Hastings veterans home getting new leadership after complaints
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The man in charge of helping Minnesota's veterans faced tough questions Tuesday.
At a Minnesota Senate committee hearing, state lawmakers wanted answers after accusations of hostility and harassment at the veterans home in Hastings.
Two top officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs were let go over the weekend: Deputy Commissioner Doug Hughes and the administrator of the Hastings Veterans Home, Mike Anderson.
Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL), the chair of the bipartisan Veterans Committee, started the hearing discussing reports of a hostile workplace and concerns of retaliation.
"How did we get to this place without having addressed it earlier?" said Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL).
During questioning of VA Commissioner Larry Herke, Sen. Mark Koran (R) said, "You're at the top of the food chain, and this all happened under your watch."
Herke acknowledged problems at the Hastings home.
"[It] seemed like the culture, there just was something not correct there, and it was not a positive environment to work in," Herke said.
VA officials say the home is for veterans experiencing homelessness, or mental or physical health challenges, who may have nowhere else to turn.
Former workers at the Hastings home testified to issues like inadequate protective equipment, being overworked and depressed, and roadblocks to advancement for BIPOC staff and women.
"Senior leaders in the healthcare division have been aware of the long-term issues that have affected care and veterans services for years," said Lynn Wachtler, a former nurse practitioner at the Hastings home. "I know this, because I told them."
WCCO spoke to several people who live at the facility and while some of them say it's understaffed, they also said everything being talked about at the Senate hearing doesn't really affect them. They were happy with the care and services they've been receiving.
"The outcomes for our residents there have been continuing to be positive going forward," Herke said. "In my opinion, at no time were the residents in the situation where we lacked the staffing or the capability to actually take care of the residents."
Herke says they're redoing harassment and anti-bullying training.
Hughes, the deputy commissioner who was let go, attended the hearing. He told WCCO he feels he's a scapegoat in all of this.
