The new year is underway and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is beginning 2024 with anticipation and excitement as we achieve long-planned milestones.
After more than a decade of advocacy, several years of planning and two years of construction, MDVA is opening three new Veterans Homes!
- The /mdva/homes/preston/index.jspPreston Veterans Home admitted its first Residents on Jan. 3. The facility has 54 beds to serve southeastern Minnesota.
- The /mdva/homes/montevideo/index.jspMontevideo Veterans Home will open later this month with 72 beds to serve western Minnesota.
- The /mdva/homes/bemidji/index.jspBemidji Veterans Home is scheduled to begin admitting Residents within the next few weeks. Its 72 beds will serve northwestern Minnesota.
It is extremely gratifying to see these projects come to life with staff hired and Veterans ready to call these new facilities their homes.
Our /mdva/homes/index.jspfive current Veterans Homes will also receive our attention throughout the coming year as we continue to invest in facilities that provide skilled nursing and Domiciliary care for more than 600 Residents. We are also looking forward to continuing the planning for the /mdva/homes/hastings/index.jspHastings Veterans Home Campus upgrade.
2024 should also see another significant milestone in the commitment to /mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/index.jspend Veteran homelessness. As of this writing, two of 10 continuums of care have yet to achieve this designation: Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. We are confident that both will meet this goal in the next year.
Sadly, about 100 /mdva/resources/veteransuicideprevention/index.jspMinnesota Veterans continue to die by suicide each year, and our efforts to prevent this tragedy are ongoing. The Federal VA 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report notes that not only has the overall population suicide rate increased from 2001 to 2021, but the Veteran suicide rate has increased even more. Research continues to identify that the majority of Veteran suicides were by firearm, so our free gun lock campaign remains an important strategy. We are also strengthening collaboration among Veterans Service Organizations and community groups to encourage training so everyone can play a role in preventing Veteran suicide.
The /mdva/news/legislative-updates/index.jsp2024 Legislative session will begin in February. MDVA will be active at the State Capitol to ensure our programs and services can continue to meet the needs of our state’s 294,000 Veterans. We will also participate in the annual “Veterans Day on the Hill” scheduled for April 17.
In June, MDVA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. We are planning a multi-day event and program to provide an opportunity for healing by thanking and honoring the Veterans who served during that era. Please watch for more details in the months ahead.
Throughout this year, we will be hiring many new employees who share our passion for caring for Veterans. Please consider joining our team or encouraging others to do so. Job openings are posted at /mdva/about/work-for-mdva/index.jspMinnesotaVeteran.org/Careers.
If you need information or support on any Veteran issue, please visit our website, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, or contact LinkVet at 1-888-LinkVet.
Thank YOU for your service!
