-Term Care building. The swing space in the Keville/Sullivan building is nearing completion.The sprinkler project is nearing completion.

      The average hours per patient day (HPPD) for the most recent quarter was 5.30. The national average is 3.5. The current period RN’s 0.86, LPN 0.95, CNA 4.37, Total 6.18. In February 2026, nursing organic staff was 96.1%, agency staff was 3.9%. The Home continues to focus on acuity and person-centered care to determine staffing levels by neighborhood.  

      An overview of the Homes’ QAPI program was provided.  QAPI projects and focus areas are identified using past survey results, CMS quality measures, resident council minutes, incident/accident reports, grievance reports, resident satisfaction reports. Continued focus has been on audits for excellence program initiated last month, the CMS five-star rating and monitoring and improving documentation in the EMR and focusing on the five-star rating for quality measures.

      Audit for Excellence program is focusing on all incident with a particular focus on falls. The new tools for the fall prevention program include fall huddles which involve the interdisciplinary team and anypotential witnesses of the fall which enables the team to conduct an on-the-spot root cause analysis.

      Executive team goals for 2026 are as follows: recruitment and onboarding for executive leadership;eliminate contracted labor in the nursing department; reduce overtime; open final two neighborhoods in SNF; achieve 5-star CMS rating; implement volunteer program; explore technology to support advanced operational outcomes; and continued review of implementation of policy and procedures, and the revamp of new employee orientation program.

      The 2nd Annual International Food Festival for staff occurred in January 2026 where staff wereencouraged to bring in food from their country of origin to share and celebrate.   Additional upcoming events include opening day for the Red Sox on April 3, 2026, and the education Health Fair scheduled for April 14-15, 2026.

      Recreation rolled out the 1st Annual Chelsea Resident Olympics where the residents were able to participate in a hockey game. Recreation and Rehab staff did a great job pulling this together and the facilities team built a hockey rink for the residents to use. There was a visit from the media before the which the team and residents enjoyed. There was also opening and closing ceremonies. It was a great event for camaraderie and team building. Participants received pins for participating in the event.

      Mr. Mass provided feedback regarding the International Food Festival and noted that some organizations are moving away from external food being brought into the building and potentially cooking onsite or ordering to ensure public health requirements are met.

      Mr. Lyons acknowledged the positive direction Chelsea is heading in with Ms. Baldini’s leadership andwith the team she has built. The feedback from the events and specifically the Olympics was positive, and the residents had a great time. Mr. Lyons also noted the positive work of the EOVS Ombudsperson and the follow-through with campus issues and supporting the residents.

      Mr. Dunford acknowledged the progress of both Chelsea and Holyoke under the leadership of both Mr. Lazo and Ms. Baldini and initiated conversation about replicating the success of these two organizations to other locations in the Commonwealth and how these organizations may be able to add value. Mr.Engell thanked Mr. Dunford for the comments and highlighted future components of support and care will be covered in the next portion of the meeting and will engage how councilmembers will be able to become more engaged strategically. Mr. Lyons broached the funding available to create the idea for helping smaller homes and the conversation surrounding the topic. Mr. Keefe added to the conversation regarding planning and engagement from the stakeholders when this takes place particularly down in the Cape area and smaller campus housing.

   3. MVH Budgets FY 26 status and FY 27 Healey-Driscoll House 2 

      Adriana Leon EOVS CFO, was joined by CFO’s, from Chelsea and Holyoke, John Couillard and Melanie Gentile for the presentation. 

      Ms. Leon provided an overview of the State Budget process. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is required to have a balanced operating budget each year. The operating budget supports state agencies across all three branches of government covering most of the state agencies, including legislature and judiciary and education and cities and towns, Health and Human Services, and EOVS and the programs at the Homes. Capital, trust, and federal budgets serve as the other major funding mechanisms for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

      The annual operating budget process is similar from year to year. The process kicks off in July and August once the Governor signs off on the final budget. Following the sign off, state agencies work on firming up spending plans for the current fiscal year leading into September and by October are looking towards the following fiscal year. The process is informed by the annual tax hearing which covers how the state can pay for the operating budget. In January the Governor files the budget bill with House for the next fiscal year leading into March where the Joint Ways and Means committee holds budget hearings. The next part of the process reviewed how a bill becomes a law through the House and the Senate.

