Massachusetts Legislature Passes Veterans' Home Governance Legislation

The Massachusetts Legislature today passed An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the Commonwealth's veterans' homes which makes key reforms to the governance structure of the state's veterans' homes, ensures that both homes are federally licensed as health care facilities, mandates increased state management, and provides independent oversight and accountability of veterans' homes management. Following the tragedy at the Holyoke Veterans' Home in 2020, which resulted in the COVID-19 related deaths of 78 veterans, the Legislature established the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the veterans' Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak to investigate and make recommendations which resulted in this legislation.

"By taking significant steps to change how our veterans' homes are governed and managed, and by establishing protocols that are designed to identify and correct any examples of mismanagement or inadequate care as quickly as possible, this legislation will help to ensure that a tragedy similar to what occurred at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home will never happen again in Massachusetts," said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). "I want to thank Leader Wagner, Chairman McMurtry and members of the conference committee, my colleagues in the House, as well as Senate President Spilka and our partners in the Senate for their hard work, and for prioritizing the health and well-being of the Commonwealth's veterans. They deserve nothing less."

"As the daughter of a veteran, I continue to be heartbroken for the families of those who lost their lives to COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home," stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "I would like to thank Senators Rush, Velis and Tarr for their work on this conference committee, as well as Speaker Mariano and all of the House conferees for their partnership in service of our veterans. This important reform to the governance of veterans' homes in Massachusetts is a major step toward rethinking how we deliver care to veterans of every generation across Massachusetts and ensure that our veterans are connected to their communities."

"I am honored to have led the House's effort to reform the system of governance at the two state-operated veterans' homes, streamline and modernize veterans care, and create a clear chain of command with a new cabinet-level secretary of veterans' services," said Representative Joseph F. Wagner (D-Chicopee), Second Assistant Majority Leader and House lead of the conference committee. "This legislation not only addresses a structurally deficient authority at the homes, but instills a greater level of care for veterans statewide, consistent with our prior action in authorizing $400 million for a new and an additional $200 million for other veterans' housing projects. This report puts emphasis on our commitment to provide veterans the care they deserve, with dignity and honor."

"The tragedy of the state's soldiers' homes did not happen overnight. It was the culmination of years of mismanagement, a lack of oversight, and a plethora of serious structural deficiencies which ultimately cost over one hundred veterans their lives," said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), Senate Majority Whip and Senate lead of the conference committee. "The Commonwealth's veterans deserve better. Today, thanks to the efforts of Senate President Karen Spilka, Speaker Mariano, Leader Joe Wagner, and my colleagues on the conference committee, we have created a strong framework to ensure they receive the best a grateful public can offer."

The legislation creates a direct line of authority by creating a Secretary of Veterans' Services position, with a corresponding executive office in the Commonwealth, as the ultimate appointing authority of the superintendents of the two state-operated homes. It also creates a newly constituted 19-member Veterans' Homes Council to advise the Secretary to ensure the health and well-being of veteran residents. The council is tasked with reviewing and approving the local Board of Trustees' nomination for superintendent of their respective home before submitting the final candidate to the Secretary for consideration of appointment.

The legislation also makes the superintendent the administrative head of a state-operated veterans' home, prescribing them with concrete responsibilities. It includes critical qualifications for the role, requiring that the individual selected be a licensed nursing home administrator, and be a veteran or have experience in the management of veterans in a long-term care or nursing home facility. The medical director of each state-operated veterans' home will recommend to the superintendent all medical staff, physicians, and nurses at the respective home for their review for hiring.

"A bill of this magnitude is always a product of collaboration and compromise, and this legislation is no different. I would like to thank Speaker Mariano and Leader Wagner for their steadfast leadership and guidance through this process," said Representative Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. "I believe that the compromise reached in this conference committee produced a strong bill that delivers on its original goal of providing a structure to our veterans homes that protects our veterans and gives them the highest quality of care and dignity they've earned and deserve."

"From streamlining the chain of command and clarifying the responsibilities of the superintendent, to elevating the veterans Secretary to cabinet level and expanding the Department of Public Health's role, this legislation contains important improvements for our Commonwealth's veterans' homes," said Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. "I want to thank my fellow conferees for their work throughout this process and for their commitment to getting a piece of legislation to the Governor's desk this session. At the same time, we know that this work must continue. That is why I am so grateful to Senate President Spilka for appointing me to lead the Senate working group that will oversee implementation of this legislation, identify what we need to improve on further, and continue to work to ensure that the tragedy that took place at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home never happens again."

