IT’S SUNDAY, MAY 25TH, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS HERE. THERE ARE FLAGS ALL ACROSS BOSTON COMMON. AS PEOPLE REMEMBER THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR COUNTRY. THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERANS SERVICES IS HERE THIS MORNING. LET’S GO ON THE RECORD FROM WCVB CHANNEL FIVE. THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL. TODAY’S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING ON THE RECORD. HELLO, EVERYONE, AND THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. I’M ED HARDING AND I’M SHARMAN SACCHETTI. OUR GUEST TODAY IS JOHN SANTIAGO, THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN SERVICES OF MASSACHUSETTS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, JOHN. GREAT TO BE HERE. IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU, JOHN, AND LET’S TALK ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY. SINCE IT’S TOMORROW, LET’S TALK ABOUT CARE FOR VETERANS. WE HAVE SEEN FEDERAL CUTS TAKING AIM AT THE AT THE VA. THE WHITE HOUSE IS LOOKING TO CUT 80,000 POSITIONS BY THE END OF THE YEAR. ARE VETERANS GETTING THE CARE THAT THAT THEY NEED, OR ARE THEY HAVING TO DEAL WITH BACKLOGS AND STAFF SHORTAGES? WELL, THERE ARE CURRENTLY BACKLOGS AND STAFF SHORTAGES. LOOK, THE VA IS A LIFELINE FOR SO MANY VETERANS, NOT JUST IN THE COMMONWEALTH, BUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. I’M A VA PATIENT MYSELF, AND AS A VETERAN AND A PHYSICIAN WHO’S CARED FOR SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS, IT’S QUITE CONCERNING WHAT WE’RE HEARING. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CUTTING 15% OF THE WORKFORCE. RIGHT. THIS IS ON TOP OF SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING CARE TO VETERANS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, RIGHT? MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. NOW, YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT BACK BY CUTTING WORKFORCE. IT’S QUITE CONCERNING AND IT’S QUITE PUZZLING. IS IT? IT’S NOT EXCLUSIVELY A FEDERAL PROBLEM. RIGHT. WHAT ABOUT STATE IMPACTS, FOR EXAMPLE? WELL, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VETERANS WHO GET THEIR CARE FROM THE VA HERE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT HAVE GAINED ELIGIBILITY GIVEN THE PACT ACT THAT WAS PASSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE ON THE STATE ARE DOUBLING DOWN ON OUR INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT VETERANS. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE INVESTING MORE IN VETERANS THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE. WE’RE ALSO ENGAGING MORE VETERANS THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE ENGAGING THEM. YEAH. OH THAT’S GREAT. EVERY STUDY THAT YOU READ ABOUT VETERANS SERVICES WILL TELL YOU THAT CITY, STATE, FEDERAL BENEFITS ARE QUITE GOOD. THEY’RE QUITE GENEROUS. THE GAP IS ALWAYS ENGAGEMENT. RIGHT. SO WE’VE CREATED A WHOLE OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT TO FIND WOMEN VETERANS, VETERANS OF COLOR, FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS BUT HAVE MERITED THESE BENEFITS. I WANT TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THESE CUTS. SO THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS REPORTED THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S MOVE TO CANCEL SEVERAL CONTRACTS AT HARVARD, THAT THAT WILL HURT MEDICAL RESEARCH, PARTICULARLY ON VETERANS SUICIDE, ON TOXIC PARTICLE EXPOSURE, PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY PART OF A BIGGER PRESSURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HARVARD. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS IMPACTING PEOPLE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN? WELL, WITH RESPECT TO THE RESEARCH, WHAT PEOPLE OFTEN DON’T KNOW IS THE VA IS A MAJOR RESEARCH HUB ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. AND WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS EFFECTIVELY PUTTING HIRING FREEZE ON VA RESEARCHERS. IT’S ABOUT 200 OF THEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING ON 300 TRIALS, IMPACTING 10,000 VETERANS ON PRECISELY THINGS LIKE THAT. PTSD RESEARCH. I MEAN, THE CARDIAC PACEMAKER, LIVER TRANSPLANT, THAT STUFF ORIGINATED FROM THE VA AND THE CUTS THAT WE’RE HEARING, NOT JUST WITH RESPECT TO VA SERVICES, BUT THE RESEARCH IS VERY CONCERNING. AND WHAT IS THAT WHAT HOW DOES THAT HAVE A REAL WORLD IMPACT ON A VETERAN LIVING HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS? WELL, THE SUPPORT THAT WE’RE OFFERING TO VETERANS, THE BENEFITS. AS A PHYSICIAN MYSELF, I WANT THEM TO BE EVIDENCE BASED. I WANT THEM TO BE TIED TO RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN DONE, THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, THAT HAS PROVEN OUTCOMES. IF THEY CUT RESEARCH, THEY CUT OUR ATTEMPT TO FIND THAT EVIDENCE BASED MEASURE THAT’S GOING TO REALLY HEAL THAT VETERAN. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE YOU’VE TRIED YOU’VE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY AND END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. I ASSUME THAT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE, BUT KNOCKING IT DOWN WOULD BE WOULD BE GLORIOUS. SO HOW HAS THE STATE HOUSING CRISIS AND THE EMERGENCY SHELTER CRISIS? I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, HOW IS IT FACTORED INTO IT? HAS IT FACTORED INTO IT? WELL, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE HOUSING CRISIS AND AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN MASSACHUSETTS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. GOVERNOR HEALEY AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DRISCOLL HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS. THEY’VE PASSED A $5 BILLION HOUSING BILL, AND GOVERNOR HEALEY, BECAUSE OF HER LEADERSHIP, SHE HAS ASKED EVERY SECRETARY TO GET ACTIVE ON THIS ISSUE. SO FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, IT’S REALLY BEEN ABOUT HOW DO WE IMPACT VETERANS HOMELESSNESS. WE PUT TOGETHER A $20 MILLION INVESTMENT TARGETED TOWARDS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS, THE LARGEST TARGETED INVESTMENT EVER FOR VETERAN HOMELESSNESS, BASED ON FIVE PILLARS A REALLY AGGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY, REALLY PARTNERING WITH THE VA, LOCAL CITIES AND TOWNS DEVELOPERS TO GET FOLKS HOUSE. AND I CAN TELL YOU, SINCE WE’VE BEEN AT THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW, WE’VE ALREADY HOUSED OVER 200 VETERANS. AND ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, WE’VE HOUSE HUNDREDS OF VETERANS. WELL, THAT WOULD THAT WOULD SOUND LIKE A SMALL NUMBER. AM I BEING TOO SIMPLE? WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA AND IT’S NOT PERFECT, BUT THEY USE SOMETHING THAT’S CALLED A PIT COUNT, A POINT IN TIME COUNT. THAT NUMBER IS AT ABOUT 545 RIGHT NOW. THAT’S 545 VETERANS WHO LACK PERMANENT HOUSING. BUT WITHIN THAT, IT’S 50 WHO ARE UNSHELTERED. SO THEY’RE NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS VETERANS HERE, YOU KNOW, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE WILL DO BETTER. AND WE ARE DOING BETTER. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE SHELTER CRISIS, BECAUSE VERY OFTEN YOU DO HEAR ARGUMENTS FROM VARIOUS FOLKS ABOUT SHELTERING MIGRANT FAMILIES. FOR INSTANCE, WHY AREN’T WE DOING MORE TO SHELTER VETERANS? YEAH, YOU HEAR THAT ALL OVER THE PLACE. YOU DO HEAR EVERY TOWN HALL THAT I GO TO, RIGHT? IT’S ALL ABOUT, WELL, YOU’RE CHOOSING MIGRANTS OVER VETERANS. IT’S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. WE CAN DO BOTH. WE HAVE BEEN DOING BOTH. AND THERE’S BEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR DELIVERY MODEL AT THE VETERANS, AT THE VETERAN LEVEL TO REALLY IMPACT THAT AND GET THOSE DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS DOWN. BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT’S NOT EXACTLY ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. THAT IS THE GOAL. THAT IS THE VISION AND MISSION, RIGHT? IT’S GETTING TO SOMETHING THAT’S CALLED FUNCTIONAL ZERO. THE IDEA WHERE THE COMMUNITY OR THE STATE OR THE CITY, THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THEY HAVE EXCEED THE DEMAND THAT THERE IS. AND SO YOU’RE RIGHT, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SHELTERS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS. BUT WE’RE DRIVING THAT NUMBER DOWN, AND WE’RE DOING THAT IN COLLABORATION WITH WITH FOLKS, BECAUSE THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT GIVING SOMEONE A PAIR OF KEYS. THIS IS ABOUT GIVING SOMEONE HOPE, DIGNITY, A CHANCE TO WORK, AND REALLY PROVIDING THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES. YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT’S A LAYERED ISSUE, RIGHT? YEAH, YOU MAY HAVE YOU MAY HAVE A KEY TO A DOOR, BUT YOU NEED A KEY TO A DOOR AND YOU NEED FURNITURE INSIDE. AND THEN YOU NEED YOU NEED TO PUT FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR. AND YOU NEED TO WORK TO DO THAT. THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. YOU’VE SAID TALKS ARE UNDERWAY TO SET UP A THIRD LONG TERM CARE HOME FOR VETERANS. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT’S NEEDED? WELL, LET ME JUST PREFACE THAT THIS IS A VERY PRELIMINARY TALKS, RIGHT. BOTH VETERANS HOMES, THERE’S A SIGNIFICANT WAITING LIST. RIGHT. WE KNOW THAT THERE’S A LONG TERM. LIKE HOW LONG? WELL, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. RIGHT. WE’RE EXPANDING CAPACITY AT CHELSEA. THE NEW HOME AT HOLYOKE WILL DOUBLE THE SIZE THERE. BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ARE TWO INSTITUTIONS THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL MASSACHUSETTS VETERANS. RIGHT? ISN’T JUST IT ISN’T JUST THE HOLYOKE SOLDIERS HOME OR THE CHELSEA SOLDIERS HOME, WHICH WERE THE OLD NAMES THESE ARE. WE CHANGE THESE NAMES TO THE MASSACHUSETTS VETERANS HOME. RIGHT. AND SO IF YOU’RE OUT IN THE SOUTH COAST OR THE CAPE, YOU KNOW, IT’S REALLY IMPRACTICAL FOR YOU TO ACCESS THAT FOR YOUR FAMILY OR FOR YOUR MOTHER OR FOR YOUR FATHER. AND SO, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A BOND BILL PUT FORWARD TO LOOK AT GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY WITH RESPECT TO THESE HOMES. AND SO WE’RE LOOKING AT IT’S VERY PRELIMINARY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU WOULD NEED A VA FEDERAL GRANT TO FUND THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT’S 65% OF THESE ARE FUNDED BY THE VA. WE JUST GOT TWO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. OBVIOUSLY WE’RE GOING TO GO FIGHT FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE CAN GET OUT OF DC, BUT THAT’S HOW YOU’D PAY FOR IT. 65% IS FUNDED BY THE FEDS, AND SO IS THE GOAL TO POTENTIALLY PUT IT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE CAPE? OR DO YOU HAVE A REGION? I KNOW YOU SAID IT’S PRELIMINARY, BUT DO YOU HAVE A REGION IN MIND? WELL, WITHOUT A DOUBT WE WILL. WE’LL GO THROUGH STUDIES WORKING WITH A VARIETY OF STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL CITIES AND TOWNS. RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE THE CHELSEA, YOU HAVE HOLYOKE. AND AND THERE’S OTHER AREAS THAT ARE NOT SERVED. AGAIN, IF YOU LIVE IN, YOU KNOW, FALL RIVER, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU BRING YOUR MOTHER OR YOUR FATHER TO HOLYOKE OR CHELSEA? SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO DO THE RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS AN ANALYTICAL TYPE, A PERSON MYSELF, WE’LL BE WORKING WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS AND HOW CAN WE BEST ADDRESS THEM, HOW HAVE THEY HOW ARE THE FACILITIES CHANGED SINCE THE TRAGEDIES OF COVID? IT’S BEEN NIGHT AND DAY, TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU. NIGHT AND DAY, 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, THESE WERE UNLICENSED FACILITIES BY DPH, BY THE CENTER FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES. THEY WERE RUN BY PEOPLE NOT LICENSED TO RUN A NURSING HOME. THEY HAD PAPER, MEDICAL CHARTS, PAPER SCHEDULING. YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DILAPIDATED AND THAT’S BEEN COMPLETELY TURNED OVER. AND I CAN PROVE THAT TO YOU, BUT NOT JUST WHAT WE’RE DOING, BUT WITH THE OUTCOMES. IF I TELL YOU THAT OUT OF THE SEVEN CMS INDICATORS BY WHICH WE JUDGE NURSING HOME CARE CENTER FOR MEDICAID, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, THAT’S NOW LICENSED, THAT HOLYOKE OR THIS TRAGEDY PRIMARILY OCCURRED, THEY’RE BEATING THE AVERAGE NURSING HOME IN MASSACHUSETTS ON SIX OF THOSE SEVEN INDICATORS. AND THAT’S DUE TO THE LEADERSHIP ON THE GROUND THERE. THE INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP, I MIGHT ADD, OF FOLKS LIKE DIRECTOR LAZO AND THE NURSES, CNAS ON THE GROUND WHO REALLY DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS. WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE TO HELP VETERANS AS WE