      The budget relies on tax revenue with the majority covered with income and sales tax. For FY27 approximately 56% of the revenue the Governor’s budget utilizes is tax revenue with the other category of revenue being non-tax, which is primarily Medicaid reimbursements or federal reimbursements for Health and Human Services programs and then departments who collect fees on a smaller scale.

      For spending the operating budget funds a range of programs, operations helps pay off long term liabilities like the pension system, healthcare, etc. Major cost drivers are payroll for most agenciesrequiring accurate projections for staffing and hiring. IT is also a major cost component. Budget spending projections are based on necessities dependent on size of agency.

      For the current and next fiscal year, the Administration is closely monitoring revenue inflows, specifically on the tax side, and spending across the board. Across the government, the spending proposals total $62.8 billion which is a 3.5% increase over the FY26 final budget. For EOVS, the House 2 proposal preserves core veteran benefits, strengthens long-term care operations, continues the implementation of the HERO Act, and supports workforce development and economic stability for veterans statewide.

      FY27 House 2 for EOVS, includes $210.9 million which is an increase of 4.6% over FY26. Key highlights include a new $1.65 million appropriation to support Veterans Education, employment, and training and a $3.2 million increase for annuity payments consistent with the HERO Act for disabled veterans, Gold Star families, and surviving spouses.

      Ms. Leon introduced Melanie Gentile, CFO at the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke. 

      Ms. Gentile provided a brief introduction and began the presentation of Holyoke’s budget comparison from FY26 to FY27. Holyoke’s budget has increased by $6.85 million from FY26 to FY27 which is approximately a 21% increase and is split between four appropriations. The funding covers 345.6 FTE’s which is considered the FTE cap and supports the 128-bed census and the move to the new facility projected to occur in fall of 2026. The funding also includes license plate routine revenue which is revenue from the sales completed at the Department of Transportation for veteran license plates. Ms. Gentile concluded the presentation and turned the meeting back over to Ms. Leon who transitioned to Chelsea’s CFO John Couillard for the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea’s presentation. Mr. Couillard provided an introduction and began the presentation of the Chelsea budget and two appropriations. The main operating budget for FY27 is a slight decrease from FY26 which supports operations for the long-term care facility and the domiciliary, 371.1 FTEs to run operations in the two buildings, and a new appropriation funded by license plates.

   4. Educational Program

      1. MVH 2030 Strategic Plan

         Mr. Engell provided background highlights of the strategic framework of the Homes which is captured in the presentation and provides additional focus and alignment with the mission and direction as the Secretary as well as with the Homes and encouraged the council members to engage during the presentation. 

         Mr. Engell introduced Ilva Qorri, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Quality, who will be presenting on EOVS MVH 2030.

         Ms. Qorri provided an introduction and began the presentation. The purpose of the plan is not to change the work and engagement of both Homes but rather to support the strong foundation already in place and ensure both Homes continue moving forward with a shared vision. The missions of EOVS, Chelsea and Holyoke were highlighted as the guide.  

         Several areas of progress and achievements have occurred across both Homes over the last several years in areas of modernization and systems, licensure and regulatory milestones, facilities and infrastructure, and annual reviews. The purpose of the plan is to provide a clear framework that guides the work already being accomplished across both Homes and serves as a living document outlining priorities, key initiates, focus, measuring progress over time, and to ensure both Homes are aligned and working towards the same priorities.

         The plan is utilized by identifying key strategic priorities, developing specific initiatives and work streams to support the priorities identified, and establishing measurable metrics for tracking progress over time. The measurable metrics allow the team to monitor progress and identify areas which may require pivoting to ensure the direction is on track.

         Mr. Lyons inquired about who the members of the team are helping to initiate the pillars and who will be part of the team moving forward. Ms. Qorri responded the team is interdisciplinary starting with the Secretary and Executive Director of Homes and Housing at EOVS and both Home’s Executive Directors who also included their teams in the process.

         The goals are organized into five core pillars. The first pillar is system standardization and alignment which focuses on ensuring consistency and processes, policies, and approaches across both facilities. The second pillar is excellence in quality of life and quality of care which centers on continuing to strengthen care, services, and overall experiences for resident veterans. The third pillar is workforce excellence,which focuses on supporting, developing, and retaining staff that provide care each day. The fourth pillar is operational, financial, and infrastructure optimization which ensures efficient operations and strategic investments in facilities and resources. The fifth pillar is culture of engagement which focuses on communication, collaboration, and fostering a strong culture across both Homes.