To further protect the health and safety of residents and staff, the report requires all state-operated veterans' homes be licensed as nursing homes by the Department of Public Health (DPH), a provision that was not previously enforced in state law. It also directs the department to conduct inspections of the homes biannually—and monthly during a declared state of emergency—with a timeframe for when violations must be resolved. Each state-operated veterans' home must apply and maintain certification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in such programs on behalf of their residents, as well as adhere to federal guidelines for trauma-informed care.

The comprehensive bill also reaffirms the role of the Executive Director of Veterans' Homes and Housing, who will now oversee the Veterans' Home Council as chair, in addition to their other responsibilities. The report goes further in enhancing the care of all veterans in the Commonwealth by creating an Office of the Veteran Advocate, appointed by the Governor, Attorney General and State Auditor, independent of any supervision control by an executive agency, to guarantee veterans residing in the state are always receiving services in a humane and dignified manner. The legislation also establishes the position of ombudsperson for each veterans' home to advocate on behalf of the residents and staff at the home.

"I want to thank my colleagues on this conference committee for their hard work and dedication through this process," said Representative David F. DeCoste (R-Norwell). "I am certain that the mandated improvements in management controls, certifications and medical professional requirements will greatly improve operations in both the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers Homes." 

"We have a solemn obligation to support those who enter harm's way on our behalf in the uniform of our military and our state has a proud legacy of leading this nation in meeting that obligation in offering support for those men and women," said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), a member of the bill's conference committee. "I am thankful that the conference committee retained my amendment to require that the Secretary of Veteran's Services be a veteran and a full member of the Governor's cabinet because this will allow the Secretary to faithfully give veterans a voice that they have always deserved. The Holyoke and Chelsea veterans' homes, and any future homes, should be a place of respite, care, and safety where a veteran can live their days with dignity. This bill sets the stage for accountability, a firm chain of command, proper licensure, and experts to make sure that the administration of these homes are modernized and fully committed to those in their care."

In May 2021, the Legislature approved a $600 million bond authorization—with $400 million for the construction of an updated Holyoke Veterans' Home facility and $200 million to increase geographic equity and accessibility for veterans not primarily served by the veterans' homes in Chelsea or Holyoke.

Having been passed by the House and Senate, An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the Commonwealth's veterans' homes now goes to Governor Baker for his signature.

Link to Legislation -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H5106

Massachusetts Legislature Passes Veterans' Home Governance Legislation

Mass Senate Passes Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes

On Thursday, March 10, 2022, the Massachusetts State Senate passed legislation to increase public oversight over the administration of state-operated veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. To improve safety and transparency at the veterans’ homes, the bill would restructure the chain of command to more closely match established administrative practices used in hospitals and other large organizations. This legislation follows continued scrutiny of administrative failures at the veterans’ home in Holyoke, which led to the tragic deaths of 77 veterans during the early days of the pandemic, and builds on recommendations made by the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak, which investigated.

 

“As the daughter of a veteran, I continue to be heartbroken for the families of those who lost their lives to COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I would like to thank the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak for their thorough investigation of this tragedy, as well as my colleagues in the Senate who have remained focused on dramatic and drastic governance reform to our veterans’ services to ensure the tragedy that occurred in Holyoke never happens again. The Senate will continue to lead in its efforts to support the brave men and women who have served our country. I want to thank Senator Rush for working for over a decade to confront the issues that affect the treatment of veterans and that impact veterans’ services, as well as Senators Rodrigues and Velis for their partnership in crafting this bill.”

 

“With the passage of this bill, the Senate recognizes the need to prioritize accountability and oversight, establish effective checks and balances, and ensure clear chains of command at our state’s long-term care facilities for veterans in order to prevent the tragedy at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home from ever happening again,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Thank you to Senate President Spilka for her leadership, to Senators Rush and Velis for their tireless efforts in shaping this bill, and to my colleagues in the Senate for their continued commitment to supporting our veterans.”

 

"The Soldiers’ Homes have long suffered from gaps in accountability and a confused chain of command, factors which left it unable to deal with a crisis like the one we saw with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs and sponsor of the bill. “The bill passed by the senate today tightens these gaps, enhances the level of oversight by elevating the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to a cabinet level position, and creates a stronger governing structure that supports our veterans and provides high quality care. Thank you to Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues, and my colleagues in the senate for your continued support of the commonwealth’s veterans

 

“From removing burdensome reporting layers and cleaning up the chain of command, to putting in place important infection control and medical oversight, this legislation builds on a lot of the critical lessons that we learned since the tragic COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in the spring of 2020,” said Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield), Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. “Those lives lost are the reason this legislation is before us today, to do right by them, and to do right by all the Veterans who will call Massachusetts home in the coming years. I want to thank the Senate President, the Chair of Ways & Means, and Senator Rush for their steadfast leadership on these important reforms and all my colleagues for their consistent support of our Commonwealth’s Veterans.”

