(MassLive/The Republican – Stephanie Barry) State Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, joined the chorus of outraged veterans’ advocates following a scathing letter from the state Inspector General’s Office to leaders of the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home, painting the facility as nightmarish for residents and staff.
The letter, addressed to outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, cites reports of veterans soaked in urine and feces, unsafe clinical practices and toxic leadership by former superintendent Eric Johnson, who was fired on Thursday.
Both the letter and a public statement issued Friday by Velis, who is chairman of the Senate’s Soldiers’ Home Working Group, draw parallels between the troubling scenario in Chelsea and the conditions reported at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke prior to the 2020 outbreak that claimed the lives of more than 80 residents there.
“The deeply concerning issues outlined in the inspector general’s letter simply cannot fall by the wayside. No veteran should ever be living in the types of conditions reported, and no employee should be working in that type of environment as well,” said Velis, who also serves in the Army Reserve.
“I look forward to leading the Senate Soldiers’ Home Working Group on a deep-dive, fact-finding mission to determine if there are systemic problems plaguing the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home. Anything less than providing the best in the nation care to our veterans’ Homes would be a perpetual stain on the seal of our commonwealth,” he added.
Velis, a staunch advocate for the Holyoke home in the wake of the pandemic, said he plans to travel to Chelsea next week to meet with veterans and staff individually.
Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro also took Sudders to task personally in his letter dated Jan. 3, while the Baker administration was still in office.
“Despite these recommendations and despite your knowledge of the significant ongoing issues at the home, your administration has not implemented changes to protect the veterans and the commonwealth’s resources,” Shapiro wrote. “During this time of transition, you must provide a complete, transparent briefing to your successor on these issues.”
In addition to outlining deplorable conditions for veterans, the letter also found Johnson ran the institution through fear and implied retaliation.
“The issues discussed above strongly indicate that the home is not functioning properly and that the leadership is actively failing. Many of these issues echo those the office found at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home between 2016 and early 2020,” the letter reads.
Employees made similar complaints about for Holyoke superintendent Bennett Walsh, who was ousted early on in the pandemic. Shapiro’s predecessor similarly slammed the management of the Holyoke facility last year.
Sudders’ office has not commented on the letter since the memo was made public last week.
Sudders and Cheryl Lussier Poppe, who once ran the Chelsea home and is now secretary of veterans services, made the decision to reinstate Johnson in September after a suspension, drawing the ire of union officials. Gov. Maura Healey’s administration made the decision to fire him.
Velis said he will lead his colleagues in pressing for sweeping reforms at the Chelsea home.
“This has to be a comprehensive effort and one that cannot be placed on the backburner. Our veterans deserve much more than that,” the legislator said.