         Ms. Coppola inquired whether technology is built into each of the pillars and how technology will impact the pillars. Ms. Qorri responded technology is highlighted as a specific goal within one of the pillars relating to IT. Mr. Engell added technology has a significant impact regarding planning and the initiatives the Commonwealth has rolled out regarding AI and ChatGPT.

         An example of the first pillar is through the work completed to unify the quality program across both Homes and both Homes having a standardized reporting structure. There is a system level QAPI plan which each Homes reports up to, and this also helps with alignment across the system itself. There are monthly collaborative meetings with the quality managers from each Home and members of the quality team at EOVS.

         Mr. Dunford inquired about deadlines for the standardization of policies and the tracking mechanism within each goal. Ms. Qorri responded regarding the standardization of the policies and the goals for the policy alignment project. The meetings with the Executive Directors and the Quality Managers allow for feedback from the Homes. Mr. Dunford inquired additionally about the plan for all five pillars and the design to ensure deadlines are met. Ms. Qorri responded that through consistent communication and identification of what each pillar involves will determine the deadlines and what can be met within year one versus what may take multiple years to achieve. Ms. Qorri added depth behind each pillar which is included in the plan and highlighted the current presentation intended to summarize the high-level initiatives within the plan.

         An example of the second pillar being put into practice is the use of the post fall huddle which involves the care team collaborating after a fall to review occurrence, identify contributing factors, determine interventions to help prevent future incidences. A new initiative called audit for excellence which involves the department heads going in pairs to conduct audits on the units like how surveyors would conduct a review during survey. This process guides staff on what to look for during survey. Findings of the audits are shared and an action plan is initiated for improvement.

         An example of the third pillar is strengthening and retaining a high-quality workforce with the area of focus being on figuring out how to streamline the onboarding process particularly the time between selecting a candidate and their official start date. A second example is reducing reliance on contracted labor and replacing those positions with permanent staff which both Executive Directors touched on during their respective presentation.

         An example of the fourth pillar is focused on improving contracting efficiency through annual reviews and coordinated purchasing. The quality team is engaged in annual reviews in addition to operational requirements to review what worked and what areas requirement more attention for improvement.

         An example of the fifth pillar is strengthening a just culture to ensure near misses are reported as good catches which helps to identify risk before harm occurs. The goal of the audit for excellence program to be all inclusive and demonstrate for that as findings occur changes will be implemented system wide.

         Ms. Qorri began the next section of the presentation on reporting and oversight. There are quarterly progress updates which are formerly provided to the Secretary by the quality team, both Executive Directors from either Home, and EOVS Executive Director to include updates on current goals. An example is year one goals, key initiatives under those goals, and the measurable outcomes for each goalwith any updates and adjustments being made. Additional reports would be sent to the council for feedback and ideas.

         Ms. Coppola inquired about the additional units opening and staffing those units in Chelsea. Ms. Baldini noted that recruitment efforts are improving, which will support opening the units with organic staff.  Ms. Coppola also inquired about the CMS five-star ratings being shared consistently in the presentations and to share the data in the long stay population and that resident-to-resident altercations are included the behavioral pillar. Mr. Engell assured the efforts are there to make that data available and that the Homes include specific reviews in their quality meetings.

         Mr. Engell asked for a motion for adjournment. The first motion provided by Ms. Drake and seconded by Mr. Dunford.

         1. Roll Call Vote

            1. Louis Chow​​ - Yes
            2. Sean Collins​​ - Yes ​
            3. Susan Coppola​ - Yes
            4. Ziven Drake​ - Yes
            5. Mike Dunford​​ - Yes
            6. Gary Keefe​​ - had to leave meeting
            7. Tom Lyons​​ - had to leave meeting
            8. Issac Mass​​ - had to leave meeting
            9. Ira Novoselsky​ - had to leave meeting
            10. Jonathan Olshaker​ - Yes
            11. Robert Engell​​ - Yes

5. The motion to adjourn passed and the meeting was concluded.

1. Call to order and member roll call, Chairman Robert Engell, Executive Director, Homes and Housing.
2. Discussion and input from council members on the Job Description for the Superintendent of the State Operated Veterans Home in Chelsea
3. Adjourn