 

This comprehensive reform bill is designed to increase the safety of residents of veterans’ homes in the Commonwealth. A new, full-time ombudsperson would receive, investigate, and assist in resolving complaints related to the health, wellbeing, and rights of veterans’ homes’ residents and staff. To effectively aid these efforts, a public hotline would be created for residents and staff to direct concerns. The bill would also task the Department of Public Health (DPH) with regularly inspecting the homes; all inspection reports would being made publicly available, excluding identifying information of patients and staff. Veterans' homes would be required to be licensed as long-term care facilities by DPH and adhere to the same standards and regulations.

 

Amendments adopted during floor debate will ensure that all veterans’ homes are licensed as long-term care facilities; employ both an infection control specialist and an emergency preparedness specialist; have adequate infection control programs in place; and establish best practices for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Other adopted amendments direct the Secretary of Veteran’s Services to conduct an outreach program on the benefits and application process for the veterans’ homes, and require all annual reports from the statewide and regional veterans’ homes advisory councils to be publicly accessible online.

 

State-operated veterans’ homes in Massachusetts are managed by a Superintendent, who is responsible for everyday operation of the homes and for ensuring improvements to quality of care. The Senate’s legislation would give the authority to appoint a superintendent for each of the Veterans’ Homes to the Executive Director of the Office of Veterans’ Homes and Housing (OVHH). Under the legislation, superintendents would be required to fulfill certain criteria, including being a licensed nursing home administrator with experience running a long-term care facility. Priority would also be given to superintendent candidates who are themselves veterans.

 

The Executive Director of OVHH would be appointed by the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services, which would be elevated to a cabinet-level position, appointed by the Governor. The Secretary would be required to promulgate regulations concerning the operations and administration of veterans’ homes. Elevating the Secretary to a cabinet-level position would facilitate more timely attention to all personnel challenges.

In addition to altering the command structure responsible for managing veterans’ homes, the bill would also create a statewide Massachusetts Veterans’ Homes Advisory Council, tasked with recommending policies to the Secretary of Veterans Services, as well as Regional Councils, which would be tasked with representing the interests of the local community, residents, and family members at each veterans’ home. Both the statewide Massachusetts Veterans’ Homes Advisory Council and Regional Councils would report annually to the Secretary and to the Legislature. Together with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, these councils would be empowered to submit nominations for and recommend the removal of superintendents. 

 

Furthermore, the bill would require each home to have a full-time specialist in infection control and emergency preparedness and to adhere to medically-sound guidelines for trauma-informed care, including best practices for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention. Additionally, the homes would be required to maintain organizational plans, updated annually, for normal and emergency operations.

 

The Senate’s bill would remove existing procedural hurdles which make it harder to donate operating supplies, clothing, medical equipment, personal hygiene products, and holiday gifts to veterans’ homes.

 

This legislation would set procedures and guidelines for filling vacant positions at veterans’ homes, including posting job openings in a timely fashion, and ensuring that an employee is available to temporarily be tasked with any unfulfilled emergency duties while the position is vacant. Additionally, annual performance reviews would be mandated for all leadership positions at each home.

 

To facilitate veterans’ access to health care, state-operated veterans’ homes would be required to accept Medicare and Medicaid payments. The bill would also provide mental health resources to employees of state-operated veterans’ homes who worked during the pandemic, and create a commission to rename the Veterans’ Homes in Chelsea and Holyoke after specific Massachusetts veterans.

 

Finally, the Senate adopted an amendment from Senator Velis to establish March 21 as Veterans’ Homes Remembrance Day, to honor the veterans who lost their lives due to the tragic COVID-19 outbreaks at veterans’ homes.

 

As a version of An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the commonwealth’s veterans’ homes has previously passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve any differences between the Senate and House versions.   

Senate Legislation link -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2739

House Legislation link -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4441

MASS Senate Unveils Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes

MASS Senate Unveils Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, the Massachusetts State Senate unveiled legislation to increase public oversight over the administration of state-operated veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. To improve safety and transparency at the veterans’ homes, the bill would restructure the chain of command to more closely match established administrative practices used in hospitals and other large organizations. This legislation follows continued scrutiny of administrative failures at the veterans’ home in Holyoke, which led to the tragic deaths of 77 veterans during the early days of the pandemic, and builds on recommendations made by the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak, which investigated.
 
“As the daughter of a veteran, I continue to be heartbroken for the families of those who lost their lives to COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I would like to thank the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak for their thorough investigation of this tragedy, as well as my colleagues in the Senate who have remained focused on dramatic and drastic governance reform to our veterans’ services to ensure the tragedy that occurred in Holyoke never happens again. The Senate will continue to lead in its efforts to support the brave men and women who have served our country. I want to thank Senator Rush for his careful attention to and leadership on this issue, and Senator Rodrigues and the Veterans Committee for their partnership in crafting this bill.”
 
“This bill will help make sure the tragedy that occurred at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home never happens again by prioritizing accountability and oversight and establishing clear chains of command at our state’s long-term care facilities for veterans,” said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Thank you to Senate President for her leadership and to Senator Rush and the Veterans Committee for their work in shaping this bill and their tireless commitment to supporting veterans. I look forward to a robust debate in the Senate.”
 
“The Soldiers’ Homes have long suffered from gaps in accountability and a confused chain of command, factors which left it unable to deal with a crisis like the one we saw with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs and sponsor of the bill. “The language the Senate will take up tightens these gaps, enhances the level of oversight by elevating the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to a cabinet level position, and creates a stronger governing structure that supports our veterans and provides high quality care. Thank you to Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues, and my colleagues in the Senate for your continued support of the commonwealth’s veterans.”
 
This comprehensive reform bill is designed to increase the safety of residents of veterans’ homes in the Commonwealth. A new, full-time ombudsperson would receive, investigate, and assist in resolving complaints related to the health, wellbeing, and rights of veterans’ homes’ residents and staff. To effectively aid these efforts, a public hotline would be created for residents and staff to direct concerns. The bill would also task the Department of Public Health with regularly inspecting the homes, with all inspection reports would being made publicly available.
 
State-operated veterans’ homes in Massachusetts are managed by a superintendent, who is responsible for everyday operation of the homes and for ensuring improvements to quality of care. The Senate’s legislation would give the authority to appoint a superintendent for each of the Veterans’ Homes to the Executive Director of the Office of Veterans’ Homes and Housing (OVHH). Under the legislation, superintendents would be required to fulfill certain criteria, including being a licensed nursing home administrator with experience running a long-term care facility. Priority would also be given to superintendent candidates who are themselves veterans.
 
The Executive Director of OVHH would be appointed by the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services, which would be elevated to a cabinet-level position, appointed by the governor. The Secretary would be required to promulgate regulations concerning the operations and administration of veterans’ homes. Elevating the Secretary to a cabinet-level position would facilitate more timely attention to all personnel challenges.
 
In addition to altering the command structure responsible for managing veterans’ homes, the bill would also create a statewide Massachusetts Veterans’ Homes Advisory Council, tasked with recommending policies to the Secretary of Veterans Services, as well as Regional Councils, which would be tasked with representing the interests of the local community, residents, and family members at each veterans’ home. Both the statewide Massachusetts Veterans’ Homes Advisory Council and Regional Councils would report annually to the Secretary and to the Legislature. Together with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, these councils would be empowered to submit nominations for and recommend the removal of superintendents. 
 
Furthermore, the bill would require each home to have a full-time specialist in infection control and emergency preparedness and to adhere to medically-sound guidelines for trauma-informed care.  Additionally, the homes would be required to maintain organizational plans, updated annually, for normal operations as well as emergency operations.
 
This legislation would set procedures and guidelines for filling vacant positions at veterans’ homes, including posting job openings in a timely fashion and ensuring that an employee is available to temporarily be tasked with any unfulfilled emergency duties while the position is vacant. Additionally, annual performance reviews would be mandated for all leadership positions at each home.
 
To facilitate veterans’ access to health care, state-operated veterans’ homes would be required to accept Medicare and Medicaid payments. The bill would also provide mental health resources to employees of state-operated veterans’ homes who worked during the pandemic and create a commission to rename the Veterans’ Homes in Chelsea and Holyoke after specific Massachusetts veterans,
 
Amendments to An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the commonwealth’s veterans’ homes will be due on Monday, March 7, 2022, and the bill will be debated by the Senate next week.   https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2739

MASS Senate Unveils Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes

“I forgot,” Baker said of the meeting

"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said Friday he “forgot” he had spoken with former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh before naming him to the post, and expressed interest in taking action to implement reforms at the home after last year’s deadly COVID-19 outbreak.

Though Baker had previously said he first met Walsh, who was hired despite a lack of experience in health care management, when he swore him in, his administration confirmed in a Boston Globe Spotlight report into the events leading up to the outbreak that killed at least 76 veterans that Baker had interviewed Walsh beforehand."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health-care/baker-i-forgot-about-walsh-interview/ 

and Boston Globe coverage  (Subscription may be required) -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/28/metro/baker-wrongly-claimed-he-never-met-holyoke-soldiers-home-leader-before-swearing-him-i-forgot-he-says/

CommonWealth Magazine: 2 Holyoke Solders Home follow up articles

 

"A REPORT BY a legislative committee formed to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home that left 77 veterans dead faulted a “crisis of leadership” for substantially contributing to what it called a “perfect storm” and a “preventable tragedy.”

“As we outline in this report, the causes were both immediate, including inexplicable decisions made by the Home’s leadership in the days and weeks preceding the outbreak, and long-standing, including systemic issues that left the Home mismanaged, understaffed, lacking sufficient oversight, and ill-equipped to protect its residents from a deadly infectious disease,” the committee, which was chaired by Rep. Linda Campbell of Methuen and Sen. Michael Rush of Boston, concluded. "

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health-care/holyoke-soldiers-home-report-details-crisis-of-leadership/

 

"Gov. Charlie Baker is eager to sign a bill on his desk providing $400 million for the construction of a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, but first he has to make a decision on a controversial project labor agreement contained in the legislation.

A project labor agreement requires the contractor chosen to build the home to use workers supplied by various trade unions and to abide by wage and benefit provisions in return for a no-strike clause."

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/baker-pressed-on-holyoke-soldiers-home-labor-agreement-2/

Boston Globe Spotlight: "Failure of Command"

"Governor Charlie Baker was indignant last June, as he outlined the results of an investigation into the crisis at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

“It’s a very special place, and has always held a special place in my heart,” Baker said of the state-run home, where a COVID-19 outbreak had killed 76 veterans that spring — one of the highest death tolls of any senior-care center in the country.

The report by Boston attorney Mark Pearlstein was “nothing short of gut wrenching,” Baker said. The chaos and carnage at the Soldiers’ Home was “truly horrific and tragic.” There had been inexcusable failures of leadership by superintendent Bennett Walsh and of oversight by Secretary of Veterans’ Services Francisco Ureña, Baker said. So they both had to go.

At that press conference, Baker and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders took no personal responsibility for the massive loss of life at a facility they oversaw. Instead, they laid blame solely on officials below them, particularly Walsh and Ureña, in what a Boston Globe Spotlight Team investigation has found was an often misleading narrative marked by omissions and false assertions. 

The governor distanced himself from the decision to hire superintendent Walsh, who now faces charges of criminal neglect during the pandemic. Baker said Walsh had been appointed by the Soldiers’ Home board of trustees, which “really wanted Bennett Walsh to have that job. And I can tell you that the first time I ever met him or talked to him was when we swore him in.”

That wasn’t true. Baker interviewed Walsh before naming him superintendent in 2016, despite Walsh’s lack of health care management experience, an administration spokesperson recently confirmed."

Continue reading the article online  (subscription may be required)

https://apps.bostonglobe.com/metro/investigations/spotlight/2021/05/soldiers-home/#outbreak-interactive

 

"the veterans known to have died from COVID through May 23, 2020"

In the News: "Two officials charged in Holyoke Soldiers’ Home COVID outbreak"

From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin: 

"Two of the top officials at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, where 76 veterans died of COVID-19 during an outbreak in early spring, have been criminally charged with neglect and causing serious bodily injury in a case that may be the first of its kind in the country.

“They risked their lives, from the beaches of Normandy to, some, the jungles of Vietnam,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, in a press conference Friday morning. “To know that they died under the most horrific circumstances is truly shocking.”

Superintendent Bennett Walsh and former Medical Director David Clinton face 10 felony counts each, five counts related to criminal neglect and five counts related to causing serious bodily harm. They face up to three years in prison for each criminal neglect count and 10 years in prison for each count tied to serious bodily injury."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200925/two-officials-charged-in-holyoke-soldiers-home-covid-outbreak?rssfeed=true

Related articles on this story:

Commonwealth Magazine: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health-care/two-at-holyoke-soldiers-home-face-criminal-charges/

WBUR: https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/09/25/maura-healey-criminal-charges-holyoke-soldiers-home-bennett-walsh-clinton

Attorney General Maura Healey answers questions about her lawsuit that challenges a Trump administration policy that would kick international students out of the country for taking online-only courses at their universities. (Photo by Sarah Betancourt)